Lynx Center Sylvia Fowles and Forward Maya Moore Voted All-Star Starters

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA announced this afternoon that Lynx center Sylvia Fowles and forward Maya Moore were voted to the starting lineup for the 2017 Western Conference All-Star team by a combination of fan, players and media votes. Fowles and Moore tied for first (2.0) among Western Conference frontcourt in the weighted vote. This year’s game will mark the fifth career All-Star start for Moore, and the fourth time Fowles has been selected as an All-Star, her third as a starter and first as a member of the Lynx.

In her 10th year of WNBA play, Fowles is averaging a team-high 20.1 points, on a career-best 66.3 FG% shooting, a club-best 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. She currently ranks first in field goal accuracy (66.3%), second in rebounding (10.1 rpg), third in scoring (20.1 ppg) and third in blocks (1.93 bpg). Fowles is the only player in the WNBA to be ranked in the top-five in each of those categories. She has compiled seven 20/10 efforts this season (47 career) and was named Western Conference Player of the Month for May and June, combining for her seventh career monthly award and second with Minnesota.

In her seventh year out of the University of Connecticut, Moore is averaging 15.4 points, on 40.3% shooting from deep, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Moore ranks 12th in assists (4.0 apg) and ninth in steals (1.57 spg). She posted a season-best 11 rebounds along with 22 points and seven assists June 2 vs. Washington, her 30th career double-double. Moore was named the 2015 All-Star MVP after tallying 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including hitting six three pointers, and adding six rebounds and five assists.

WNBA Verizon WNBA All-Star 2017, featuring the Eastern Conference All-Stars against the Western Conference All-Stars at KeyArena in Seattle, Wash., will be nationally televised by ABC on Saturday, July 22, at 2:30 p.m. CT.

The All-Star reserves, who will be selected by the Eastern and Western Conference head coaches, respectively, will be announced on Tuesday, July 18 during ESPN2’s telecast of the Storm and the Chicago Sky (9 p.m. ET).

Individual tickets for Verizon WNBA All-Star 2017 start at just $15 and can be purchased at StormBasketball.com, or by dialing 206-217-WNBA (9622).

Following are the starting lineups for the Verizon WNBA All-Star 2017:

Eastern Conference Starters:
Tina Charles, Frontcourt (New York Liberty)
Elena Delle Donne, Frontcourt (Washington Mystics)
Tiffany Hayes, Backcourt (Atlanta Dream)
Jonquel Jones, Frontcourt (Connecticut Sun)
Jasmine Thomas, Backcourt (Connecticut Sun)

Western Conference Starters:
Sue Bird, Backcourt (Seattle Storm)
Candace Parker, Frontcourt (Los Angeles Sparks)
Maya Moore, Frontcourt (Minnesota Lynx)
Sylvia Fowles, Frontcourt (Minnesota Lynx)
Diana Taurasi, Backcourt (Phoenix Mercury)

Below are the overall scores – based on results from all three voting groups – for the top finishers at each position.  Each player’s score is weighted based on 50% for fan vote, 25% for players vote and 25% for media vote.  The formula to determine a player’s score is (Fan Rank * 2 + Player Rank + Media Rank)/4.

Western Conference Frontcourt

Player Fan Rank Media Rank Player Rank Weighted Score
1. *Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota)      3      1      1      2.0
2. *Maya Moore (Minnesota)      1      4      2      2.0
3. *Candace Parker (Los Angeles)      2      5      6      3.75^
4. Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles)      4      3      4      3.75
5. Brittney Griner (Phoenix)      6      2      2      4.0
6. Breanna Stewart (Seattle)      5      6      5      5.25
7. Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota)      7      7      10      7.75
8. Glory Johnson (Dallas)      8      7      8      7.75
9. Karima Christmas-Kelly (Dallas)      10      7      12      9.75
10. Alysha Clark (Seattle)      11      7      11      10.0


Western Conference Guards

Player Fan Rank Media Rank Player Rank Weighted Score
1. *Diana Taurasi (Phoenix)      2      1      1      1.5
2. *Sue Bird (Seattle)      1      2      4      2.0
3. Seimone Augustus (Minnesota)      3      6      3      3.75
4. Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas)      4      3      5      4.0
5. Jewell Loyd (Seattle)      6      4      2      4.5
6. Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota)      5      6      6      5.5
7. Chelsea Gray (Los Angeles)      9      5      7      7.5
8. Allisha Gray (Dallas)      7      8      12      8.5
9. Moriah Jefferson (San Antonio)      10      8      9      9.25
10. Alana Beard (Los Angeles)      8      8      14      9.5

*–Voted to start
^–Tiebreaker for starting spot is highest fan vote

Eastern Conference Frontcourt

Player Fan Rank Media Rank Player Rank Weighted Score
1. *Elena Delle Donne (Washington)      1      1      2      1.25
2. *Tina Charles (New York)      2      1      1      1.5
3. *Jonquel Jones (Connecticut)      3      3      3      3.0
4. Candice Dupree (Indiana)      4      4      5      4.25
5. Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut)      5      4      4      4.5
6. Stefanie Dolson (Chicago)      6      7      6      6.25
7. Tamera Young (Chicago)      8      7      8      7.75
8. Kiah Stokes (New York)      7      7      17      9.5
9. Imani Boyette (Chicago)      9      7      17      10.5
10. Bria Holmes (Atlanta)      12      7      14      11.25


Eastern Conference Guards

Player Fan Rank Media Rank Player Rank Weighted Score
1. * Tiffany Hayes (Atlanta)      1      1      1      1.0
2. *Jasmine Thomas (Connecticut)      3      2      2      2.5
3. Kristi Toliver (Washington)      4      6      7      5.25
4. Tayler Hill (Washington)      7      3      6      5.75
5. Cappie Pondexter (Chicago)      8      5      3      6.0
6. Sugar Rodgers (New York)      6      6      7      6.25
7. Tiffany Mitchell (Indiana)      2      10      14      7.0
8. Courtney Williams (Connecticut)      5      12      7      7.25
9. Allie Quigley (Chicago)      10      4      13      9.25
10. Shavonte Zellous (New York)      11      12      4      9.5


*
–Voted to start
^–Tiebreaker for starting spot is highest fan vote