AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023 by The Numbers
LAS VEGAS – AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023 will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, home of the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, with the midseason showcase being televised in primetime on ABC for the first time (5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET). The 19th WNBA All-Star Game will feature a matchup between Team Wilson, led by captain A’ja Wilson of the Aces, and Team Stewart, led by captain Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty.
Below are facts and figures about AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023:
Las Vegas
· 2 – WNBA Live presented by U.S. Bank will be part of WNBA All-Star for the second year in a row as the two-day fan festival will celebrate the intersection of the WNBA, fashion, music and culture at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday, July 14 and 15 at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET.
· 3 – Las Vegas will host the WNBA All-Start Game for the third time after it was held previously at the Mandalay Bay Events Center (2019) and the Michelob Ultra Arena (2021).
· 15 – Fifteen WNBA partners and licensees will help celebrate the league’s midseason showcase during events taking place at AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023.
· 24 – The 2023 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will take place almost 24 years to the day of the first WNBA All-Star Game, played on July 14, 1999, at Madison Square Garden in New York, where the Los Angeles Sparks’ Lisa Leslie earned MVP honors after leading the Western Conference to a 79-61 win over the Eastern Conference.
· 75,000 – WNBA Live presented by U.S. Bank will cover 75,000 square feet of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center compared to inaugural event in Chicago last year, which covered 15,000 square feet.
AT&T WNBA All-Star Game 2023
· 2 – Two former WNBA All-Star MVPs will be playing in this year’s game: Kelsey Plum of Las Vegas (2022) and Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings (2021).
· 3 – Five-time WNBA All-Star A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces will serve as an All-Star Game team captain for the third time (2019, 2022 and 2023). She led Team Wilson to victory in her two prior stints as an All-Star captain.
· 3 – Notre Dame and South Carolina have the most alums in the WNBA All-Star Game with three each (Notre Dame: Jewell Lloyd, ArikeOgunbowale and Jackie Young; South Carolina: Aliyah Boston, Allisha Gray and A’ja Wilson).
· 4 – The Aces have a league-high four 2023 WNBA All-Stars (starters Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, and reserve Kelsey Plum).
· 5 – Five players have been selected to the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time – Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana) and Cheyenne Parker (Atlanta).
· 6 – WNBA All-Stars have collected six Kia WNBA Season MVP Awards (Elena Delle Donne: 2015, 2019; Nneka Ogwumike: 2016; Breanna Stewart: 2018; A’ja Wilson: 2020 and 2022).
· 8 – Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever is the eighth rookie selected to start in the WNBA All-Star Game and the first since 2014 (Chamique Holdsclaw, 1999; Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings, 2002; Maya Moore, 2011; Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner, 2013; and Shoni Schimmel, 2014).
· 9 – Britney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury has been selected to nine WNBA All-Star Games, the most by any player in this year’s event, followed by Ogwumike with eight selections. In her ninth season, Cheyenne Parker of Atlanta is a first-time All-Star, tying her with Allie Quigley and Tangela Smith as the second-oldest players in terms of experience to make their All-Star debut.
· 10 – Ten former No. 1 overall picks in the WNBA Draft are All-Stars this year: Nneka Ogwumike (2012), Brittney Griner (2013), Jewell Loyd (2015), Breanna Stewart (2016), Kelsey Plum (2017), A’ja Wilson (2018), Jackie Young (2019), Sabrina Ionescu (2020), Rhyne Howard (2022), Aliyah Boston (2023).
· 10 – Two-time Kia WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas and 2018 Kia WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart of New York, the team captains for the second consecutive year by virtue of being the two All-Star starters who finished with the most fan votes, have amassed 10 All-Star selections combined.
· 13 – DeWanna Bonner of the Connecticut Sun has played 13 WNBA seasons, the most by any player in this year’s game, followed by Courtney Vandersloot of the New York Liberty with 12 seasons.
· 22 – A total of 22 players will take part in the 2023 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, with at least one player representing all 12 WNBA teams.
· 80 – AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023 starters and reserves have amassed 80 All-Star selections.
Head Coaches
· 5 – Stephanie White of the Connecticut Sun, who is making her debut as a WNBA All-Star head coach, played five seasons in the WNBA, appearing with the Charlotte Sting and Fever (1999-2001 and 2003-04).
· 8 – WNBA All-Star head coach Becky Hammon of Las Vegas will be making her eighth WNBA All-Star Game appearance, including six during her 16-year playing career with the Liberty and San Antonio Stars (1999-2014) and two as head coach of the Aces.
WNBA All-Star on ESPN
· 3 – ESPN Marketing will celebrate WNBA All-Star with three billboards on the famed Las Vegas Strip featuring All-Star captains Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson.
· 4 – Four analysts – LaChina Robinson, Andraya Cater, Hall of Famer Carolyn Peck and Ros Gold-Onwude will provide additional coverage from the studio on-site in Las Vegas.
· 9 – ESPN play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco and analyst Rebecca Loco will call their ninthWNBA All-Star Game together.
· 12 – ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe will cover her 12th WNBA All-Star Game.
· 19 – This year marks the 19th time that ESPN networks will present the WNBA All-Star Game.
· 25 – Among the stories planned by ESPN.com as part of its coverage of the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will be one in which their staff ranks the Top 25 players currently in the WNBA, updating its preseason list.
The AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will be the centerpiece of two full days packed with WNBA activities, including the WNBA STARRY® 3-Point Contest and Kia WNBA Skills Challenge, which will air on ESPN on Friday, July 14 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.