McCoughtry, Schimmel Named WNBA All-Star Starters

Mark BlankenbakerJuly 8, 2014

Former University of Louisville women’s basketball All-Americans and currently members of the Atlanta Dream Angel McCoughtry and Shoni Schimmel are WNBA Eastern Conference starters, the league announced late Tuesday night.

The WNBA All-Star game, held on July 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET, will be nationally broadcast on ESPN from Phoenix, Ariz.

The starting lineups were determined by fan voting, with Schimmel leading all East guards with 25,601 votes, third among all WNBA players overall. McCoughtry ranked second among East forwards with 17,562 votes. McCoughtry now has been voted a starter each of her three All-Star selections.

Prior to Tuesday night’s game, McCoughtry ranked second in the WNBA in steals (2.3), fourth in scoring (19.6), tied for eighth in free throw percentage (.864), and 11th in assists (4.2). She was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played June 16-22, and has been nominated for an ESPY for Best WNBA Player.

Schimmel has enjoyed a solid start to her professional career. The rookie set a WNBA record for most assists in her first four games in the league with 37, and before Tuesday’s game, she ranked 15th in in assists per game (3.9) and eighth among rookies in scoring (8.1). She has logged seven games with double-digit points and has a team-best 25 3-pointers.

Behind McCoughtry and Schimmel, Atlanta currently leads the Eastern Conference standings with a 13-5 record.

McCoughtry (2005-09) finished her four-year career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,779 points and is also tops in Louisville history in rebounds (1,261) and steals (481). She was a three-time WBCA All-American, averaging 20.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game in her career. She was named the 2007 BIG EAST Player of the Year and capped her senior season in 2009 as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and Raleigh Regional MVP, while guiding Louisville to its first national championship game.

Schimmel, drafted eighth overall this year, finished her career (2010-14) ranked second on Louisville’s all-time scoring list with 2,174 points – only behind McCoughtry. Schimmel’s 387 made 3-pointers were just five shy of the all-time Division I mark. She holds the school record for career 3-pointers and also set the school’s single-season record, knocking down 118 treys in her senior season. In April, she was named an Associated Press second team All-American.