The Ogwumike sisters will be reunited, while the Lynx and Storm All-Stars will be divided. The captains' picks for the WNBA All-Star Game were revealed Thursday, giving us our first look at Team Elena Delle Donne vs. Team Candace Parker for the July 28 game (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Target Center in Minneapolis.
Under a new format this season that is similar to what the NBA did earlier this year, the WNBA's top two vote-getters in the fan ballot were designated as captains who could pick 10 players each for their teams from the All-Star pool of 22. Minnesota's Maya Moore was the overall vote leader, but opted not to be a captain, saying she had too many other responsibilities during All-Star Week. Washington's Delle Donne was the second-leading vote-getter, and Los Angeles' Parker became the other captain as the third-leading vote-getter.
Had Moore been a captain, she may have been able to keep all three Lynx All-Stars on one team. Instead, the hometown fans will be split on which side to root for: Moore is on Team Parker, while Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus are on Team Delle Donne.
The other WNBA teammates who will be split between the All-Star teams are from Seattle: the Storm's Jewell Loyd is on Team Parker, while Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird are on Team Delle Donne.
Parker and Delle Donne did keep their own WNBA teammates with them: Parker picked fellow Sparks players Nneka Ogwumike and Chelsea Gray, while Delle Donne selected fellow Mystics player Kristi Toliver.
Parker also selected both Wings players, Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Delle Donne selected all three Mercury players -- Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner -- and both Aces players, Kayla McBride and A'ja Wilson, the lone rookie All-Star.
Parker picked the Sun's Chiney Ogwumike, reuniting her with sister Nneka. The Ogwumikes played two seasons together at Stanford; Nneka was the WNBA's overall No. 1 pick by Los Angeles in 2012, and Chiney was No. 1 by Connecticut in 2014.
Parker's team has four former WNBA MVPs: herself, Moore, Nneka Ogwumike and the Liberty's Tina Charles. Delle Donne's has three past MVPs: herself, Fowles and Taurasi.
The 22 All-Stars were selected by a combined vote tally from fans (40 percent), current players, current head coaches and media (20 percent each). Players and coaches were not allowed to vote for those on their own WNBA teams. Every team but last-place Indiana has at least one All-Star.
Team Delle Donne will be coached by Seattle's Dan Hughes, and Team Parker by Phoenix's Sandy Brondello. The coaches earned their nods by their respective team's placement in the WNBA standings. The All-Star Game starters will be decided by the captains and coaches, and announced July 27 on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET during a live telecast of the WNBA All-Star Welcome Reception.