Brittney Griner, Aliyah Boston named WNBA All-Star starters - ESPN

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner was named an WNBA All-Star Game starter in her return season from detainment in Russia, and the Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston will be the sixth rookie in league history to start the game.

The WNBA on Sunday announced its 10 starters and captains for the July 15 game in Las Vegas (ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET).

The MVP front-runners, Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, finished 1-2 in voting and will be captains for the second year in a row. It is Wilson's third time being a captain and fifth All-Star appearance overall. Team Wilson won the All-Star Game in 2019 and 2022.

It is also the fifth All-Star Game for Stewart and second time being a captain.

The six other starters named Sunday were guards Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young of Las Vegas; guard Arike Ogunbowale and forward Satou Sabally of the Dallas Wings; forward Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks; and guard Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm. Of that group, Ogwumike has the most All-Star experience, as this is her eighth selection. It's the fifth time for Gray and Loyd, the third for Ogunbowale and the second for Sabally and Young.

The league's head coaches will select the 12 reserves, which will include at least three guards and five frontcourt players, plus four players at either position. They can't vote for their own players. Reserves will be announced Saturday, and the captains will pick their teams in the WNBA All-Star Team Selection Special on July 8 (ESPN, 1 p.m. ET).

This will be Griner's ninth time as an All-Star, which includes last year when she was named an honorary All-Star by commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Both teams wore No. 42 jerseys in the second half of last year's game in