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PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The West was best again, but it had to wait until the second half to prove it. Tina Thompson had 13 points and 11 rebounds to earn Most Valuable Player honors as the West pulled away in the second half and held off the East, 73-61, in the second WNBA All-Star Game. Despite making only 5-of-14 shots from the floor and not scoring over the final 8:40, Thompson gave the West a force inside as it physically overmatched its opponents. The recognition for the 25-year-old forward is refreshing since she often is the forgotten member of Houston's "Big Three" behind Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper. "I think I was just overwhelmed or excited with the fact that I was named MVP," Thompson said. "When you come in games like this, anyone can win the MVP on the team. And to come into a game like this, it's hard to be an individual." "I felt like a father," said West coach Van Chancellor of the Comets. "She worked so hard during the offseason. Sometimes players work hard and don't get credit. But for Tina Thompson to play like she's played and be the MVP of the 2000 All-Star Game, that's special and I'm happy for her." It marked the second straight year the All-Star MVP was not the game's leading scorer. Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks, last season's honoree, poured in a game-high 16 points while Yolanda Griffith of the Sacramento Monarchs and Mwadi Mabika of the Sparks added 10 apiece. The West scored the first 10 points in last year's inaugural game on their way to a 79-61 triumph at Madison Square Garden. But there was looser atmosphere in tonight's contest with players constantly conversing with the fans and cracking jokes. "Last year was so much more intense because we really didn't know what to expect at the All-Star weekend," Leslie said. "We went from one media interview to another. We shuffled around a lot. But this is our second year, we knew what to expect. We knew when to get rest and have a little bit more fun. I think that's what it was about." At times, the contest did not have an All-Star feel with poor shooting and both clubs playing predominantly half-court offenses. The West shot just 38 percent (29-of-77) and was 4-of-15 from 3-point range. The East hit at an abysmal 29 percent (25 of-85) clip and was 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. "The quality of the game? I thought there were too many turnovers (38) compared to last year (32)," Leslie added. "But that was kind of expected because there's new stars. The chemistry wasn't quite there like last year." The contest featured two key figures in Cooper and Brandy Reed of the hometown Phoenix Mercury. A two-time MVP and three-time Finals MVP, Cooper was voted to the starting lineup but was scratched with a sprained right ankle suffered Wednesday against Sacramento. Fans at America West Arena came to see Reed, who was added to the roster Friday by WNBA commissioner Val Ackerman following a public outcry. Despite thunderous chants of "Brandy, Brandy," Reed shot just 1-of-11, missed her last nine shots and finished with three points. "(The fans) did what they have been doing the entire season," said an unusually upbeat Reed. "Maybe without their uproar and their displeasure in me not being on the team in the first place, I wouldn't be here. I really wanted to get something going offensively because that's what I rely on, but it wasn't my night." An overwhelming underdog, the East scored nine straight points to open a 26-21 lead with 7:06 left in the first half. Andrea Stinson of the Charlotte Sting closed the run with a three-point play that followed a nifty driving layup. The West quickly responded with a 19-5 burst, including a 9-0 run, for a 40-31 cushion just before halftime. Mabika, who is enjoying a breakthough season, poured in seven during in the spurt with Leslie and Thompson adding four apiece. The contest featured 11 lead changes in the first half but none over the final 20 minutes. Thompson nailed two free throws as the West gained its biggest advantage, 46-35, with 17:36 remaining. The East used an 18-11 burst to close to 57-53 with 9:25 to play as Chamique Holdsclaw of the Washington Mystics netted four points. "They just played tremendously," Holdsclaw said of her counterparts. "They have big players inside and that was the difference. I was having a lot more fun this year than last year in New York." But the West proved why it has been the better conference for some time. Thompson hit her last basket and Leslie added a layup to close a 7-2 spurt for a 64-55 cushion with 6:05 to play. The East got within five but never posed a threat as they remain in search of their first win. "Basically, we had a shot right near the end," said East coach Richie Adubato of the New York Liberty. "We missed some easy breakaways, some wide-open layups and transitions, so we shot 29 percent for the game. But obviously, their size took the toll on us." The West's starting frontcourt of Thompson, Swoopes and Leslie dominated the East trio of Holdsclaw, Taj McWilliams of the Orlando Miracle and Sue Wicks of the Liberty, gaining a 35-21 scoring advantage and a 23-16 edge on the boards. "I think it has to do with not just myself and Lisa, but Yolanda and Natalie (Williams of the Utah Starzz)," Thompson said. "The five of us, along with DeLisha (Milton of the Sparks) are in the top 10 in rebounding." With all of the missed shots, there were sure to be high rebound totals as the West owned a 60-40 cushion, including 25-22 on the offensive end. Williams and Betty Lennox of the Minnesota Lynx, the only rookie in the contest, each grabbed 10 rebounds. The West also had a 46-28 advantage in points in the paint and 25-12 on second-chance points. McWilliams and Tari Phillips of the New York Liberty scored 10 points apiece for the East, who did not have any players in double figures in last year's game.
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