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WNBA All-Star Game: A'ja Wilson drafts Aces teammates, Breanna Stewart takes Brittney Griner with 1st pick

yahoo sports staff
·3 min read
A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are the captains for the 2023 WNBA All-Star teams. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are the captains for the 2023 WNBA All-Star teams. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A'ja Wilson made sure what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas ... and on Team Wilson. The Las Vegas Aces star and All-Star Game captain selected all three of her Aces teammates in the All-Star Game Draft on Saturday.

Wilson drafted Chelsea Gray with the first pick in the televised draft with New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart selecting the second team.

"I mean, listen, you need to have a great point guard when it comes to games like this and I feel like she is going to be great," Wilson said of Gray. "She's going to be dropping dimes everywhere, going to get us in the flow. And that's what makes a good team great, is a great point guard, so I had to go with Chelsea."

Gray wasn't the only time Wilson picked up a teammate, as she also added Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young to her team, which will be coached by Aces head coach Becky Hammon. You can probably guess which team the Las Vegas crowd will be cheering for.

Wilson also selected Indiana Fever rookie Aliyah Boston and Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray. The three all played collegiately for South Carolina.

Stewart snagged Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner with the second pick. Stewart said she wanted someone who could command the interior.

"BG is my pick just because the way that she's continuing to carry herself on and off the court," Stewart said. "I think we can all say it's impressive what she's doing and she's a dominant presence inside. We need her dunks, we need her energy, we need her everything."

Griner is in her first season back from her imprisonment in Russia, a cause the entire WNBA rallied around. Her selection reflects the support she's still getting from her peers. She has hit the ground running so far, averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.1 blocks through 14 games, though the Mercury have also struggled with a 3-14 record.

Stewart also selected all of the Liberty players in the field, reserve guards Courtney Vandersloot and Sabrina Ionescu, and her former Seattle Storm teammates Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor.

Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White will lead Team Stewart.

Here are the full All-Star teams:

Team Wilson
Starters

  • A'ja Wilson, F, Las Vegas Aces

  • Chelsea Gray, G, Las Vegas Aces

  • Jackie Young, G, Las Vegas Aces

  • Aliyah Boston, C, Indiana Fever

  • Arike Ogunbowale, G, Dallas Wings

Reserves

  • Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces

  • Allisha Gray, G, Atlanta Dream

  • Alyssa Thomas, G, Connecticut Sun

  • Cheyenne Parker, F, Atlanta Dream

  • DeWanna Bonner, F, Connecticut Sun

  • Elena Delle Donne, F, Washington Mystics

Team Stewart
Starters

  • Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty

  • Brittney Griner, C, Phoenix Mercury

  • Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm

  • Satou Sabally, F, Dallas Wings

  • Nneka Ogwumike, F, Los Angeles Sparks

Reserves

  • Courtney Vandersloot, G, New York Liberty

  • Sabrina Ionescu, G, New York Liberty

  • Ezi Magbegor, F, Seattle Storm

  • Napheesa Collier, F, Minnesota Lynx

  • Kelsey Mitchell, G, Indiana Fever

  • Kahleah Copper, G, Chicago Sky

The 2023 WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled to take place on July 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.