It's too bad Tari Phillips didn't spend more time playing defense and less time singing. Lisa Leslie walked all over Tari and the rest of the East as the West won the All-Star game for the third year in a row. Here's a look at the highlights from the 2001 WNBA All-Star game in Orlando, Florida.
Before the opening tip off, Tari Phillips of the Orlando Miracle sang a painful version of the national anthem. Who came up with this idea? They never had Beyonce of Destiny's Child starting at point guard so I'm not sure why they thought it would be a good idea to have a starting center singing the anthem. Phillips and the East then went on to get schooled by the West who won 80 - 72.
Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks was the game MVP. She poured in 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the West to win her second All-Star game MVP award. The Western Conference has now won all three WNBA All-Star games.
The top vote getter for the game was Chamique Holdsclaw of the New York Liberty. But Chamique didn't have the freedom to play in the game because of an injury. Her spot was taken by Taj McWilliams-Franklin of the Orlando Miracle.
There were two rookies in this year's All-Star game. Seattle center Lauren Jackson who played on Australia's silver medal Olympic team and Jackie Styles of the Portland Fire were reserves for the Western Conference.
The All-Star party included a fashion show the day before the game. One of the highlights was Taj McWilliams-Franklin who looked super foxy wearing a pink backless dress which she designed herself. Taj has been designing and making her own clothes for 11 years, ever since she had her daughter, Michelle.
The weekend before the game featured a Jr. WNBA Clinic where the stars of the league ran a day-long basketball camp for girls. The next generation of possible WNBA stars picked up tips on dribbling, passing, shooting and free throws.
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