Only about 85 of the WNBA's roughly 180 players -- a little less than half -- submitted ballots for starters ahead of this month's WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Fans accounted for 50% of the overall vote; current players and a media panel accounted for 25% each.
Some of the participation issues among players were operational. Some Los Angeles Sparks players, for example, said they did not receive their ballots, which teams are responsible for distributing.
"Players were sent ballots via email," the Sparks said in a statement to ESPN. "Some players indicated that they didn't receive the email or weren't aware of it until after the voting period had closed. That's something we take responsibility for as an organization, and we'll have a more robust process going forward."
Sparks star Kelsey Plum -- the league's second-leading scorer, who has been limited to 12 games this season due to injury -- finished 12th in the player rank for guards but sixth in the fan rank and fifth among media. Teammate Nneka Ogwumike finished seventh in the player rank among frontcourt players, eighth in the fan vote and 10th for media.
The All-Star Game starters, who were announced earlier Thursday, are Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Natasha Howard, Olivia Miles, Kelsey Mitchell, Jessica Shepard, Breanna Stewart, Gabby Williams and A'ja Wilson.
There are often discrepancies in how fans, media and players vote. For example, among the guards, Indiana's Clark (21.2 points per game) was 11th in the player rank versus second in fan and third in media. Toronto's Marina Mabrey (21.2 ppg.) was fourth among players but 12th for fans and sixth for media.
It's also not infrequent for some players to prioritize voting for teammates and friends across the league.
WNBA head coaches next will select the 12 All-Star reserves, which will be announced Tuesday. The All-Star Game will be held July 25 at Chicago's United Center (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).