The WNBA announced its All-Star reserves Monday as voted on by the league's coaches. They include three first-time All-Stars: Chicago's Diamond DeShields, Minnesota's Odyssey Sims and Indiana's Erica Wheeler. They are all among the six backcourt players chosen.
The other guards are Chicago's Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot, and Washington's Kristi Toliver. Quigley and Toliver will make their third appearance in the game, and Vandersloot her second.
"The dream was always to play in the WNBA,'' said Wheeler, who went undrafted after four years of playing for Rutgers. "But being an All-Star? That takes hard work. It means the world to me because it validates my journey -- never give up, always work hard and do everything you can to get to the next level. Coming in undrafted, this is really different for me. I was speechless when I found out.''
Wheeler is only the fifth undrafted free agent ever to make the All-Star Game.
The six frontcourt players are overall more experienced, led by New York's Tina Charles and Indiana's Candice Dupree, both of whom are All-Stars for the seventh time. Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles is an All-Star for the sixth time, as is Los Angeles' Nneka Ogwumike.
Making her third appearance is Phoenix's DeWanna Bonner, while Connecticut's Alyssa Thomas is an All-Star for the second time.
The 10 All-Star starters were announced last week, as voted on by the fans, WNBA players and media. The top vote-getters, Washington's Elena Delle Donne and Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson, will be the captains and choose their teams, with Delle Donne getting first pick of the starters and Wilson first of the reserves.
The WNBA All-Star Game will take place at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, July 27 (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
