Breanna Stewart traded for Seattle Storm teammate Sue Bird in the WNBA All-Star draft Saturday.
Bird was set to be a co-captain with the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson before Stewart pulled off the deal to acquire Bird for Sylvia Fowles. Bird and Fowles are set to retire at the end of the season and were named co-captains with Stewart and Wilson.
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“We can do legend for legend,” Wilson said. “OK, I got that. I’m good with that. I feel good about that. We’re back on track. That was a good one.”
Bird will be playing in her record 13th All-Star Game on July 10 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Fowles will be in her eighth.
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Stewart also acquired Nneka Ogwumike for Sabrina Ionescu in a separate trade with Wilson.
Wilson had the first pick in the draft and chose they Chicago Sky’s Candace Parker, who will be playing in front of her home fans in her seventh career All-Star Game and second since joining the Sky before last season and helping them win their first championship. Wilson then chose Aces teammate Kelsey Plum with her second pick. Stewart drafted the third Aces starter Jackie Young with her first pick and Jonquel Jones with her second choice.
Stewart had the first pick in the reserve round and selected Storm teammate Jewell Loyd. Stewart also drafted the Sky’s Kahleah Copper and Emma Meesseman as well as Skylar Diggins-Smith, Alyssa Thomas and Arike Ogunbowale.
Wilson chose rookie Rhyne Howard with her first pick of the reserves. Howard is the only rookie in the game. The co-captain then selected Aces teammate Dearica Hamby. Wilson also drafted Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot, Ariel Atkins, Brionna Jones and Natasha Howard.
The WNBA switched to the team-captain format in 2018.
Ionescu, Plum, Howard and Young will be playing in their first All-Star Game.
