WNBA scoring leader Jewell Loyd of Seattle Storm named All-Star
Jun 25, 2023, 10:05 AM | Updated: 10:45 am
Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm reacts a basket against Phoenix on June 24, 2023. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
NEW YORK (AP) — Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, the WNBA’s leading scorer, is among the All-Star Game starters announced Sunday by the league.
Loyd is averaging 25.4 points per game in the Storm’s first season since the retirement of legendary point guard Sue Bird and offseason departure of former MVP Breanna Stewart to the New York Liberty. Stewart is second in scoring to Loyd with 22.9 points per game.
Brittney Griner will also be starting in the WNBA All-Star Game a year after she was an honorary choice by the league while she was being detained in Russia.
The Phoenix Mercury’s center was chosen by fans, media and players Sunday for her ninth All-Star game. Last season all the players wore Griner No. 42 jerseys for the second half of the game that was played in Chicago.
A’ja Wilson and Stewart were the top vote getters among fans and will be the captains of the two teams when the game is played in Las Vegas on July 15. The two players were also captains last year and are each making their fifth All-Star appearances. Wilson’s team won the game last year.
Other frontcourt players chosen to start include rookie Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever. She would be the first rookie to start an All-Star game since Shoni Schimmel did it in 2014. Overall eight rookies have been chosen to start the All-Star Game.
Satou Sabally of Dallas and Elena Delle Donne of Washington round out the frontcourt starters.
The backcourt starters are Loyd, Las Vegas teammates Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young, and Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale.
🌟 INTRODUCING YOUR 2023 @ATT #WNBAALLSTAR STARTERS 🌟 pic.twitter.com/z8azHF7fvB
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 25, 2023
The reserves will be chosen by the league’s head coaches, who will choose three guards, five frontcourt players and four at either position. Coaches can’t vote for their own players. The reserves will be announced on July 1.
Stewart and Wilson will draft their rosters on July 8.
Fan balloting accounts for 50% of the vote to determine starters for the game. WNBA players and a media panel account for 25% each. Player’s scores were calculated by averaging their weighted rank from the three groups.
Seattle Sports staff contributed to this report.
Saturday: Loyd scores 24 with 4 steals, Seattle Storm beat Mercury 97-74
