Captains Elena Delle Donne and A'ja Wilson draft rosters for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2019

Yash Matange

Captains Elena Delle Donne and A'ja Wilson draft rosters for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2019 image

WNBA All-Star captains Elena Delle Donne and A'ja Wilson selected the All-Star rosters that they will lead a few days from now at the 2019 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game. 

The WNBA All-Star Game, which is the 16th edition of its kind, will be played at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, home of the Aces.

In the WNBA All-Star Draft, captains Delle Donne and Wilson chose players irrespective of their conference, team or position. 

Delle Donne, who finished with the most fan votes with 32,460, was awarded the first pick in the first round (starters). 

Below are the 2019 WNBA All-Star Draft results and the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game rosters.

2019 WNBA All-Star Draft (Starters)
Team Delle Donne Team Wilson
Pick 1: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury Pick 2: Chelsea Gray, Los Angeles Sparks
Pick 3: Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm Pick 4: Kayla McBride, Las Vegas Aces
Pick 5: Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun Pick 6: Liz Cambage, Las Vegas Aces
Pick 7: Kia Nurse, New York Liberty Pick 8: Natasha Howard, Seattle Storm

Wilson, who was second in the fan voting with 26,475 votes, chose first among the reserves as both players alternated picks until all players were picked in either round. 

2019 WNBA All-Star Draft (Reserves)
Team Delle Donne Team Wilson
Pick 9:   Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx Pick 10: Kristi Toliver, Washington Mystics
Pick 11: Diamond DeShields, Chicago Sky  Pick 12: DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury
Pick 13: Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky Pick 14: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks
Pick 15: *Tina Charles, New York Liberty Pick 16: Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago Sky
Pick 17: Erica Wheeler, Indiana Fever Pick 18: +Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Pick 19: Candice Dupree, Indiana Fever Pick 20: Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Pick 21: Odyssey Sims, Minnesota Lynx  

*Traded to Team Delle Donne; +Traded to Team Wilson

After the Draft, Delle Donne and Wilson made a couple of trades, exchanging two players and also the coaching staffs.

In the player trade, Delle Donne acquired the New York Liberty’s Tina Charles (selected 15th overall by Wilson) in exchange for Collier (selected by Delle Donne at No. 18).

Bill Lambier and his Aces staff will now coach Wilson and her team while the Mystics’ Mike Thibault and his staff will lead Team Delle Donne.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert named Napheesa Collier as an All-Star replacement for the injured Wilson, with the Aces star and Lambier to later announce the replacement for Wilson in the starting line-up.

As the player with more fan votes, Delle Donne was given the option on jerseys and she chose to wear white, assigning the red jerseys to Wilson and her squad. 

Yash Matange

Yash Matange Photo