All-Star Woes

We have to wait two more days for the rest of the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star squads to be announced, but I’m going to tell you that Katie Douglas will be on the list. Her coach, Mike Thibault, certainly would agree. He was even disappointed the sixth-year guard wasn’t chosen to start by the fans.
Which brings me to my next point.
I’ve got some problems with fan voting, at least in terms of deciding starters. The right to be in the starting lineup of the All-Star Game should be more than a popularity contest. By taking the East aside, it’s clear the fans showed some smarts with certain choices, but there were others that threw me off.
Both guards, in my opinion, are suspect selections as starters, although both should probably be All-Stars. Becky Hammon of New York is a great player and has put up great numbers this year, but what does it mean if her best efforts still have the Liberty a long shot to make the playoffs. Even Connecticut’s Lindsay Whalen surprised me, since she’s had to battle a recovery from offseason surgery and there’s no denying that Douglas has been more important to the Sun’s success on a regular basis so far.
I’m not suggesting to get rid of fan voting, but the system should be tweaked. In baseball, there used to be a chance for fans to vote in one extra player per roster after all the names were announced. I get that the WNBA is an ultra-fan friendly league, so how about voting in three players after the other announcements. That way, the right players are assured of getting the honor they deserve and the fans still get to see the players they enjoy watching.