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Team WNBA All-Star roster announced for 2021

Team WNBA All-Star roster announced for 2021
Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports

In preparation for the WNBA’s first All-Star Game during an Olympic year since 2000 set to take place on July 14 in Las Vegas, the official roster has been announced.

The format will be different from past All-Star Games as this year will feature the Team USA women’s basketball roster facing off against a select group of WNBA players voted on by the fans.

The top 36 players in the fan vote were sent to WNBA head coaches who in kind would vote for the 12 players who would make the final roster to face off against the women of Team USA.

Team WNBA will include the following players:

DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun

DeWanna Bonner will be making her fourth All-Star appearance and her first as a member of the Connecticut Sun (previously played with the Phoenix Mercury for 10 seasons). Bonner is the only three-time Sixth Woman of the Year in league history winning the award in each of her first three seasons from 2009-2011.

In addition, she won two WNBA championships, has also been selected to two All-WNBA teams, and an All-Defensive team. This season, she is averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks through 16 games.

Liz Cambage, Las Vegas Aces

This will be Liz Cambage’s fourth WNBA All-Star appearance in five WNBA seasons. Turning pro in 2007, Cambage did not transition to the WNBA until 2011 where she would play off-and-on until 2018 when she returned to the WNBA permanently.

Cambage holds the WNBA record for most points in a single game (53) set in the 2018 season in which she also led the league in scoring. This season, Cambage is looking to help lead the Las Vegas Aces to their second straight WNBA Finals currently averaging 14.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

Kaleah Cooper, Chicago Sky

Kahleah Cooper is one of seven first-time All-Stars representing the WNBA against the Team USA Olympic team. Cooper has been in the WNBA for six seasons (five with the Chicago Sky) transitioning from coming off the bench to being the team’s primary starting guard last season.

Since then, she has been averaging 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals. So far this season, she ranks second in the league in minutes played.

Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas Aces

Another first-time All-Star, Dearica is the only player in this year’s game that has not started a single game so far this season. Hamby has won the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award in each of the past two seasons. This season, she is averaging 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds in 15 games.

Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun

The second of three Connecticut Sun selected to represent the WNBA against Team USA, Brionna will also make her first All-Star appearance. Jones is in her fifth WNBA season and second as a regular starter. This season, she is averaging career-highs in points (14.4), rebounds (6.7), and free throw percentage (84%).

Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun

Rounding out the Connecticut Sun trio, Jonquel Jones is making her third All-Star appearance. She has previously won a WNBA Most Improved Player award and a Sixth Woman of the Year award. In addition, she has been selected to two All-WNBA teams and an All-Defensive team.

Jones is making a great case to win WNBA MVP right now, averaging career-highs in points (21.7), rebounds (10.9), assists (3.1), steals (1.6), field goal percentage (57%) and free throw percentage (83%).

Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty

In her first season with the New York Liberty, Betnijah Laney makes her first All-Star appearance. After struggling to find her footing in her first four seasons in the WNBA, Laney began to put the pieces together last season on her way to winning WNBA Most Improved Player.

This season, she is having a career year averaging 19.7 points on 50% shooting from the field, 5.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds.

Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings

The first time All-Stars keep on coming this time it’s third-year guard Arike Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale is one of the best scorers the WNBA has to offer as she has scored 10 points or more in 54 consecutive games the most since Maya Moore in a stretch spanning 2013-2015.

Last season, she led the WNBA in scoring averaging 22.8 points, and is continuing to post an incredible scoring average to follow that at 20.3 points — including 10 games scoring 20 points or more.

Candace Parker, Chicago Sky

The most experienced and most accomplished player on Team WNBA, Candace Parker makes her sixth All-Star appearance in her first season with the Chicago Sky.

Parker has a laundry list of accomplishments including a WNBA championship, two WNBA MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year, nine All-WNBA teams, and two All-Defensive teams. She is the only player to ever win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.

Although she has missed much of this year due to an ankle injury, she has had a huge impact on the Sky leading them to a 9-1 record when she’s in the lineup.

Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings

From the most experienced player to the least experienced player, Satou Sabally makes her All-Star debut in just her second WNBA season.

The second overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Sabally is averaging 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds through 11 games so far in her sophomore campaign, including eight games scoring in double figures.

Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago Sky

The third and final member of the Chicago Sky on the roster, Courtney Vandersloot is making her third WNBA All-Star appearance.

Vandersloot has led the WNBA in assists five times including a 2020 season that saw her become the only player to ever average 10 assists in a season. In addition, she has made four All-WNBA teams. Through 17 games this season, Vandersloot is averaging 11.7 points, a league-leading 8.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

Courtney Williams, Atlanta Dream

Rounding out the field, Courtney Williams makes her first All-Star appearance in her sixth WNBA season.

Williams’ scoring average has improved in each season since she’s been in the league including this season in which she is having a career year. Her averages read 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals.

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