WNBA All-Star Game 2017: How to watch, who’s playing

The WNBA All-Star Game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, from KeyArena in Seattle. The game will be televised on ABC, and the three-point competition is slated to start during halftime. This is the first WNBA All-Star weekend in two years because last year the league was forced to take a break during the Rio Olympics.

The Western Conference All-Stars are a star-studded group of championship winners — all but two on the entire roster have won rings. The West is stacked with Mercury, Lynx and Sparks, winners of the last four titles. Five future Hall of Famers round out the starting lineup in MVP-favorite Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Candace Parker. This is a fast-paced group of scorers with size.

Fowles, a 6’6 center, is averaging a 20 and 10 double-double for the 16-2 Lynx. Coming off a five-game championship loss to the Sparks last season, Minnesota looks as hot as ever, and that’s largely because she’s having one of the best seasons of her career. The defensive anchor will be surrounded by shooters in the All-Star game too, with all four of the other starters shooting 35 percent or better from deep.

The West would’ve brought another MVP-contender in Brittney Griner off the bench too, but she is out for at least another three weeks with a bone bruise and ankle sprain. But no worries, they have last year’s actual MVP Nneka Ogwumike to star for the second unit.

Here are the Western Conference All-Stars:

Sue Bird, Storm

Diana Taurasi, Mercury

Maya Moore, Lynx

Candace Parker, Sparks

Sylvia Fowles, Lynx

Seimone Augustus, Lynx

Rebekkah Brunson, Lynx

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Wings

Chelsea Gray, Sparks

Nneka Ogwumike, Sparks

Breanna Stewart, Storm

The Eastern Conference team is a group of new faces including nine new All-Stars (four starters). Liberty superstar Tina Charles is the lone veteran in the starting lineup, because Elena Delle Donne is in a walking boot and won’t play after spraining her ankle last week.

Three Connecticut Sun players got the nod instead in Jonquel Jones, Jasmine Thomas and Alyssa Thomas as well as Dream guard Tiffany Hayes. Jones and the Thomases highlight a new powerhouse in the WNBA, as they currently are tied with the Mystics for the best record in the East. In just her second year in the league, Jones is averaging a double-double on the most rebounds in the league, with 11 per game. She’s one to watch for.

Here are the Eastern Conference All-Stars:

Tina Charles, Liberty

Alyssa Thoms, Sun

Tiffany Hayes, Dream

Jonquel Jones, Sun

Jasmine Thomas, Sun

Layshia Clarendon, Dream

Stefanie Dolson, Sky

Candice Dupree, Fever

Allie Quigley, Sky

Sugar Rodgers, Liberty

Elizabeth Williams, Dream

Three-point contest contestants

The three-point shooting contest will play out during halftime between five of the league’s best sharpshooters. For the first time, $10,000 will be donated to a charity of the winner’s choice.

Here are the participants:

Sue Bird, Storm (42.0 percent)

Maya Moore, Lynx (40.2 percent)

Sugar Rodgers, Liberty (35.8 percent)

Jasmine Thomas, Sun (45.8 percent)

Allie Quigley, Sky (42.7 percent)

When: 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: KeyArena, Seattle

TV: ABC