CNN
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Rookies Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky have been named to their first WNBA All-Star crew, the league announced Tuesday.
That is the primary time two rookies are WNBA All-Stars in the identical season since 2014.
Reese, who has additionally been named WNBA Rookie of the Month for June, was emotional after studying about her All-Star choice.
“I’m simply so comfortable,” she informed reporters by tears. “All of the work I put in, coming into this league so many individuals doubted me – didn’t assume my recreation would translate and I wouldn’t be the participant that I used to be in school … I trusted the method and I believed.”
In opposition to the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, Reese posted her eleventh consecutive double-double – extending her single-season league document – with a franchise-record 19 rebounds within the Sky’s 85-77 win. She is now inside one in every of Candace Parker’s all-time document for consecutive double-doubles, which was achieved throughout two seasons.
Clark, in the meantime, was named Rookie of the Month in Could and has persistently drawn big crowds throughout her time within the WNBA. On Tuesday, 20,366 watched her Fever lose 88-69 towards the Las Vegas Aces, the fifth-biggest crowd in league historical past and largest since 1999.
“I don’t assume I’ve ever been her teammate earlier than, even at USA Basketball,” Clark stated about linking up with former school rival Reese, per ESPN. “I do know folks will likely be actually enthusiastic about it, however I hope it doesn’t take away from everybody else.
“Clearly, that is one thing that’s actually laborious to perform, so the perfect we are able to have a good time all of them will likely be nice and simply gonna clearly soak within the expertise ‘trigger, like, you by no means know for those who’re ever gonna have the ability to get again there and it’ll be enjoyable for all of us.
Becoming a member of the 2 first-timers on the 12-woman Workforce WNBA roster are two-time All-Star Aliyah Boston (Fever), four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) and nine-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm).
Workforce WNBA will tackle the USA Basketball Ladies’s Nationwide Workforce on the Footprint Heart in Phoenix for a sold-out recreation on July 20.
Six-time All-Star A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces headlines the Workforce USA squad for the twentieth All-Star recreation. Becoming a member of Wilson are six-time All-Star Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), 11-time All-Star Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner (Mercury).
This would be the second time the All-Star recreation will function the USA Basketball vs. Workforce WNBA format.
In 2021, Workforce WNBA defeated Workforce USA 93-85 in Las Vegas previous to the Tokyo Olympics.
The All-Stars had been chosen by followers (50% of the vote), present WNBA gamers (25%) and a nationwide panel of broadcasters and sportswriters (25%).
