New York, NY (AHN) - The WNBA announced their starting all-stars on Tuesday and the list of players contains many familiar faces - and a couple of players who are new to the annual all-star competition, but may be back for years to come.

Seattle Storm point guard Sue Bird, Phoenix Mercury forward Diana Taurasi and Indiana Fever forward, Tamika Catchings, were the leading vote-getters for the annual event.

The immensely popular Bird led all players with 128,838 votes for the Jgame, scheduled for July 15 game in Washington but will miss the game because of pending knee surgery.

The Seattle franchise announced that Bird will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Friday to remove loose particles in her left knee. Bird is expected to be out of action for approximately two weeks.

"To be honest, maybe if I had nothing after this I would try and gut it out. But then [my doctor] said it could get worse," Bird said. "Playing on it one extra week wasn't the end of the world. Playing on it another two and a half, three months, that could have been a problem."

The other starters in the Western conference are Lauren Jackson, Bird's teammate with the Storm, San Antonio Stars guard Becky Hammon and Sacramento Monarchs forward Yolanda Griffith.

Griffith will be making her seventh All-Star appearance and fourth as a starter. Jackson is making her sixth overall appearance and third as a starter.

Hammon will become the second player to start for both conferences, joining te legendary Dawn Staley, who made last year's all-star contest while playing for the Houston Comets after beginning her WNBA career with Charlotte. Taurasi will make her third all-star appearance and second start.

Catchings was the top vote-getter in the East with 124,144 votes. She will make her fifth consecutive All-Star start and will be joined by Fever teammate Anna DeForge, a first-time All-Star.

Three players from the league's defending champion, the Detroit Shock, also were selected to as starters. Guard Deanna Nolan, forward Cheryl Ford and center Kara Braxton wil all be on the floor for the game's opening tip-off.

Nolan and Ford are making their fourth all-star appearances, with Ford her getting her second all-star start and Nolan her first. Braxton is making her first all-star appearance.

The league also announced that the reserves, which are selected by the head coaches, will be announced Monday.

WNBA president Donna Orender will announce a roster replacement for Bird. Sacramento head coach Jenny Boucek will then select Bird's replacement in the starting lineup.

"I don't want to play without [Bird]," Jackson said. "She's my best mate."