WNBA All-Star 2023: No Mystics named as starters

Yesterday, the WNBA released the lineups for the 2023 All-Star Game. I was a bit disappointed in the news when it happened, was sick with a stomach bug and watching two women’s basketball games at once for part of the afternoon. One was the Washington Mystics’ overtime loss to the New York Liberty. The other was Belgium’s gold medal-winning performance against Spain in Women’s EuroBasket. (Hint, hint. Emma Meesseman dominated that entire tournament!)

Anyway, back to the main topic.

When the results were released for the All-Star Game, no Mystics player was named among the Top-4 guards or Top-6 frontcourt players in terms of a combination of fan votes plus the WNBA Electoral College of the media and player votes.

So Elena Delle Donne, who is averaging 18.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season, finished 8th among frontcourt players. Most of the seven players ranked above her in the combined vote deserve to be starters. Most of them are playing on playoff caliber teams.

The two weakest starters appear to be Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston, but she is also riding the “rookie wave” when players often get their most general exposure. And second is Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner because of their horrible season, but her stats are also impressive. Either way, it appears that the frontcourt is just that stacked this year, and it just so happens that Delle Donne was on the outside looking in.

The reserves will be announced on July 1. I would be shocked if Delle Donne and some other Mystics players aren’t named by then.