WNBA Wraparound: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese headline All-Stars selections, as Sun, Liberty top the standings

Here’s everything you need to know from the WNBA last week, in this week’s WNBA Wraparound.  

3 highlights from last week around the WNBA

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese break WNBA records: On Saturday, Caitlin Clark became the first WNBA rookie to ever record a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. She also became the first-ever Fever player with a triple-double, and has now had a double-double in four of her last seven games. 

Triple-doubles are nothing new for Clark; in her few years at Iowa, she set a Big Ten record of 17 career triple-doubles. But while she’d come close on a handful of occasions this season, this was her first time getting it done as a professional. 

“Obviously, it’s really cool. I’ve been finishing the ball at a really really high rate,” Clark said. “My assist numbers, that’s because of (my teammates), just finding them in positions to be successful, whether it’s (Aliyah Boston), whether it’s (NaLyssa Smith). They’ve done a really good job of that. I guess it’s cool.”

Meanwhile, Angel Reese broke Candace Parker's WNBA record of consecutive games with a double-double, recording a 13th straight game on Sunday. On Friday, she put together one of her best performances of the season, finishing with 27 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Storm. 

"I don't really think about it," Reese said about getting double-doubles. "I just go out there and do my job. My job is to rebound, so I'm going to go out there and do my job and rebound. I know that's what my teammates need me to do, and I've committed to that."

WNBA All-Star team announced: The WNBA All-Star roster was named last week, and it’s headlined by two rookie selections: Caitlin Clark (Fever) and Angel Reese (Sky). It’s the first time since 2014 that two rookies make the roster. 

Dearica Hamby (Sparks), Arike Ogunbowale (Wings), DeWanna Bonner (Sun), Allisha Gray (Dream), Brionna Jones (Sun), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), and Nneka Ogwunike (Storm) round out the roster. 

Additionally, all players on the US Olympic team automatically earn WNBA All-Star bids – Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Aces), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty), Jewell Lloyd (Storm), Kelsey Plum (Aces), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Mercury), Alyssa Thomas (Sun), A’ja Wilson (Aces) and Jackie Young (Aces).  

All-Stars were selected by a combination of fans (50 percent), current WNBA players (25 percent) and a national panel of media (25 percent). The Washington Mystics were the only team with no All-Star on their roster. Team WNBA (the selected All-Stars) will face Team USA in Phoenix later this month for the All-Star game. 

Aces-Fever game posts largest regular-season single-game attendance in WNBA history: On Tuesday, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston visited the Aces in Las Vegas for the first time this season. That match-up drew 20,366 fans — the most in a regular season WNBA game since 1999. The Aces typically play at the Michelob ULTRA Arena, but moved this game to T-Mobile Arena, where the Vegas Golden Knights play, due to increased ticket demand in part due to Clark’s popularity. The Aces became the first time in league history to sell out all regular-season home games earlier this month. 

Las Vegas beat Indiana 88-69, with Kelsey Plum exploding for 34 points. MVP candidate A’ja Wilson added 28 points and 9 rebounds, while Jackie Young had 15 points and 10 assists. All three will be traveling to Paris for the Olympics this summer alongside teammate Chelsea Gray. The most-attended WNBA playoff game remains a Detroit Shock-Los Angeles Sparks WNBA Finals game in 2003, which had 22,076 fans. 

2 WNBA games to tune into this week 

New York Liberty @ Connecticut Sun – Wednesday, July 10 @ 11 a.m. 

The Liberty take on the Sun in a rematch from last year’s Semi-Finals, and this one is an opportunity for the Sun to get a win over one of the top teams in the league. It’s likely New York and Connecticut will face off this postseason, and the Liberty have defeated the Sun in four consecutive games, dating back to last year’s playoffs.

Former Sun star Jonquel Jones has been having an excellent season with the Liberty – named All Star last week – and should be a key factor in this game. New York’s Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu are both representing Team USA later this month, as is Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas. For the Sun, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones have both been named All Stars – so a whopping total of six players from this match-up are heading to Phoenix for All Star weekend. 

Phoenix Mercury @ Indiana Fever - Friday, July 12 @ 7:30 p.m. 

Caitlin Clark and Diana Taurasi faced off for the first time ever last week, and that game didn’t disappoint, with both star point guards putting up big numbers. The Fever came out on top in that one, but the two teams will face off again this week. The Mercury’s Brittany Griner is getting back in a groove after losing the beginning of the season to injury, while the Fever’s Aliyah Boston is also getting back in the swing of things after a slow start to the year. 

1 WNBA story to monitor this week: Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty top the standings 

At the midpoint of the season, the Liberty (17-4) and Sun (17-4) have been the top teams in the league, with the Lynx (15-6) not too far behind them. 

The Liberty snapped a six-game win streak with a loss to the Fever, but have enjoyed strong seasons from Breanna Stewart (19.4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists), Sabrina Ionescu (18.9 points, 6.3 assists), and Jonquel Jones (16 points, 8.9 rebounds). Out of 21 games played so far this year, Stewart has led the team in scoring 9 times, Ionescu 8 times, and Jones 4 times. 

The Sun are currently on a three-game win streak, after stringing together victories against the Mercury, Lynx, and Dream. They’ve been led by 38-year-old DeWanna Bonner, who seems to only be getting better and is the team’s top scorer so far this season.

The Sun have faced their share of offensive struggles, but have consistently defended at a high level. 

“We've been holding teams below their averages,” Sun head coach Stephanite White said. “We've been doing a pretty good job and forcing them into tough shots and limiting field goal percentage, trying to take away strengths. And overall, I feel like our defense is always giving us a chance to win ball games.”