Brittney Griner, rookie Aliyah Boston among stacked group of 2023 WNBA All-Star starters

The starters for the WNBA All-Star Game were announced on Sunday, and there are familiar faces as well as a brand new All-Star making history.

Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury has been named a starter for the sixth time in her career and will make her ninth career trip to the ASG, a number that includes her honorary selection in 2022 when she was illegally detained in a Russian prison and was forced to miss the entire season. The 2022 All-Star Game was played in her honor, with the league continuing to bring attention to her situation and every player wearing a No. 42 jersey.

While Griner has been to the ASG nine times, rookie Aliyah Boston will be making her very first trip. Boston was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on April 10, 2023. And now, only two months later, is now just the sixth player in WNBA history to be named an All-Star starter in their rookie year.

Boston and Griner are just two players among a dynamite group of seasoned WNBA players to be named as ASG starters. Here’s the full list:

• Captain: Breanna Stewart, Las Vegas Aces, 5th appearance

• Captain: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces, 5th appearance

• Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever, 1st appearance

• Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces, 5th appearance

• Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury, 9th appearance

• Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm, 5th appearance

• Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings, 3rd appearance

• Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks, 8th appearance

• Satou Sabllay, Dallas Wings, 2nd appearance

• Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces, 2nd appearance

All-Star starters are chosen by a combination of fans, current WNBA players, and the media. The fan vote counts for 50%, and the players and media each count for 25%. The 12 reserves will be chosen by the league’s head coaches and announced on July 1. The captains will choose their teams in a live draft on July 8.

The WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled to be played on July 15 in Las Vegas.