Angel Reese Calls Dream All-Star Snubs 'A Slap in the Face'
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- Angel Reese called it "a slap in the face" and "disrespectful" that no Atlanta Dream player was named a WNBA All-Star starter, saying she spoke up because Howard and Gray "don't necessarily speak for themselves"
- Rhyne Howard ranked No. 2 among guards in the player vote and No. 4 in the media vote but finished with the 5th-highest overall guard score after sliding to No. 9 in fan voting
- The Atlanta Dream entered Thursday at 12-7, holding first place in the Eastern Conference and sitting just three games back of the overall WNBA standings lead
- All-Star starters are determined by a weighted formula in which fan voting counts for 50%, with media and player votes each accounting for 25%
- Howard and Allisha Gray rank 12th and 13th in the WNBA in scoring, while Howard and Jordin Canada lead the league in steals per game at No. 1 and No. 2
- Dream guards also dominate the WNBA's defensive stats, with Gray and Reese ranking No. 9 and No. 10 in defensive win shares and Canada (No. 12) and Howard (No. 16) close behind
- Reese said she had stayed largely quiet in the media this year because "it's been tough for me over the last two years," but felt it was important to note the Dream's omission after their team success
Why it matters: Reese's outburst exposes how the 50% fan-vote weight in starter selection can override peer and media recognition — Howard ranked No. 2 by players and No. 4 by media among guards, yet slipped to No. 9 in fan voting, costing the 12-7 Eastern Conference leaders a starter.
