Aces’ Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby named WNBA All-Stars
Two more Aces will play in the WNBA All-Star Game.
Center Liz Cambage and forward Dearica Hamby were named to the league’s All-Star team Wednesday and will play against teammates A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray on July 14 in the WNBA All-Star game at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Cambage and Hamby are two of 12 who will comprise the WNBA All-Star team, which will play the United States Olympic team that features Wilson, Gray and 10 more of the league’s best players.
WNBA legends Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson will coach the WNBA All-Star team, while national team coach Dawn Staley will oversee the American squad.
Cambage is an All-Star staple, having already played in three All-Star games — including in 2019, her first year with the Aces. The 6-foot-8-inch Australian is averaging 14.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as one of the best centers in the WNBA. She’s also shooting 58 percent — the second-best mark of in her five-year WNBA career — and anchoring the league’s No. 2 defense.
Hamby, the two-time reigning Sixth Woman of the Year, is a first-time All-Star averaging 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 52.2 percent. She helps lead one of basketball’s best bench units and is among the league’s most versatile defensive players.
Wilson and Gray were named to the U.S. Olympic team last week. Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, is leading the Aces in scoring, averaging 19.4 points and 8.7 rebounds. Gray has changed the complexion of the Aces’ offense with her play at the point. She averages 12.1 points and 6.5 assists.
The All-Star game will be played at 4 p.m. and televised on ESPN. The league plans to honor the 1996 U.S. Olympic gold medal team with a presentation during the game, highlighting its impact on the WNBA.
The All-Star team was selected in part through a combination of fan voting (50 percent), player voting (25 percent) and media voting (25 percent). That vote created a pool of 36 players, from which the league’s head coaches voted for the 12 players.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.