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Expect talent-laden West to win again
Posted: Wednesday June 21, 2000 11:35 PM
The good thing about all-star games is it doesn't really matter who wins, it's about the most talented players in the league showing off their stuff. It's a good thing, because the Eastern Conference is going to get drilled again. Last year the East team fell to the West squad 79-61, and just judging by the all-star ballots, a similar result will happen in the league's second All-Star game, scheduled for July 17 in Phoenix. Somehow, the West ended up with much more talent than the East, an interesting trend considering the league allocated its best talent amongst the teams until this season. The league has released its first results of fan voting, and so far Houston's Sheryl Swoopes leads the balloting with 17,826 votes while Washington's Chamique Holdsclaw is second with 17,372. The starting lineup looks like this based on the released figures. The Eastern Conference has Holdsclaw, New York's Sue Wicks, Orlando's Taj McWilliams, New York's Teresa Weatherspoon and Washington's Nikki McCray. The Western Conference has Swoopes and Houston teammates Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson, along with Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie and Sacramento's Ticha Penicheiro. Fans decide on the starters, who will be announced on July 8, and the conference coaches will decide the reserves, announced on July 12. The Western Conference coaches have a more difficult task on their hands because of the depth of stars. Consider the West has six members of the 11-player U.S. Olympic team, not including Swoopes who is considered the frontrunner for the last spot. The competition among the forwards alone is heavy, with Minnesota's Katie Smith, Phoenix's Brandy Reed, Utah's Natalie Williams and teammate Adrienne Goodson all deserve all-star status. Unlike last year, when there were only 12 teams in the league, teams are not guaranteed they will have a player in the All-Star contest.
In the line of fireAs coach of the three-time Houston Comets, Van Chancellor has felt under the gun several times, but on Monday it was for real. Chancellor and Houston assistant Kevin Cook were among those trapped by the riots outside the Staples Center, after Los Angeles won the NBA Championship. Chancellor and Cook hid out in a garage for close to an hour until a limousine passed by and drove the men to safety. "If I ever go to a game like that again, I'm going to see the confetti start to fall, then I'm going to get out of there," Chancellor told the Houston Chronicle.
Going for money, then goldPhoenix's Michele Timms returned to the WNBA this season not out of loyalty, but for financial reasons. She and teammate Michelle Griffiths were only two of the Australians expected to play in the Olympics who returned to the WNBA while their National Team teammates continue training for the 2000 Games. Griffiths asked to play because she is still getting into shape after taking the 1998 season off to have a baby. Timms, soon to be 35-years-old, makes only about $10,000 American dollars playing in Australia's pro league, which lasts for seven months. Already a two-time Olympian, Timms was told she wouldn't be guaranteed a starting spot if she played in the WNBA. "I'm coming to the end of my career, and as hard as a decision it was, I had to come back to earn money," she said. Unfortunately, the guard has been slowed by a bruised knee and didn't leave with the rest of the Mercury on their seven-game road trip.
Williams shining with FeverIndiana lost more than a little pride in its 111-74 loss to Detroit Sunday, as both Kara Wolters and guard Chantel Tremitiere went down with injuries. Wolters was taken to the hospital after a hard collision while Tremitiere re-injured her ankle. Wolters is to be examined further. The injuries haven't helped the struggling team. But the one bright spot has been the play of guard Rita Williams. The former Connecticut player spent two years with Washington, where she averaged just 3.9 points. She was acquired by Indiana in the expansion draft, and ranks second in the league in three-point percentage (53.3), fourth in steals (2.5), 15th in field goal percentage (50.0) and averages 11.3 points.
Around the leagueJust when things started looking up for the Utah Starzz, who expect to have guard Jennifer Azzi back in the lineup in on July 7, the Starzz hit another stumbling block this week when power forward Natalie Williams went down with back spasms. Williams, the league's fifth-leading scorer (18.6) and leading rebounder (12.6), sat out two games against Seattle, another against Minnesota and is listed as day to day...Speaking of Seattle, Coach Lin Dunn put herself in the "What was she thinking," category when she said of Utah's 7-foot-2 center Margo Dydek, "If Dydek can get open, I can get open; Nothing against Dydek." Dydek scored 16 and 17 points in the two games against the Storm. Washington, which had to reschedule its June 15 game against Indiana for Aug. 3 after weather problems prevented it from reaching Indianapolis, isn't the only team to have difficulties reaching its destination. After Minnesota beat Phoenix at home, the Lynx's plane taking them from Phoenix to Houston for a game the next day was delayed and the team didn't arrive at its hotel until 1 a.m. The Lynx lost the afternoon game 78-66. Former Minnesota player Brandy Reed did not start against her old team in Phoenix's 74-55 win and scored just four points as Cheryl Miller went with Lisa Harrison in her place for defensive purposes...The Comets have lost their last three games in the Forum.
Lya Wodraska is a sports writer for the Salt Lake Tribune.
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