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 All-Star Games |
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Wednesday, July 14
THE INAUGURAL WNBA ALL-STAR GAME
1999: West 79, East 61
The inaugural WNBA All-Star Game was played in 1999 before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York. After Whitney Houston kicked things off by singing the national anthem, the West went on to beat the East 79-61. Sparks center Lisa Leslie was named the first-ever All-Star Game MVP after scoring 13 points for the West.
1999 WNBA All-Star Game Rosters
EAST STARTERS POS.
Teresa Weatherspoon G New York
Nikki McCray G Washington
Kym Hampton C New York
Chamique Holdsclaw F Washington
Vicky Bullett F Charlotte
EAST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Sandy Brondello G Detroit
Shannon Johnson G Orlando
Vickie Johnson F New York
Merlakia Jones G Cleveland
Rebecca Lobo* C New York
Taj McWilliams F Orlando
Nykesha Sales G Orlando
WEST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Cynthia Cooper G Houston
Michele Timms G Phoenix
Sheryl Swoopes F Houston
Tina Thompson F Houston
Lisa Leslie C Los Angeles
WEST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Ruthie Bolton-Holifield F Sacramento
Tonya Edwards G Minnesota
Jennifer Gillom F Phoenix
Yolanda Griffith C Sacramento
Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento
Natalie Williams F Utah
* - Injured.
 | | 1999 WNBA FIRST ALL- STAR TEAM EAST vs WEST |
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Monday, July 17
WEST WINS AGAIN
2000: West 73, East 61
The West was best during the 2000 All-Star Game, played at America West Arena in Phoenix. MVP Tina Thompson led the way with 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Western Conference stars beat the Eastern Conference stars 73-61.
CLICK FOR PHOTOS...
2000 WNBA All-Star Game Rosters
EAST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Teresa Weatherspoon G New York
Nikki McCray G Washington
Sue Wicks F New York
Chamique Holdsclaw F Washington
Taj McWilliams-Franklin F Orlando
EAST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Shannon Johnson G Orlando
Merlakia Jones G Cleveland
Wendy Palmer F Detroit
Tari Phillips C New York
Nykesha Sales G Orlando
Andrea Stinson G Charlotte
WEST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Tina Thompson F Houston
Cynthia Cooper* G Houston
Sheryl Swoopes F Houston
Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento
Lisa Leslie C Los Angeles
WEST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Yolanda Griffith C Sacramento
Betty Lennox G Minnesota
Mwadi Mabika G Los Angeles
DeLisha Milton F Los Angeles
Brandy Reed F Phoenix
Katie Smith** F Minnesota
Natalie Williams F Utah
* - Injured.
** - Selected to replace Cynthia Cooper in starting lineup.
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Monday, July 16
LES' IS MORE, L.A. CENTER NAMED MVP, AGAIN
Final Score: 80 West - 72 East
ORLANDO, Fla., -- She is used to seeing the opening tipoff from center court, not the bench. But the change in perspective didn't faze Lisa Leslie - not in the least. And by the time the final buzzer blared at the end of the 2001 WNBA All-Star Game on Monday night, all the Los Angeles Sparks center did was score a WNBA All-Star record 20 points, grab nine rebounds and block three shots to lead the Western Conference to an 80-72 victory over the Eastern Conference at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando. Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie turned the 2001 WNBA All-Star Game into her personal showcase. All of that came in 23 minutes off the bench, as Leslie captured her second All-Star MVP award, after claiming the prize in the Inaugural All-Star Game in New York two years ago. "What I tried to do was focus and decided, OK, I'm going to come off the bench," said Leslie. "What can I do to help this team? I can get out there, still score points, rebound and block shots. I did play with a lot of emotion, but I thought, 'I hope Coach [Michael] Cooper doesn't bring me off the bench [for the Sparks]. But I was focused on what I wanted to do and my goal was to try to be MVP."
Mission accomplished, as the West - and Coach Van Chancellor - recorded their third triumph in as many WNBA All-Star Games. All of which made the victorious Western Conference locker room a gleeful place, indeed. "It didn't matter who started tonight," said Sacramento's Yolanda Griffith, who scored 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting after being voted by the fans as the West's starting center. "Everyone had the same amount of minutes [between 19 and 23], and it was all about team effort tonight. "Anybody could have gotten MVP tonight. I'm happy for Lisa, and I'm just happy that we won. Coach Chancellor said, 'I want to go home 3-0.' And we did it for him."
Rookie Lauren Jackson of Seattle scored 11 points in her All-Star debut, while four players reached double figures for the East: Cleveland's Merlakia Jones had 12, and Miami's Elena Baranova tallied 10, as did the hometown Orlando duo of Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Nykesha Sales. To no one's surprise, the ebullient Chancellor was awestruck by what he had just witnessed, as he substituted his team in entire five-player units approximately every 10 minutes. When Utah's Natalie Williams was scratched from the game with a left ankle strain, the West was left with 10 players, which made it easy for Chancellor, who switched up his starters - Griffith, Ruthie Bolton-Holifield and Ticha Penicheiro of Sacramento and Tina Thompson and Janeth Arcain of Houston - with a quintet of Leslie, Jackson, Tamecka Dixon of Los Angeles, Katie Smith of Minnesota and Jackie Stiles of Portland. "Nice playing from Lisa Leslie," Chancellor said. "Looked to me like she was on a mission. This is the most enjoyable game of all. I like that, give me five. When you give me five, here are the five you give me: Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Katie Smith, Tamecka Dixon, Jackie Stiles. Not bad, not bad. Is that a five to call? That's coaching right there, guys. That's just coaching. That's coaching up a storm. "If they [the fans] didn't get a sense of excitement, what they had better do is call their best friend and call the funeral home, because they are ready for a little funeral. I couldn't even hear - they had me in on that little deal where you are talking during the four-minute marks and all that. I couldn't even hear the questions, it was so loud. If you couldn't feel that at home watching the television, you might as well go ahead and kiss it off -- you're dead."
The East managed to stage a resurrection of its own. Trailing by 19 points with 4:46 to play, Richie Adubato's club used a 16-3 run - with four points each by McWilliams-Franklin and Jones - to slice the West's lead to 78-72 with 17.3 seconds left, but the East got no closer, as Stiles added a pair of free throws with 16.2 ticks remaining. In the end, Adubato joined the long list of those paying homage to Leslie. "We've played against her enough, I've seen enough performances by her to know that she plays the game with a passion," he said. "She's out to prove something every night. She's out to lead her team to a championship, and I think she wanted to make a big showing in the All-Star Game."
No matter where she was when it began.
CLICK FOR PHOTOS...
2001 WNBA All-Star Game Rosters
EAST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Teresa Weatherspoon G New York
Nikki McCray G Washington
Vickie Johnson F New York
Chamique Holdsclaw* F Washington
Tari Phillips C New York
EAST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Elena Baranova F Miami
Merlakia Jones G Cleveland
Taj McWilliams-Franklin** F Orlando
Chasity Melvin* F Cleveland
Nykesha Sales G Orlando
Dawn Staley G Charlotte
Andrea Stinson G Charlotte
Rita Williams G Indiana
WEST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento
Janeth Arcain G Houston
Tina Thompson F Houston
Ruthie Bolton-Holifield F Sacramento
Yolanda Griffith C Sacramento
WEST RESERVES POS. TEAM HT WT SCHOOL
Tamecka Dixon G Los Angeles
Lauren Jackson C Seattle
Lisa Leslie C Los Angeles
Katie Smith F Minnesota
Jackie Stiles G Portland
Natalie Williams* F Utah
* - Injured.
** - Selected to replace Chamique Holdsclaw in the starting lineup.
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Monday, July 15
ONCE AGAIN, WEST PROVES BEST IN ALL-STAR GAME
West All-Stars 81, East All-Stars 76
WASHINGTON, -- The WNBA All-Star Game remained Lisa Leslie's personal showcase. Leslie collected 18 points and 14 rebounds and came up with two key blocks down the stretch as the Western Conference recorded its fourth straight win in the WNBA Midseason Classic, 81-76 over the Eastern Conference.
The leader of the reigning WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks, Leslie was named All-Star Most Valuable Player for the third time. She made 6-of-13 shots from the field, 6-of-10 from the free-throw line and was credited with four blocked shots. "There were so many players on our team that could have been MVP," Leslie said. "I started rebounding and that was pretty much the key to getting the MVP award. "I told (my teammates) in the second half we had to come out and play serious now. It was 40-40 and I was going to go inside. That made the difference, getting us second opportunities on the boards, both offensively and defensively, in getting the awards."
Moments after Leslie twice rejected Tari Phillips, the New York Liberty was called for a foul on an apparently clean block with 51 seconds to play. Tina Thompson of the Houston Comets made both free throws to put the West in front for good, 77-76. "To me, it was a foul. Good call, ref," Thompson joked. "If you question the official's call, you'll be doing it all game. If they make a call, it's going to stay that way. I'll take those free throws all day."
Charlotte Sting guard Andrea Stinson missed a runner with 36 seconds left and Leslie stripped the ball from Phillips 11 seconds later. Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes made two foul shots and Thompson was 2-of-2 from the line after Phillips fouled out with four seconds to play. Thompson led all scorers with 20 points and Lauren Jackson of the Seattle Storm added 15 off the bench. "I'm kind of surprised that previous All-Star Games weren't a little closer because we're looking at some of the same players that have been there throughout," Thompson said. "In those last couple of minutes, when the game was close, it got really serious. We sort of stepped up as a group and said it's time to get it done."
Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever scored 12 points but was the only player in double figures for the East, which got nine apiece from Stinson, Nykesha Sales of the Orlando Miracle, Tammy Sutton-Brown of the Sting and Penny Taylor of the Cleveland Rockers. "I think the East has come a long way from getting blown out," Catchings said of the closest All-Star Game in WNBA history. "We had a chance. We had our chance to win it. That says a lot."
The teams battled to a 40-40 halftime deadlock, but the East did not take its first lead until Phillips sank two free throws to make it 50-48 with just over 16 minutes left. But Tamecka Dixon of the Sparks answered with a 3-pointer for the West. The East shot just 33 percent (28-of-84) from the field and was outrebounded, 50-44. The West were not much better at 38 percent (31-of-81), making just 4-of-22 3-pointers.
CLICK FOR PHOTOS...
2002 WNBA All-Star Game Rosters
EAST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Chamique Holdsclaw* F Washington
Tamika Catchings F Indiana
Tari Phillips C New York
Teresa Weatherspoon G New York
Dawn Staley G Charlotte
EAST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Stacey Dales-Schuman** G Washington
Shannon Johnson G Orlando
Nykesha Sales F-G Orlando
Sheri Sam F-G Miami
Andrea Stinson*** G Charlotte
Tammy Sutton-Brown C Charlotte
Penny Taylor F Cleveland
WEST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Sheryl Swoopes F Houston
Tina Thompson F Houston
Lisa Leslie C Los Angeles
Sue Bird G Seattle
Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento
WEST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Tamecka Dixon G Los Angeles
Marie Ferdinand G Utah
Adrienne Goodson G Utah
Lauren Jackson C Seattle
Mwadi Mabika G-F Los Angeles
Katie Smith F Minnesota
* - Injured.
** - Named to the team as a replacement for the injured Chamique Holdsclaw.
*** - Selected to replace Chamique Holdsclaw in the starting lineup.
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TEASLEY KEEPS MVP TROPHY IN THE SPARKS FAMILY
Western Conference 84, Eastern Conference 75
NEW YORK, -- Nikki Teasley stepped up for her injured Los Angeles Sparks teammate. After Lisa Leslie left the WNBA All-Star Game with a bruised knee, Teasley took over and led the Western Conference to an 84-75 victory over the East. Teasley, who was named the game's Most Valuable Player, collected 10 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals to help the West improve to 5-0 all time.
Leslie scored all of her 17 points in the first half but exited with 14:33 remaining and her team behind, 50-46. After West teammate Lauren Jackson blocked a shot by the Swin Cash, Jackson collided with Cash, sending the Detroit Shock forward into Leslie's right knee.
A three-time All-Star Game MVP, Leslie was helped from the floor and taken to Beth Israel Hospital for an MRI. She is listed as day-to-day.
After a jumper by Nykesha Sales gave the East a 54-52 lead with 11:40 to play, the West countered with a 14-0 run over the next 3½ minutes. Yolanda Griffith scored half of her 14 points during the burst, including a layup off a behind-the-back pass from Teasley.
The East pulled within 71-68 on a 3-pointer by Detroit's Deanna Nolan with 2:39 remaining, but Teasley stole the ball from Dawn Staley and nailed a 3-pointer with 2:15 left, and the East got no closer.
Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever scored 17 points, Nolan had 15 and Tari Phillips of the New York Liberty chipped in 13 for the East, who shot just 26 percent in the second half (12-of-46) after connecting at 49 percent (18-of-37) in building a 46-38 halftime lead.
2003 WNBA All-Star Game Rosters
EAST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Chamique Holdsclaw F Washington
Tamika Catchings F Indiana
Tari Phillips C New York
Teresa Weatherspoon G New York
Dawn Staley G Charlotte
EAST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Swin Cash F Detroit
Cheryl Ford C Detroit
Becky Hammon* G New York
Shannon Johnson G Connecticut
Deanna Nolan G/F Detroit
Nykesha Sales (1) G/F Connecticut
Natalie Williams F Indiana
WEST STARTERS POS. TEAM
Sheryl Swoopes F Houston
Tina Thompson* F Houston
Lisa Leslie C Los Angeles
Sue Bird G Seattle
Cynthia Cooper* G Houston
WEST RESERVES POS. TEAM
Tamecka Dixon** G Los Angeles
Margo Dydek C San Antonio
Marie Ferdinand (2) G San Antonio
Yolanda Griffith F Sacramento
Lauren Jackson*** F/C Seattle 6
Katie Smith G Minnesota
Nikki Teasley (3) G Los Angeles
Adrian Williams F/C Phoenix
* - Injured.
** - Selected to replace the injured Cynthia Cooper in the starting lineup.
*** - Selected to replace the injured Tina Thompson in the starting lineup.
(1) - Named to the team as a replacement for the injured Becky Hammon.
(2) - Named to the team as a replacement for the injured Tina Thompson.
(3) - Named to the team as a replacement for the injured Cynthia Cooper.
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Thursday, July 1
2004: No All-Star Game
In order to allow players to participate in the 2004 Olympic Games, the WNBA took a month-long break. However, prior to the teams heading to Athens, the WNBA hosted The Game at Radio City between the U.S. Olympic Team and a team of WNBA All-Stars.
Final 1 2 T
WNBA All-Stars 20 38 58
USAB National 39 35 74
2004 WNBA All-Star and USA Basketball Rosters
WNBA ALL-STAR STARTERS POS. TEAM
Nykesha Sales F Connecticut
Cheryl Ford F Detroit
Taj McWilliams-Franklin C Connecticut
Nikki Teasley G Los Angeles
Anna DeForge G Phoenix 5
WNBA ALL-STAR RESERVES POS. TEAM
Allison Feaster F Charlotte
Mwadi Mabika F Los Angeles 5
Natalie Williams C Indiana
Becky Hammon G New York
Deanna Nolan G Detroit
Lindsay Whalen G Connecticut
USA BASKETBALL ROSTER POS. TEAM
Sue Bird G Seattle
Swin Cash F Detroit
Tamika Catchings F Indiana
Yolanda Griffith F Sacramento
Shannon Johnson G San Antonio
Lisa Leslie C Los Angeles
DeLisha Milton-Jones* F Los Angeles
Ruth Riley** C Detroit
Dawn Staley G Charlotte
Katie Smith G Minnesota
Sheryl Swoopes F Houston
Diana Taurasi G Phoenix
Tina Thompson F Houston
* - Injured.
** - Replacement for DeLisha Milton-Jones
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Saturday, July 9
2005 WNBA All-Star Game
Final Score: West Wins 122-99
@ Mohegan Arena Connecticut
4:00PM EST - TV: ABC
MVP: Sheryl Swopes - Houston Comets
About 45 minutes after the West All-Stars scored their sixth consecutive All-Star win, an easy, breezy 122-99 win at Mohegan Sun Arena, the arena crew started breaking down the house. First came the hoop where Lisa Leslie dunked for the second time in WNBA competition, the chairs, the lights, the sound boards soon followed.
As for breaking down the game, well, that was easy: The West had too much for the East to handle. The West's roster read like a Who's Who of women's basketball greats: Leslie, Swoopes, Smith, Griffith, Holdsclaw, Jackson, Bird, Taurasi. Of those, Sheryl Swoopes shone the brightest on Saturday, scoring 15 points and her first WNBA All-Star MVP trophy.
That Swoopes, surrounded by 21 of the best women's basketball players in the world, and with her son Jordan at her side, was holding the little crystal basketball symbolic of her being the best of the best was no surprise. At media availability on Friday, Swoopes gave her thoughts on the WNBA All-Star Game:
"The West will not lose."
True to Swoopes' word, they didn't. And they never have in an All-Star Game (and only one West team has lost in the Finals, too...).
The East put up a valiant effort throughout the game, but as we noted before, the West had too much firepower to overcome. And despite record-setting deficit and the now-six game All-Star albatross hanging around the East's collective neck, everyone seemed to be having a great time, especially near the end, in an arena half-filled with kids, when every All-Star turned into kid.
Diana Taurasi nailed a 40-foot jumper. (The play-by-play listed it at 27 feet. Don't believe it.) The 5-10 (listed) Deanna Nolan tried to two dunks. Lisa Leslie nailed one. Although the players cleared the way for all three attempts, it's hard to argue the thought process behind it: It's an All-Star Game. The fans want to see the best players do their thing and have fun doing it.
Look at the picture to the right. That's Deanna Nolan trying her first dunk. After the game Taj McWilliams-Franklin would relay this bit of info about Nolan's second attempt:
Nolan goes up and so does Donovan.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images
"She said she didn't have the legs for the second one," McWilliams-Franklin said.
But on her first attempt, as Nolan rises toward the hoop, in the picture's lower left corner, West coach Anne Donovan is on her feet, arm raised, cheering Nolan on.
For that moment at least, the coach of the best women's team in the world turned into a 6-7 fan, lifted and thrilled by the anticipation of seeing something we may not have seen before. More than 9,100 fans shared in that feeling, and it, like the game itself, was a good thing.
** 2005 WNBA All-Star Rosters **
EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR STARTERS POS. TEAM
Tamika Catchings F Indiana
Swin Cash F Detroit
Ruth Riley C Detroit
Becky Hammon G New York
Dawn Staley G Charlotte
** EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR RESERVES POS. TEAM
Taj McWilliams-Franklin F Connecticut
Cheryl Ford F Detroit
Ann Wauters C New York
Nykesha Sales G Connecticut
Alana Beard G Washington
Deanna Nolan G Detroit
** WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR STARTERS POS. TEAM
Sheryl Swoopes F Houston
Lauren Jackson F Seattle
Yolanda Griffith C Sacramento
Sue Bird G Seattle
Diana Taurasi G Phoenix
** WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR RESERVES POS. TEAM
Chamique Holdsclaw F Los Angeles
DeMya Walker F Sacramento
Lisa Leslie C Los Angeles
Michelle Snow C Houston
Marie Ferdinand G San Antonio
Katie Smith G Minnesota
 | | SWOOPES - ALL-STAR MVP |
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Monday, May 1
July 12, 2006
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