Admittedly, Brondello thought she was free from All-Star coaching obligations since the Mercury were a half game ahead of the Liberty in the WNBA standings with only the Wings on deck earlier this month before the top two WNBA coaches were picked.

Sabally, now a three-time All-Star, was slated to suit up for the team drafted by Caitlin Clark, one of the two captains for this year's game. Sabally's replacement will be chosen by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who already selected Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride to fill in for the injured Rhyne Howard.

So, for which franchises do players most want to compete? And what do they think about a host of topics around the league, like who is the league’s best player, where should expansion head, who is the face of the league and what issues are important in the next collective bargaining agreement?

However, second-year forward Angel Reese is having another dominant campaign, as she earned her second straight All-Star nod this season. Reese is averaging a league-best 12.6 rebounds per game, as well as a career high 14.0 points and 3.8 assists per contest.

WNBA players rated the Phoenix Mercury as the league's best-run franchise, according to a poll conducted by The Athletic. State of play: In the anonymous poll of 39 players from all 13 franchises — no rookies were included to best represent veterans' views — 28.6% of respondents picked the Mercury.

Alyssa Thomas detailed during Friday's All-Star availability how she is preparing for a potential lockout ahead of CBA discussions.

SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor locked in his picks, predictions, props, and WNBA best bets for the Golden State Valkyries vs. Phoenix Mercury game on Monday

The WNBA All-Star Game is this weekend, which gives teams a break. Then, it is right back to work for the Phoenix Mercury.