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Clark, Collier draft All-Star teams, flip coaches


All three Indiana Fever All-Stars will be on the same team for the upcoming WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis on July 19. The rosters, as chosen by captains Caitlin Clark of the Fever and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, were announced Tuesday.

Clark and Collier, the two leading vote-getters in fan balloting, first drafted from the eight remaining starters, then filled out their teams picking from the 12 reserves. They also made one trade: swapping head coaches.

Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve initially was assigned to guide Team Clark, since the coach of the team with the WNBA’s best record as of July 3 went to the top vote-getting player. The New York Liberty’s Sandy Brondello, coach of the team with the second-best record then, was originally assigned to Team Collier. But since Reeve is Collier’s coach with the Lynx, the captains opted to switch coaches.

Clark chose both her Fever teammates available in the roster draft: forward/center Aliyah Boston (pick No. 1) and guard Kelsey Mitchell (pick No. 10). Rounding out Team Clark’s starters, along with herself and Boston, are Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (pick No. 3), three-time WNBA MVP center A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces (pick No. 5) and Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (pick No. 7).

Team Clark’s reserves were headed by Mitchell, then Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (pick No. 12), Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (pick No. 14) and forward Kiki Iriafen (pick No. 16), Aces guard Jackie Young (pick No. 18) and Golden State forward Kayla Thornton (pick No. 20).

Collier chose her former UConn and USA Basketball teammate, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, with the second pick. The rest of Team Collier’s starters are Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (pick No. 4), Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (pick No. 6) and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (pick No. 8).

The reserves for Team Collier are her Lynx teammate, guard Courtney Williams (pick No. 9), Storm guard Skylar Diggins (pick No. 11), Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (pick No. 13), Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (pick No. 15), Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (pick No. 17) and Atlanta guard Rhyne Howard (pick No. 19).

The players went back and forth on potentially trading players, but that didn’t happen. Clark initially offered Sabally for Stewart, so that Brondello would then be coaching both Liberty players with Stewart and Ionescu. But Collier countered by asking Clark to give up Boston for Stewart, and it was a no-go.

The All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge will be Friday, July 18 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). The All-Star Game will be July 19 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/Disney+/ESPN+). All events will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Fever.





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