The WNBA rolls out new All-Star Game format
The WNBA announced a new All-Star Game format set to begin this season. This summer the event takes place Saturday, July 28 in Minneapolis.
Details of the revamped format:
- Two captains will draft the 2018 All-Star teams from the pool of players voted as All-Stars.
- The captains will be the two All-Stars, regardless of conference, who receive the highest vote totals.
- There will be a new voting process for selecting 22 All-Stars. There will be no Eastern Conference and Western Conference split as in previous All-Star Games.
- Voters will choose the All-Stars without regard for conference affiliation.
- Selection will be based on voting by fans (40 percent of the vote), current WNBA players and head coaches (20 percent each), and a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters (20 percent).
- Fans can vote for their top 10 players regardless of position or conference. Players, coaches and the media panel will each vote for 22 players, selecting nine guards and 13 frontcourt players regardless of conference. Players and coaches may not vote for members of their own team.
Important dates:
- Tuesday, July 17, the pool of 22 All-Stars will be announced. In the following days the captains will draft teams from the remaining 20 All-Stars to form two 11-player rosters.
- Thursday, July 19 during ESPN2’s telecast of the Washington Mystics at the Dallas Wings (8 p.m. ET tip-off) All-Star rosters will be revealed. The head coaches will come from the two teams with the best records following games on Friday, July 13. The head coach with the best record as of that date will coach the team captained by the highest vote-getter.
- Friday, July 27, the All-Star team captains and head coaches will meet to determine starters who will be revealed that night on ESPN2 (7 p.m. ET) during a live telecast of the WNBA All-Star welcome reception in Minnesota.
- Tuesday, June 19 at 2 p.m. ET WNBA All-Star voting begins and will conclude on Thursday, July 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Fans can submit one full ballot each day through WNBA.com (desktop or mobile) or the WNBA App (available on Android and iOS). Fans may also vote for up to 10 players per day on Twitter. All current WNBA players on team rosters are eligible to receive votes.
