Jenn Hatfield’s official 2019 WNBA All-Star ballot
This year, I was invited to vote for the WNBA All-Star starters as a member of the media. It was an honor to be asked, and it turned out to be an extremely challenging task. Media voting follows the same format as fan voting: you select four guards and six forwards, irrespective of conference affiliation. Media votes count for 25%, fan votes count for 50%, and player votes count for 25% in determining the All-Star starters. (The coaches then select the All-Star reserves.) In this article, I will share my ballot and explain some of my most difficult or potentially surprising decisions.
My selections are in alphabetical order, and all statistics are through July 4, the date I completed my ballot. Asterisks denote players who were ultimately selected to start.
Guards
Natasha Cloud, Washington Mystics
Chelsea Gray*, Los Angeles Sparks
Kayla McBride*, Las Vegas Aces
Erica Wheeler, Indiana Fever
Also considered: Jordin Canada (Seattle Storm), Jewell Loyd* (Seattle Storm), Kia Nurse* (New York Liberty), Kristi Toliver (Washington Mystics), Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky)
McBride (14.8 PPG) and Gray (14.2) both ranked in the top 20 in points per game, and Wheeler (12.8) was just outside that group at No. 21. Wheeler and McBride were both efficient despite taking a lot of shots: each shot roughly 47% from the floor on 10 shot attempts per game and over 40% from 3-point range on nearly 4 attempts per game. Gray was less efficient, but she has a well-earned reputation for delivering in the clutch. She also averaged 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game, doing a little bit of everything for Los Angeles.
A potential surprise is my choice of Mystics point guard Natasha Cloud for the final guard spot, particularly since I chose Cloud over her running mate, Kristi Toliver. Through Washington’s first 12 games, Toliver had the edge in points per game (11.8 to 9.7) and field goal percentage (48% to 39%). However, Cloud led in minutes, assists, rebounds, and blocks and committed fewer turnovers per game. More importantly, as a DC-based writer who consistently attends games and watches the occasional practice, I believe it would be harder for the Mystics to replace Cloud than Toliver based on the current roster and Cloud’s responsibilities as the point guard. When comparing Cloud to other guards league-wide, it also doesn’t hurt that she is averaging career-highs in nearly every category while leading the team with the best record through July 4.
The biggest name that I did not consider for an All-Star spot is likely Minnesota’s Odyssey Sims, who was ultimately selected as a reserve. Sims has certainly played at an All-Star level for the Lynx; she averaged 15.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in her team’s first 13 games. However, I did not consider her based on what I’ll call the “Sims Rule.” The Sims Rule states that any player facing investigation by the WNBA is not eligible for my All-Star ballot. Sims was arrested on two DUI charges on June 6. In my opinion, All-Stars should be role models both on and off the court, and lately Sims has not lived up to that standard. (Los Angeles’ Riquna Williams was arrested in the offseason and recently suspended by the WNBA, so she would also be disqualified under this rule.)
Forwards
DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury
Tina Charles, New York Liberty
Elena Delle Donne*, Washington Mystics
Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx
Natasha Howard*, Seattle Storm
Jonquel Jones*, Connecticut Sun
Also considered: Liz Cambage* (Las Vegas Aces), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Brittney Griner* (Phoenix Mercury), Tianna Hawkins (Washington Mystics), Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks), A’ja Wilson* (Las Vegas Aces), Amanda Zahui B (New York Liberty)
Caveat: On July 13, the WNBA announced it was investigating allegations that Natasha Howard abused and threatened her wife. This would disqualify Howard under my Sims Rule; if I were voting today, I would select A’ja Wilson in place of Howard.
All six of my starters were selected as All-Stars this season, three as starters and three as reserves. Delle Donne, Charles, and Fowles have now been named All-Stars six or more times in their careers. Bonner and Jones are also repeat selections, making Howard the lone first-time All-Star on my ballot. The 2018 WNBA Most Improved Player has taken another leap in 2019, averaging 17.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.5 blocks to keep the Storm afloat without injured stars Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird. Bonner, Charles, and Howard ranked 2–3–4 in the WNBA in scoring, while all six of my picks ranked in the top eight in rebounding. (Bonner averaged 20.2 points per game as the top scorer on my ballot, while Jones led the league with 10.7 rebounds per game.)
Despite their eye-popping stats, choosing those six forwards was no easy task. The league’s current crop of forwards is so ridiculously deep that I had to leave off the 2017 MVP (Nneka Ogwumike), the 2017 scoring champion (Griner), the 2018 runner-up for MVP (Cambage), and the 2018 Rookie of the Year (Wilson). In Griner’s case, I thought Bonner was the better candidate of the two Mercury players, as she averaged more points, rebounds, assists, and steals than Griner in slightly fewer minutes. With Cambage and Wilson, in my mind they effectively canceled each other out. It was difficult to identify who was the better player, as they posted nearly identical stat lines through the Aces’ first 13 games. (Wilson scored 2.2 more points per game, but they tied in rebounds and assists per game, and their field goal percentages were only 0.5% apart. Even their free throw percentages only differed by 0.4%!) Ultimately, I picked neither player in favor of others who have been the clear go-to players on their teams all season, such as Bonner, Delle Donne, and Jones.
Another decision readers might question is my consideration of Mystics forward Tianna Hawkins, given that she isn’t even starting for her own team. I did not strongly consider her to start the All-Star Game, but I believe she should be the frontrunner for Sixth Woman of the Year and a strong candidate for a reserve All-Star spot. Her effective field goal percentage (a statistic that adjusts for the added value of 3-pointers) was 70.1% through July 4, the best in the league among players who had played in at least three games. She averaged 10.8 points and shot 49% from 3-point range while also grabbing 3.8 rebounds per game. Much like 2018 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Jonquel Jones, she could be a starter for teams that don’t have the Mystics’ combination of elite talent and depth in the post.
The 2019 WNBA All-Star Game will be played on Saturday, July 27 at 3:30pm ET and broadcast on ABC. In a change to the schedule from previous seasons, the three-point contest (and the new skills contest!) will be held the night before rather than at halftime. Mark your calendars, set your DVRs, and get ready for what is sure to be an amazing weekend showcasing many of the best players in the world.
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