Stewart trades for Bird in WNBA All-Star draft

By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

Breanna Stewart traded for her Seattle teammate Sue Bird in the WNBA All-Star draft Saturday.

Bird was set to be a co-captain with 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.

“We can do legend for legend. Ok, I got that. I’m good with that,” Wilson said. ‘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 in Chicago. Fowles will be in her eighth.

Stewart also acquired Nneka Ogwumike for Sabrina Ionescu in a separate trade with Wilson.

Wilson had the first pick in the draft and chose Candace Parker, who will be playing in front of her home fans. The Las Vegas star then chose her Aces teammate Kelsey Plum with her second pick. Stewart drafted the third Las Vegas 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 her Seattle teammate Jewell Loyd. Stewart also drafted Kahleah Copper, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Alyssa Thomas, Arike Ogunbowale and Emma Meesseman.

Wilson chose rookie Rhyne Howard with her first pick of the All-Star reserves. Howard is the only rookie in the game. The co-captain then selected her Aces teammate Dearica Hamby. Wilson also drafted 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.

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