7 players who should be WNBA All-Stars in 2024

June 26, 2024

of WNBA The top WNBA All-Star fan voters were announced last Friday, with A’ja Wilson coming in first among all players. 217,773 votesBut while the Aces star is one of the league’s top players and a fan favorite, he doesn’t need votes to play in the All-Star Game.

Because the WNBA has a unique rule that comes into play during the summer season during an Olympic year, players who have already been selected for the U.S. national team, like Wilson, automatically qualify for the All-Star Game. All 12 players on the U.S. team are All-Stars.

For the remaining spots, fans will receive 50% of the votes, while players and media will each receive 25%. Fan voting will close on June 29. The top five players from Team USA and the top five non-US players will earn starting spots. WNBA coaches will then select seven more players from the next 36 players with the most votes to play “Team USA” against “Team WNBA.” Those seven players will start off the bench, while the remaining seven players from the Olympic roster will start off the bench for Team USA.

By the way, Caitlin Clark was the top vote-getter among players not on the U.S. national team in the first round of voting, receiving 216,427 votes.

Here are seven players who are not on Team USA but who deserve one of the 12 All-Star spots.

Dearica Hamby

Hamby is a two-time All-Star in 2021 and 2022, but neither of those seasons came close to the kind of production he had with the Sparks this year. Hamby spent his career as a sixth-string player in Las Vegas but has become a star in Los Angeles.

Hamby’s best season with the Aces was in 2020, when she averaged 13 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals. This summer, Hamby is averaging a double-double with 17.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Hamby is one of four WNBA players to average a double-double, and she is third in the league in rebounds and 10th in points per game.

Jonquel Jones

2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup - Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty

New York’s Jones often gets overshadowed by her Liberty co-stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu (both members of the U.S. team), but her influence cannot be ignored.

This season has been Jones’ best since she was named Connecticut’s MVP in 2021. The 6’6″ forward is averaging 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. She has impacted every aspect of the Liberty’s game, helping them to a 15-3 record, the best in the WNBA. Jones is an elite defender and can stretch the court on offense, shooting 43.6% from three-point range. Her overall shooting percentage is also the best in the WNBA at 59%.

Arike Ogunbowale

The Wings have struggled this season, largely due to injuries to players like Satou Sabally and Maddie Siegrist, but Ogunbowale is a bright spot for a 3-13 Dallas team. She has played the kind of game this season that would have made her an MVP candidate if she were playing for a championship team.

Ogun-Bowell is second in the league in points per game behind Wilson, who plays for the U.S. national team, and is putting up the best numbers of his six-year career. The guard is averaging 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.7 ppg, all career highs.

Kayla McBride

McBride is a three-time All-Star, his last appearance coming in 2019. It’s time for the Minnesota guard to return.Thanks to his historic shooting performance so far this season,

McBride leads the WNBA with 3.3 three-pointers made per game and is shooting a career-best 46.4% from three-point range. In a June 10 win over the Storm, McBride made seven three-pointers and scored a season-high 32 points. McBride is also 17th in the league in scoring and is the Lynx’s second-leading scorer behind Napheesa Collier. She is certainly worthy of the nickname “Kayla McBuckets” and her All-Star appearance.

Dijonai Carrington

Connecticut’s Carrington has been a strong on-ball defender, forcing 10 turnovers in a season-opening loss to Caitlin Clark. Carrington is always called upon to guard the opposing team’s best player, and she almost always does just that. She’s also having a strong season offensively, averaging 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Carrington’s offensive output isn’t as high as some of the other All-Star candidates, but she is one of the most complete players in the league, and her aggressive defense should give the fourth-year player an edge.

Ezi Magbegor

Magbegor won’t play for the U.S. team, but she will represent Australia in the Olympics. She began the season leading the WNBA in blocks and should be playing against the U.S. in the All-Star game. She’s averaging 2.5 blocks per game, better than Wilson, who was named Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Magbegor has always been a solid defender, and her play earned the Storm star her first All-Star appearance last season, but she has also made strides offensively, as the center averaged 13.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, along with 2.5 blocks.

Angel Reese

There are four players in the WNBA averaging a double-double: Wilson, Collier (both Team USA members), Hamby and Reese. The rookie also leads the WNBA in offensive rebounds by a wide margin. She averages 4.7 offensive rebounds per game, 1.5 more than runner-up McBegher.

In addition, Reese is improving with each game, and his 25-point, 16-rebound performance against Indiana was a big boost. LSU Reese joins an elite group of graduates. She is just the second freshman to record 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game, joining Wilson. Reese is averaging 13.2 points, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season.

Even though 12 players are automatically selected to the All-Star team, the WNBA has a deep talent pool, and Team USA will have its hands full with players who earn spots on Team WNBA. The last time the two teams met was in 2021, when Ogunbowale’s 26 points led Team WNBA to a 93-85 victory. Vote Now If you have until June 29th, your favorite player could spoil it this time.