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Delle Donne earns All-Star Game starting berth

Although she hasn't been able to dazzle fans this summer as much as she did last summer, Elena Delle Donne is still a WNBA fan favorite.

Delle Donne, the Chicago Sky's second-year forward, has missed nine games this season because of a flare-up with her Lyme Disease. She's played in only one game since June 7. But WNBA fans have overwhelmingly voted Delle Donne as a starter for next weekend's All-Star Game in Phoenix (2:30 p.m., July 19, ESPN).

"There are so many talented players in this league, so just to be listed as an all-star is an honor," Delle Donne said. "Our fans are incredible. Having a Sky player finish ahead in the East for the second consecutive season is exciting and a real testament to the great tradition we are building here in Chicago."

Delle Donne, who was the 2013 WNBA rookie of the year and the leading vote-getter for last year's All-Star Game, received the second-most votes for this year's cponteste. She got 26,129 votes, just behind the 28,389 votes received by Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore.

Moore was the most valuable player of the 2013 WNBA Finals and leads the league in scoring this season at 22.8 points per game.

In the nine games she has played this season, Delle Donne has averaged 21.2 points per game.

Three Chicago-area natives were also named all-star starters: Los Angeles forward Candace Parker, Indiana forward Tamika Catchings and New York guard Cappie Pondexter.

Shoni Schimmel and Angel McCoughtry of Atlanta round out the Eastern Conference starters, while former Notre Dame star Skylar Diggins of Tulsa, and Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner of Phoenix round out the Western Conference starters.

The 12 WNBA head coaches will select the six reserves for each team, and they will be announced during Tuesday's ESPN2 broadcast (7 p.m.) of the Los Angeles-Indiana game.

Atlanta Dream coach Michael Cooper will coach the East all-stars, while Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve will coach the West team.

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