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WNBA All-Star Game: 7 players who deserve to make it wnba,all,star,game,players,who,deserve,to,make,it,sbnation,com,front-page,wnba,2024-wnba-playbook,all-womens-sports,wnba-content,dot-com-grid-coverage

WNBA All Star Game 7 players who deserve to make it
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The WNBA announced the early leaders of WNBA All-Star fan voting last Friday, with A’ja Wilson leading all players with 217,773 votes. But while the Aces star is one of the top players in the league, and a fan favorite, she doesn’t need the votes to appear in the All-Star game.

In a unique WNBA rules quirk related to their season taking place in the summer, during Olympic years, players like Wilson who have already been selected to represent the United States automatically earn spots in the All-Star game. All 12 Team USA Players will be All-Stars.

For the remaining spots, fans account for 50% of the voting, while players and media each account for 25% of voting. Voting for fans closes on June 29. The top 5 Team USA players and the top five non-USA vote-getters earn starting spots. Then, WNBA coaches select seven more players from a pool of the next 36 highest vote-getters, and “Team USA” squares off against “Team WNBA.” Those seven players will come off the bench, while the seven players remaining from the Olympic roster will come off the bench for Team USA.

For context, Caitlin Clark is the highest vote-getter among non-Team USA players in first returns, with 216,427 votes.

Here are seven players who aren’t playing for the United States that deserve one of those 12 All-Star spots.

Dearica Hamby

Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images

Hamby has two All-Star appearances to her name, in 2021 and 2022, but neither of those seasons compare to what she’s doing for the Sparks this year. Hamby spent her career as a sixth player for Las Vegas, but has become a star for Los Angeles.

In Hamby’s best season with the Aces in 2020, she averaged 13 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals. This summer, Hamby is averaging a double-double with 17.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Hamby is one of four WNBA players to average a double-double, is third in the league in rebounds, and 10th in points per game.

Jonquel Jones

2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup - Minnesota Lynx v New York Liberty

Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images

New York’s Jones is often overshadowed by her Liberty co-stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu — both USA team members — but her impact can’t be overlooked.

This is Jones’ best season since she was named MVP for Connecticut in 2021. The 6-6 forward is averaging 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. She impacts every aspect of the game for the Liberty, and has helped them to a 15-3 record, which is the best mark in the WNBA. Jones is an elite defender, and on offense she is able to stretch the floor by shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc. Her overall shooting percentage is additionally the best in the WNBA at 59%.

Arike Ogunbowale

Dallas Wings v Washington Mystics

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

The Wings are struggling this season, largely due to injuries to players like Satou Sabally and Maddy Siegrist, but Ogunbowale has been the bright spot for the 3-13 Dallas squad. She’s having the kind of season that would put her in contention for MVP, if she was playing for a winning team.

Ogunbowale is second in the league in points per game – behind Wilson, who is playing for Team USA – and is having the best statistical season of her six-year career. The guard is averaging 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.7 careers – all career-highs.

Kayla McBride

2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup - Minnesota Lynx v New York Liberty

Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images

McBride has been an All-Star three times, with her last appearance coming in 2019. It’s time for the Minnesota guard to make her return, thanks to a historic shooting performance so far this season.

McBride is leading the WNBA in 3-pointers made, with 3.3 per game, and is shooting 46.4% from beyond the arc – the best mark of her career. In a win over the Storm on June 10, McBride made seven 3-pointers for a season-high 32 points. McBride is also 17th in the league in scoring, and is the second-highest point-getter on the Lynx, after Napheesa Collier. She’s certainly earned the nickname “Kayla McBuckets,” and an All-Star bid.

Dijonai Carrington

Connecticut Sun v Seattle Storm

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

Connecticut’s Carrington has proved herself as an elite on-ball defender, starting with an impressive display against Caitlin Clark in the season-opener, where she forced 10 turnovers. Carrington is always called on to guard the best player on the opposing team, and she almost always delivers. She’s also having a solid offensive season, averaging 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Carrington’s offensive numbers aren’t as strong as other potential All-Stars, but she’s one of the most complete players in the league. Her intense defense should give the fourth-year player an edge.

Ezi Magbegor

Seattle Storm v Las Vegas Aces

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Magbegor won’t play for Team USA, but she will be in the Olympics, playing for Australia. She should play against the United States in the All-Star game as well, after starting the season as the WNBA’s leader in blocks. She’s averaging 2.5 per game, which is more than Wilson, who was named Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Magbegor has always been a solid defender — her play earned the Storm star her first All-Star bid last season — but she’s made offensive strides as well. The center is averaging 13.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, to go with her 2.5 blocks.

Angel Reese

Indiana Fever v Chicago Sky

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Four players in the WNBA are averaging a double-double: Wilson, Collier (both Team USA members), Hamby, and Reese. The rookie is also leading the WNBA in offensive rebounds, by a wide margin. She’s averaging 4.7 offensive boards per contest, which is 1.5 more than Magbegor, who ranks second.

On top of it all, Reese is still getting better every game, and her last performance of 25 points and 16 rebounds in a win against Indiana put the LSU grad in elite company. Reese is only the second rookie after Wilson to record 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game. On the season Reese is averaging 13.2 points, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Even with 12 players earning automatic All-Star bids, the talent pool in the WNBA is deep. And Team USA will have its hands full with whoever earns a spot on Team WNBA. Last time the two squared off – in 2021 – it was Team WNBA that secured the win, 93-85 thanks to 26 points from Ogunbowale. Make sure to cast your vote before June 29, and your favorite player could play spoilsport this time around.

Rockets’ wild trade with Nets is all about trying to get Kevin Durant or Devin Booker rockets,wild,trade,with,nets,is,all,about,trying,to,get,kevin,durant,or,devin,booker,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-trade-rumors,nba-draft,draftkings

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The Houston Rockets want Kevin Durant or Devin Booker. In an effort to get one of them, Houston made a fascinating trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night to acquire future draft picks originally belonging to the Phoenix Suns. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke a convoluted trade that returns the Nets their own 2026 pick (originally sent to Houston in the James Harden trade) and extinguishes swap rights Houston had on Brooklyn’s 2025 pick in exchange for a package headlined by the Suns’ 2027 pick, which was originally acquired by the Nets in the Kevin Durant trade.

This trade comes on the heels of the Nets trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in a package headlined by five first round draft picks. It’s all happening the night before the 2024 NBA Draft.

Does all of that make sense? Probably not. Here’s how Woj explained it:

Let’s do our best to sum this up:

Nets get: Brooklyn 2026 first round pick, extinguished swap rights on 2025 Brooklyn first round pick

Rockets get: 2027 Suns first round pick, 2025 Suns first round swap rights, 2029 first round pick from Dallas or Phoenix (more favorable), swap rights on 2029 first round pick with Dallas or Phoenix (less favorable)

The Nets’ motivation for doing this deal is obvious: Brooklyn is going all-in on rebuilding, and now has control of its own picks. The Nets are going to tank hard ahead of a loaded 2025 NBA Draft class, and then they’re going to tank again in 2026. Brooklyn is loaded with draft picks.

What’s the Rockets’ motivation for doing this deal? They want Durant or Booker, according to Woj, and believe they can get Phoenix to bite by returning their own draft picks. The Suns are determined to keep Durant and Booker for now and try to win next season, according to Woj. The Rockets are betting they will move off that position eventually. Here are tweets from Woj:

The Rockets also hold the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Is Durant getting traded during the draft on Wednesday night? It seems like a distinct possibility.

This scans as an incredibly bold, borderline reckless trade by Houston. The swap rights for the Nets’ 2025 pick and unprotected ownership of their 2026 pick were incredibly valuable assets. Houston gave those up to fade the Suns. The Rockets are going to be aggressive in trying to trade for an established veteran talent — whether it’s Durant or Booker or someone else.

The NBA is on fire, and the Nets are at the center of it all. Brooklyn’s big swing for Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden blew up into an epic disaster, but the team recovered so well by dealing them all (and the returning assets like Bridges) for future draft picks. The Nets are flushed with draft capital in stronger classes the next few years.

Durant, by the way, turns 36 years old before next season. What a way to start the 24 hours before the draft.

Travelers: Will Zalatoris’ “all-day grind session” pays off travelers,will,zalatoris,all,day,grind,session,pays,off,sbnation,com,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

Travelers Will Zalatoris all day grind session pays off travelerswillzalatorisalldaygrindsessionpaysoffsbnationcomgolfgolf pga tourgolf news
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CROMWELL, Conn. — Will Zalatoris looked lost at Pinehurst No. 2, which explains why he missed the cut at the U.S. Open.

But instead of dwelling on his poor play, Zalatoris flew directly from North Carolina to Connecticut to get extra practice ahead of the Travelers Championship. The move has paid off to this point, as Zalatoris shot an impressive 6-under 64 on day one—his lowest round of the season. He now trails leader Tom Kim by two.

“I got out here Saturday night, and then Sunday, I had an all-day grind session to try to figure out what was going on,” Zalatoris explained.

“I got into some bad habits, figured out what I needed to fix, and just dug it out of the dirt. It’s kind of nice to be able to do that.”

Zalatoris missed most of the 2023 season after hurting his back on the driving range at Augusta National, only minutes before the first round of the Masters began. He subsequently missed eight months, returning at the Hero World Challenge in December. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon then had an up-and-down start to the year, but finally put his game together at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying for second and fourth, respectively.

But he only has one top-10 since then: a tie for ninth at the Masters.

“Early on this season, I would play a tournament, need to take three, four days off, and now I’m able to just keep on going,” Zalatoris said.

Will Zalatoris during the second round of the 2024 U.S. Open.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

“So even though it’s nice and warm, that obviously helps with the back, but I think it’s just trying to find the right cadence of when I’m taking time off, and so far this stretch is the best I’ve felt.”

Now, Zalatoris can hit 300 to 400 balls daily, which helps when you need to find your swing. But he would have issues contending and improving if his back restricted him from doing that. Thankfully for him, those ailments are a thing of the past for now.

“The further I get from the surgeries that I had last year, the more comfortable I’m feeling with my back, the quicker I’m recovering, the better I’m feeling,” Zalatoris said.

“As the year goes on, even though my results haven’t shown it, I felt a lot better; I just got into some bad habits and thought it was just a nice reset after the U.S. Open. I love majors; it’s always been a career goal of mine to win one. I hated how I played, and sometimes you just have to dig it out of the dirt.”

Perhaps his grind sessions will pave the way for a victory this week at the Travelers Championship. Or maybe it will serve as a harbinger of things to come at Royal Troon.

Who knows? Regardless of what happens, seeing Zalatoris back on tour—and being able to grind his way through bad habits—is something everyone loves to see.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. women’s coach Emma Hayes is saying all the right things. Here’s a few of the best so far u,s,women,s,coach,emma,hayes,is,saying,all,the,right,things,here,s,a,few,of,the,best,so,far,sbnation,com,front-page,soccer,united-states-womens-national-team,soccer-sg,all-womens-sports,womens-soccer,usmnt-coverage

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Many believe Emma Hayes has what it takes to return the U.S. women’s national team to the No. 1 status in the world it coveted for decades.

Over the last few years, the prominence of the U.S. women’s team has dropped considerably as key players have retired from the world stage and young newcomers are asked to hold the line.

Despite wins in a pair of recent matches, the U.S. dropped to No. 5 in the latest FIFA women’s world rankings. And while it may not appear as though being the fifth best team in the world is that big of a scare, anyone who knows the dominance of the States for the last 40 years as the preeminent team to beat knows that the latest designation certainly came as a surprise.

For the first time, fans got an insider’s look at the philosophy of Hayes through the latest version of Inside the Crest, U.S. Soccer’s mini-documentary series which chronicles the exploits of both the men’s and women’s programs.

Usually, these are not much more than fluff for the program, but the latest offered a direct look at Hayes and a player pool eager to make her roster in advance of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

Hayes had several poignant comments to the group but these were the Top 5 quotables from Hayes to the team ahead of their back-to-back tune-up games against Korea Republic.

After the Olympic squad is selected, the group will have two tune up games in July. The first against rival Mexico on July 13 (3:30 p.m. ET, TNT, NBC Universo) and Costa Rica on July 16 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT, NBC Universo).

— Emma Hayes to the group ahead of their first game, a 4-0 win against Korea Republic. This is now a group that is 7-1-2 overall in 2024, scoring 26 goals and allowing just seven.

Hayes was adamant in a team meeting that she’s not looking to change much but elevate with the group she’s got. And, right now even with the loss of players like Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and others due to retiring from international duty, Hayes feels she can work what she’s got into one of the world’s best.

This was great as it added a bit of her philosophy on coaching and style and what she expects out of every player. There’s also an acknowledgment off the bat that she and her staff know that it comes down to their preparation as much as the execution. No scapegoating here.

Took this to mean she doesn’t really care about the pressures from the federation. They hired her to do a job and gave her some pretty moldable tools to do it, so what is there to complain about? Results are all that matter and so far, she’s off to a good start.

This quote says it all. Pressure’s off when it comes to worrying about playing for your country. You’re already here. Do your job and enjoy the ride.