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espnW's All-WNBA first and second teams

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Augustus, Moore lead Lynx by Stars (0:39)

Seimone Augustus scores 20 points and Maya Moore adds 17 of her own as the Minnesota Lynx edge the San Antonio Stars 81-76. (0:39)

You couldn't have a basketball team made up of all forwards -- or could you? Let's put it this way: If you had to pick one position from the WNBA to fill an entire team, you'd certainly pick forward. Because there are an abundance of terrific forwards in the league.

Of course, that also reflects the fact that "forward" has evolved so much as a position in basketball. Some of the WNBA's best forwards are really just very tall guards. Others are centers on the small side. Some of them are pretty much equally both.

So when picking our 2016 espnW All-WNBA teams, the plethora of great forwards overshadowed everything else. It even caused us to bump one of them who was highly considered for the first team down to the second team. But since she's just a rookie, we have a feeling she'll have plenty of first-team appearances in her future.

You might feel some guards and centers were short-changed. There are a few big names that didn't make this list of 10. But there always will be debates on any such choices. The voters for the WNBA's honors might take right up until the last minute of the last game Sunday to make up their minds -- which is understandable.

But in this last week of the regular season, here are espnW's choices.

First team

F Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles

In her fifth season, Ogwumike has blossomed as a superstar. Her offensive efficiency is remarkable -- historic, in fact -- and she has become an even stronger defensive player, as well as the emotional leader, for the No. 2 seed Sparks.
2016 stats: 19.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 67.6 field goal percent

F Tina Charles, New York

Charles has carried the third-seeded Liberty. Her scoring average is a career high, topping her 18.0 of 2012 and '13. Coach Bill Laimbeer already thought she was an excellent defender but says she has actually improved that aspect of her game as well.
2016 stats: 21.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 3.8 APG

F Maya Moore, Minnesota

Once again, Moore has led the Lynx to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Always a great scorer, she has become a excellent playmaker, too, which she also showed with the U.S. Olympic team. Moore is a perennial MVP candidate who amazingly at 27 is still on the ascent.
2016 stats: 19.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.1 APG

G/F Elena Delle Donne, Chicago

The 2015 MVP, she's shooting her best percentage from the floor (48.5), including a 3-point accuracy of 42.6 percent. She remains one of the best free throw shooters in all of basketball (93.8 career). The worry now, though, is her injured thumb.
2016 stats: 21.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.5 BPG

G Sue Bird, Seattle

Yep, in her 14th WNBA season, Bird still has it. She's leading the league in assists and is having her best showing from behind the arc at 44.4 percent (68 of 153). She has guided a young team back to the playoffs and has a fourth Olympic gold medal.
2016 stats: 13.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 5.9 APG


Second team

F Breanna Stewart, Seattle

It's not a matter of "if" Stewart will win an MVP award but "when." She likely will get some votes even this season and is a lock for Rookie of the Year. She was difficult to keep off the first team, but she'll be there soon enough.
2016 stats: 18.4 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.4 APG

F Candace Parker, Los Angeles

A triple-threat as a scorer, rebounder and playmaker, Parker has worked well with Ogwumike to make the Sparks a contender again. Her 41 3-pointers are more than double what she made in any previous WNBA season.
2016 stats: 16.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.0 APG

C Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota

After sitting out until late July last season to force a trade, Fowles is now comfortably ensconced in Minnesota, where her physical veteran presence in the paint makes the Lynx all the more difficult to guard and score against.
2016 stats: 13.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.7 BPG

G/F Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta

After missing the playoffs last year, the Dream are back in the postseason, led as always by McCoughtry. She's one of the league's top scorers, who can also provide a defensive spark and has helped guide a team with some new faces in key roles.
2016 stats: 19.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG

G Kristi Toliver, Los Angeles

Yes, Toliver's big weapon, the 3-pointer, sometimes misfires. But when she's hitting from long range -- she's at 43.8 percent (78 of 178) this season -- she's critical to the Sparks' offense. And credit her for working hard to improve her defense.
2016 stats: 13.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.6 APG