Lynx will have two starters for All-Star Game in Moore, Augustus

By this time you might think going to WNBA All-Star Games had become old hat for Seimone Augustus.

Not so.

In fact, Augustus — selected along with Lynx teammate Maya Moore as starters for the Western Conference — said each time she goes to the All-Star Game means a little more.

"Every year you get a little older," said Augustus, who will be playing in her sixth All-Star Game. "You see the new group of players, the youngsters, coming on. At some point your time will come to an end and you'll have to pass the torch. Fortunately that time hasn't come for me yet."

Starters for the two teams were announced Tuesday for the July 25 game at Connecticut. Chicago forward Elena Delle Done got the most votes (18,034), and Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins (15,895) and Moore (13,706) were the next-highest vote-getters. This will be Moore's fourth appearance in the game, each as a starter. She has been named an All-Star each year since entering the league in 2011; there was no game in 2012 because of the London Olympics.

"It's always a privilege to be voted in by the fans, to be healthy enough to play," Moore said. "I never want to take it for granted."

Moore and Augustus will be joined as Western Conference starters by Phoenix center Brittney Griner, Phoenix forward Candice Dupree and Diggins. A knee injury has ended Diggins' season, so a replacement will be named by WNBA President Laurel Richie.

The 12 WNBA coaches will vote on the reserves by voting for six players within their own conference. Those reserves will be named Tuesday.

The Eastern Conference team will be coached by Chicago's Pokey Chatman.

Phoenix's Sandy Brondello will coach the Western Conference team.

Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen and forward Rebekkah Brunson have strong shots to be named as reserves.

Moore is averaging 18.3 points per game, down slightly from her league-leading average of 23.9 she posted while winning the 2014 MVP award. But Moore has hit another level of late, averaging 23.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals over her past four games.

Reeve praised Augustus' development as a player, going from a high-scoring player on teams that didn't win much to a leader on Lynx teams consistently vying for the league title.

"We don't go where we have to go without Seimone playing at a high level," Reeve said. "She'll go down as one of the great — if not the greatest — guards, field-goal-percentage-wise, for the types of shots she takes."

Moore, meanwhile, has matured into a leader and a force at both ends of the court.

Now both players have to wait and see who goes with them to Connecticut.

"Definitely Whalen and Brunson," Augustus said. "Heck, if I could take the whole team, I would."