Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese headline WNBA All-Star team that will face US Olympic squad

COMING UP NEXT. THIS IS A WISN 12 EDITORIAL WITH PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER JAN WADE CAITLIN CLARK’S LASTING IMPACT ON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IS UNDENIABLE. SHE’S A PLAYER LIKE NO OTHER. AS AN IOWA HAWKEYE. HER LONG RANGE SHOTS AND NO LOOK PASSES MADE HER GAMES MUST SEE BASKETBALL. SHE BROKE SCORING RECORDS, AND FANS TRAVELED HUNDREDS OF MILES TO WATCH HER PLAY. SHE CONTRIBUTED TO RECORD BREAKING ATTENDANCE AND RATINGS, INCLUDING THE FINAL FOUR CHAMPIONSHIP GAME THAT EARNED 18.9 MILLION VIEWERS, THE MOST WATCHED MEN OR WOMEN’S GAME IN YEARS. SPORTS FANS CAN DEBATE WHETHER SHE’S THE BEST PLAYER OF HER GENERATION, BUT THERE’S NO DENYING THAT SHE’S BEEN A SINGULAR FORCE WHO’S GROWN THE WOMEN’S GAME IN WAYS NO OTHER COLLEGE. PLAYER EVER HAS. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHE AND OTHER WOMEN ATHLETES HAVE GIVEN HOPE TO GIRLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WOMEN’S SPORTS CAN BE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS MEN’S LOOK AT WHAT SERENA WILLIAMS DID FOR TENNIS. DANICA PATRICK DID FOR CAR RACING, AND THE US WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM DID IT. THE WORLD CUP, SPURRING INTEREST AND INVESTMENT AT THE YOUTH LEVEL AND SHOWING YOUNG GIRLS THAT, OH YES, YOU CAN AND NOVEMBER REPORT FROM DELOITTE PROJECTED THAT WOMEN’S SPORTS WILL GENERATE MORE THAN $1 BILLION IN GLOBAL REVENUE THIS YEAR, UP 300% FROM 2021. TV NETWORKS HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT COVERING MEN’S SPORTS HAS. BECOME SO EXPENSIVE, BUT LOCKING. IN DEALS FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS LIKE NCAA BASKETBALL IS A SLAM DUNK, NOT NEARLY AS COSTLY, AND FANS ARE WATCHING IN DROVES. EVEN LEBRON JAMES IS A BIG FAN. CLARK SUCCESS FOLLOWS DECADES OF PROGRESS FOR WOMEN IN SPORTS DATING BACK TO TITLE NINE, AND WHILE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HAS HAD LOTS OF GREAT PLAYERS, CAITLIN CLARK’S LEGACY TRULY TRANSCENDS THAT. FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS. LITTLE GIRLS EVERYWHERE AND ALL OF US. WE’RE SO INCREDIBLY LUCKY JUST TO SIT BACK AND WATCH IT. I'

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will team up on the WNBA All-Star team to play against the U.S. Olympic team led by A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.The pair of remarkable rookies were selected Tuesday by a combination of votes from the media, players and fans as well as the league's 12 coaches to play in the game in Phoenix on July 20. It's the 20th All-Star Game in the league's history.Clark was the leading vote-getter from the fans, receiving 700,735, with her Indiana teammate Aliyah Boston finishing second 72,000 votes behind. Reese was fifth with 381,518 votes. Wilson and Stewart were third and fourth. Wilson garnered 607,300 votes and Stewart had 424,135.Clark and Reese have been a boon for the WNBA in ratings, merchandise sales and attendance. They are also playing well on the court with Clark third in assists with 6.9 and Reese leading the WNBA in rebounds at 11.4. It's only the eighth time that two rookies have been on the team. The last was Shoni Schimmel and Chiney Ogwumike in 2014.Joining the rookies on the WNBA team were DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones of Connecticut, Allisha Gray of Atlanta, Dearica Hamby of Los Angeles, Jonquel Jones of New York, Kayla McBride of Minnesota, Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, Nneka Ogwumike of Seattle and Arike Ogunbowale of Dallas.Ogunbowale was the MVP of the 2021 All-Star game which featured the same format of the U.S. team playing a league All-Star team. The WNBA team won that game.The U.S. team, which will be going for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris later this month, also features Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi. The pair of Phoenix players will get a chance to play in front of their home crowd in the exhibition game. Taurasi will be vying for a record sixth Olympic gold medal.Three of Wilson's Las Vegas teammates — Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — are on the U.S. team. Gray was on the Tokyo Olympic squad while Plum and Young both helped the Americans win the inaugural 3-on-3 gold medal.Other returners from the Tokyo Games include Napheesa Collier and Jewell Loyd. Several first-time Olympians will join the team with Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper. All three played on the American team that won the World Cup in Australia in 2022. Every player chosen for either the U.S. team or the WNBA squad is considered an All-Star making this Taurasi's 11th time in the game. She's now alone in second behind Sue Bird for most of all time. Bird was a 13-time All-Star.The league will have a 3-point challenge and skill contest the night before the All-Star game.

NEW YORK —

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will team up on the WNBA All-Star team to play against the U.S. Olympic team led by A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.

The pair of remarkable rookies were selected Tuesday by a combination of votes from the media, players and fans as well as the league's 12 coaches to play in the game in Phoenix on July 20. It's the 20th All-Star Game in the league's history.

Clark was the leading vote-getter from the fans, receiving 700,735, with her Indiana teammate Aliyah Boston finishing second 72,000 votes behind. Reese was fifth with 381,518 votes. Wilson and Stewart were third and fourth. Wilson garnered 607,300 votes and Stewart had 424,135.

Clark and Reese have been a boon for the WNBA in ratings, merchandise sales and attendance. They are also playing well on the court with Clark third in assists with 6.9 and Reese leading the WNBA in rebounds at 11.4. It's only the eighth time that two rookies have been on the team. The last was Shoni Schimmel and Chiney Ogwumike in 2014.

Joining the rookies on the WNBA team were DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones of Connecticut, Allisha Gray of Atlanta, Dearica Hamby of Los Angeles, Jonquel Jones of New York, Kayla McBride of Minnesota, Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, Nneka Ogwumike of Seattle and Arike Ogunbowale of Dallas.

Ogunbowale was the MVP of the 2021 All-Star game which featured the same format of the U.S. team playing a league All-Star team. The WNBA team won that game.

The U.S. team, which will be going for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris later this month, also features Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi. The pair of Phoenix players will get a chance to play in front of their home crowd in the exhibition game. Taurasi will be vying for a record sixth Olympic gold medal.

Three of Wilson's Las Vegas teammates — Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — are on the U.S. team. Gray was on the Tokyo Olympic squad while Plum and Young both helped the Americans win the inaugural 3-on-3 gold medal.

Other returners from the Tokyo Games include Napheesa Collier and Jewell Loyd. Several first-time Olympians will join the team with Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper. All three played on the American team that won the World Cup in Australia in 2022.

Every player chosen for either the U.S. team or the WNBA squad is considered an All-Star making this Taurasi's 11th time in the game. She's now alone in second behind Sue Bird for most of all time. Bird was a 13-time All-Star.

The league will have a 3-point challenge and skill contest the night before the All-Star game.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese headline WNBA All-Star team that will face US Olympic squad

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