WNBA to Have Captains Pick 2018 WNBA All-Star Teams, East-West Format Eliminated

Following in the footsteps of the NBA, the WNBA is changing up its All-Star Game format. 

The league announced on Tuesday this year's star-studded showcase will eliminate the traditional Eastern Conference-Western Conference matchup. Instead, two captains—the players receiving the highest total of votes, regardless of conference affiliation—will pick their respective squads from a pool of players voted into the game.

"Delivering on the promise to constantly innovate and entertain is driving this All-Star format change for our fans and partners," WNBA President Lisa Borders said in a statement in the release. "This bold and innovative approach to Verizon WNBA All-Star provides an opportunity to put the best of the best in our showcase event."

All of the previous 14 All-Star Games followed traditional formatting.

In addition to tweaking the way the teams are selected, the league is also changing the voting process. Conference affiliation will not be accounted for when selecting the 22 players. Fans will be able to vote for 10 players (regardless of conference or position), while players, coaches and media will each pick nine guards and 13 front-court players. 

The only stipulation is that players and coaches will not be able to vote for members of their own team. 

The fan vote makes up 40 percent of the total, coaches and players are at 20 percent each, and the media will make up the remaining 20 percent.

July 17 marks the date in which the 22 All-Stars will be named, with the captains holding a draft in the following days. It's not clear if the draft will be televised or recorded, although the release notes "specific details about the draft will be announced at a later date."

The NBA did not televise their inaugural player draft, although captains LeBron James and Stephen Curry later said they wished it had been. 

Adam Silver revealed Curry was initially against televising it, but the NBA Commissioner noted they would consider doing so moving forward.

Regardless of how the WNBA handles the process, the NBA was applauded for the innovative change. It was a fresh look and a nice change of pace, and it led to an entertaining game.

The 2018 WNBA All-Star Game will be played on July 28 in Minneapolis.