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WNBA News: Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne Lead All-Star Voting

By Joseph Zucker

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 3: Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx reacts during game against the Indiana Fever on July 3, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 3: Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx reacts during game against the Indiana Fever on July 3, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore and Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne sit first and second in the fan vote for the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, the WNBA announced Thursday.

The news comes the same week the two were named WNBA Players of the Week for their respective conferences. Moore has collected 25,496 votes, and Delle Donne is right on her heels with 24,152 votes.

Unlike in past seasons, the WNBA has scrapped the conference designations for the All-Star Game. That’s good news for the Western Conference, with only two players from the Eastern Conference—Delle Donne and Connecticut Sun forward Chiney Ogwumike—among the top 22 vote getters.

Here’s a look at the top 10:

  • 1st: Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx (25,496)
  • 2nd: Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics (24,152)
  • 3rd: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (21,136)
  • 4th: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (20,460)
  • 5th: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm (20,362)
  • 6th: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (19,354)
  • 7th: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (18,768)
  • 8th: Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx (17,843)
  • 9th: Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dallas Wings (16,177)
  • 10th: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks (16,103)

Neither Moore nor Delle Donne is a surprising inclusion at the top of the leaderboard.

Moore receives an added bonus of playing on the defending champions, and she’s coming off a scintillating June. The 2014 WNBA MVP averaged 22.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 41.9 percent from three-point range last month.

Delle Donne, meanwhile, is averaging 20.5 points, 6.9 blocks, 2.5 assists and 1.4 blocks. Her 0.335 win shares are second only to Breanna Stewart, according to Basketball Reference.

Speaking of Stewart, her sixth-place ranking is a bit unexpected based on the season she’s having. The Seattle Storm forward is arguably the MVP front-runner at the moment.

Stewart is leading the WNBA in scoring (21.8) while sitting sixth in rebounding (7.6) and blocked shots (1.6).

Likewise, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner isn’t getting much respect from the fans. Her 15,386 votes have her in 11th place.

Ultimately, both players are going to be All-Stars, so quibbling over their position in the voting is an exercise in futility.

The fan vote alone won’t determine squads for the All-Star Game, though. Fans account for 40 percent of a player’s overall vote totals, with WNBA players and coaches getting 20 percent apiece and media members receiving the remaining 20 percent.

Fans can continue voting until July 12, and the league will announce the 22 All-Stars on July 19.

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