Chicago Sky General Manager/Head Coach James Wade has been selected as one of two head coaches for the 2022 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, the league announced. The Las Vegas Aces Head Coach Becky Hammonwill serve as the head coach for the opposing team.
Wade joins the All-Star Game coaching staff for the first time in his career, leading the Chicago Sky to the highest winning percentage in the Eastern Conference of .706 with a 12-5 record.
With the best overall record in the league, Aces’ Hammonwill lead Team Wilson, named after the No.1ranked pick in fan All-star voting, Aces forward A’jaWilson. Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird will be alongside Wilson as a co-captain. With the second-best record in the league, Wade will coach Team Stewart, named after the second-highest ranked in fan voting, Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart. Minnesota Lynx’s Sylvia Fowles will be a co-captain alongside Stewart.
The announcement comes after years of achievements for Wade in the WNBA, most recently being honored as 2019 WNBA Coach of the Year, leading the Chicago Sky to its second Eastern Conference title and the team’s first WNBA Championship in 2021.
Wade began coaching in 2012 as an assistant for the San Antonio Stars through 2016 and from 2017-18, served as an assistant coach to the and the Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve, who won the 2017 WNBA Championship, before taking over as head coach for the Chicago Sky in 2019. He also served stints in the EuroLeaguefor BLMA in France and UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where he aided Ekatto the 2018 EuroLeaguetitle.
Wade was also selected on January 20, 2022to join the USA Women’s National Team coaching staff at the 2022 USA National Team training camp and FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Washington, D.C.
Along with Wade, the Sky’s Candace Parker was announced as one of this year’s All-Star starters. The 2022 WNBA All-Star Game will be held at Wintrust Arena, on Sunday, July 10th at 12 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on ABC. For more information on AT&T WNBA All-Star 2022, head to wnba.com/allstar.
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