Three-Point Contest Featured During Halftime
The Verizon WNBA All-Star Game 2017 will highlight the league’s stars in the 12th edition of the star-studded event, broadcasting live on ABC on Saturday, July 22, at 3:30 p.m. ET from KeyArena in Seattle. Ryan Ruocco will call the game alongside analyst Rebecca Lobo, with reporters Holly Rowe (Western Conference) and LaChina Robinson (Eastern Conference). ABC will also feature the third-ever Three-Point Contest during halftime with the Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird, the Minnesota Lynx’s Maya Moore, the New York Liberty’s Sugar Rodgers, the Connecticut Sun’s Jasmine Thomas and the Chicago Sky’s Allie Quigley competing.
The 2017 All-Star Game will be the eighth All-Star event broadcast on ABC (there was no All-Star Game in 2016 due to the Olympics). In 2015, Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore put on a clinic as she scored an All-Star Game record 30 points in leading the Western Conference to a 117-112 victory. The game showcased some of the WNBA’s very best including then-Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne, Seattle’s Sue Bird, the now-retired Tamika Catchings and Los Angeles Sparks guard Nneka Ogwumike.
The 2017 All-Star Game will feature extensive ESPN access to the players, coaches, locker rooms and benches. Additional highlights:
In-game Access and Live Microphones
- Rowe and Robinson will have in-game access to both the Eastern and Western Conference benches, conducting live interviews with players;
- Both All-Star coaches – Curt Miller (East/Sun) and Cheryl Reeve (West/Lynx) – will wear mics during the game;
- Four players will be mic’ed during the game;
- Pre-game and halftime locker room access.
espnW
- Columnist Mechelle Voepel will report from KeyArena;
- Leading up to Saturday’s game, Voepel will profile WNBA veteran Bird, who, now in her 15th season, will compete in her 10th All-Star game. Voepel gives fans an inside look at Bird like we’ve never seen her before;
- Live social media content from KeyArena;
- First time All-Star Jonquel Jones’ playlist;
- From espnW’s “Cool Jobs” series, a behind-the-scenes feature on Storm senior vice president of business operations, Shannon Burley;
- Slated for after the All-Star Game: a look at perennial MVP candidate and Liberty star Tina Charles, plus a midseason check-in with the defending champions Los Angeles Sparks.
In addition, SportsCenter will interview Bird live on Friday, July 21, during the 7 p.m. edition of the program. Also, on July 23, E:60 – ESPN’s weekly storytelling brand hosted by Jeremy Schaap on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. on ESPN – will have an in-depth interview with the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner. E:60 traveled to Russia, where Griner spends her offseason playing basketball for UMMC Yekaterinburg. Griner discusses finally becoming comfortable in her own skin – on and off the court.
Verizon WNBA All-Star Game Starters
The Lynx’s Moore, who will play in her fifth All-Star game, finished as the top All-Star vote recipient. Moore, the 2014 WNBA MVP, 2013 Finals MVP and 2015 All-Star game MVP, garnered 32,866 votes. Delle Donne of the Washington Mystics, who was selected as a starter for the fourth time, and Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker – the 2013 All-Star MVP – ranked second and third overall with 31,414 and 29,133 votes, respectively.
Eastern Conference:
| Player | Team |
| Tina Charles | New York Liberty |
| Elena Delle Donne* | Washington Mystics |
| Tiffany Hayes | Atlanta Dream |
| Jonquel Jones | Connecticut Sun |
| Jasmine Thomas | Connecticut Sun |
Western Conference:
| Player | Team |
| Sue Bird | Seattle Storm |
| Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota Lynx |
| Maya Moore | Minnesota Lynx |
| Candace Parker | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Diana Taurasi | Phoenix Mercury |
* denotes a player who is injured and will not participate
– 30 –
-
-
-
-
-
