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Collier picks Williams, lands Reeve via trade during WNBA All-Star draft
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Napheesa Collier of the Lynx and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever drafted their teams for this month's WNBA All-Star Game on Tuesday evening. 

Collier selected teammate Courtney Williams, Minnesota native Paige Bueckers, and Chicago's Angel Reese, among other notable picks. And although the draft began with longtime Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve set to lead Team Clark, the two captains pulled off an amusing and unprecedented coach trade that brought Reeve over to Team Phee in exchange for the New York Liberty's Sandy Brondello.

"I don't know if this is in the rules, I don't really care, but I think we've already discussed, we are gonna trade coaches," Clark said. "Phee's gonna take her coach. Sandy Brondello, let's get it. Sorry WNBA if that's not in the rules, sorry ESPN if that's not in the rules, but we just made it a rule."

"That's just gonna be worse for Team Clark because now we've got more chemistry on our side, we got more synergy, we know what we expect of each other," Collier replied. "So that was a bad move on your part, Caitlin. We're taking you down."

Clark kicked off the draft by taking Fever teammate Aliyah Boston. Collier used her first pick on former UConn teammate and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart. Allisha Gray, Nneka Ogwumike, and Bueckers — the rookie sensation from UConn — rounded out Collier's picks among the pool of starters.

Among the reserves, Collier and Clark predictably both took teammates first. Collier selected Williams, who is an All-Star for the second time in her career and the first time in a Lynx uniform. Clark then picked up fellow Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell. Phee's other reserve picks were Skylar Diggins, Reese, Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Plum, and Rhyne Howard, giving her team some impressive depth.

The All-Star Game will go down on Saturday, July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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