The Mystics will have one representative in the game this year.
On Tuesday, the WNBA announced that Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins was named to the 2022 All-Star Game. This is her second appearance after making the game for the first time last year as a member of the USA Basketball women’s national team.
Hey now, @arielatkinssvn is a #WNBAAllStar
This is Ariel’s second All-Star nod #Mystics25 // #TogetherDC pic.twitter.com/xtsD5o6acx
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 28, 2022
Atkins is averaging 15.0 points, 2.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game for Washington.
While Atkins will make the game this year, she is unfortunately the only Mystics player there. Despite being fifth overall in the fan vote, franchise player Elena Delle Donne was not named as a reserve. If there is a reason why, it is probably due to her inconsistent availability from load management.
Two Mystics alumnae, Emma Meesseman and Kahleah Copper, both now with the Chicago Sky, were also named reserves. Given their performances this season, I have no complaints about them being in the All-Star Game, even though it’s at Delle Donne’s expense.
The All-Star Game is on July 10. Congratulations Ariel and make us proud!