Atlanta Dream stars snubbed as WNBA reveals ASG starters

While it's hard to fault any of the starters named for the fan-driven exhibition, it's even more difficult to imagine one of the Dream's several legit ASG starting candidates not making the list.

Rhyne Howard has the biggest gripe, with Her Hoop Stats ranking her fifth in the league in win shares. The top four (Wilson, Miles, Natasha Howard and Shepard) were named starters. 

As Yahoo Sports WNBA analyst Cassandra Negley noted, Howard was put at a disadvantage being listed as a guard on ballots despite playing on the wing, making her compete for one of four spots instead of six.

Through 18 games, the three-time All-Star is averaging a career-high 18.6 points with 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. 

Per the voting breakdown, she finished fifth among guards, her weighted average bogged down by ranking ninth in fan voting.

Fellow Dream guard Allisha Gray, who is second on the team in scoring (18.4 points per game), also had a compelling starter case but came up short, ranking sixth among guards.

The results were arguably most brutal for Angel Reese. She ranked sixth by all three voting bodies, meaning fans, media and players alike all tabbed her as a starter. But Williams and Howard, who placed below Reese in media and fan voting, respectively, finished with higher weighted averages, giving them spots instead.

As much as the Dream deserved to have a player (or players) named to the starting rosters, the All-Star starter snub could serve as valuable fuel during the second half of the season. Atlanta's going to have to be even better down the stretch for its stars to get the respect they deserve.