WNBA Fan Voice

Sat., Feb. 13, 9:45 p.m.

Team Texas Wins the Haier Shooting Stars

For the second time in three years, Becky Hammon has come to the NBA All-Star Game and helped her team win the Haier Shooting Stars title.

The first time, in 2008, she did so as a member of Team San Antonio with teammates Tim Duncan and David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs.

This time around, there was a new twist as Hammon was a member of Team Texas, comprised of Hammon, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki and TNT analyst and former Houston Rockets guard Kenny Smith.

Texas had the second fastest time in the first round, by finishing the six-shot competition in one minute and 28 seconds. Team Los Angeles had the top time in the opening round by finishing the course (click here to see a detailed course description and rules) in one minute flat.

By having the slowest time of the two finalists, Texas had to shoot first in the final round and posted a time that could not be beat. They needed only 14 shot attempts to hit from the six stations.

Hammon shot first and needed two attempts to hit her shot (a 10 foot shot from right side angle) and three attempts to her second shot (an 18-Foot shot from right side baseline).

“I told Becky she’s the point guard and she just has to lead us off and she did a great job,” said Nowitzki.

Team Texas only needed five attempts to hit the half-court shot as hometown favorite Nowitzki nailed the shot on his second try and sent the crowd into a frenzy, chanting “Dirk, Dirk, Dirk” as the team celebrated the win.

Hammon said she hopes this is the beginning of a special weekend for Nowitzki, But she was pressed a bit about winning the title with a Maverick rather than her hometown Spurs.

“I felt pretty good coming in tonight with Dirk; I’ve got to give the shooting props to him,” said Hammon when comparing her three seven-foot Shooting Stars teammates. “It’s an easy decision, but don’t make me go sour on my boys from San Antonio. I heard they are a little bit upset about that. But we won so nobody can complain when we win.”

Sat., Feb. 13, 8:10 p.m.

Pre-Shooting Stars Update

The Haier Shooting Stars competition tips off All-Star Saturday Night in just about 20 minutes. I had a chance to catch up with the WNBA participants prior to the event to get their thoughts before heading to the court.

Becky Hammon thinks she'll be shooting from the No. 1 and No. 4 spots in the contest, but says she's still looking for her teammates so who knows what we'll see.

Marie Ferdinand-Harris sped by before I could talk with her. Angel McCoughtry looked confident and is hoping to back up her prediction of an Atlanta win.

Nicole Powell is feeling "blue" as in the color of her new Liberty uniform which she put on for the first time tonight. After years in purple, it may take some time to get used to the royal blue of the Liberty jersey, with it making its debut tonight.

Fri., Feb. 12, 11:45 p.m.

WNBA Contributes to Another Successful Day of Service

The entire NBA family - NBA All-Stars and legends along with WNBA stars and D-League All-Stars - come together on Friday for the annual NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service. Once again the day was a huge success despite the snow and cold weather conditions.

Fri., Feb. 12, 11:45 p.m.

Celebrity Game Highlights, Rapaport Named MVP

Actor Michael Rapaport may have only scored four points in Friday's All-Star Celebrity Game, but took home MVP honors thanks to some stifling defensive work on two-time MVP Terrell Owens.

Rapaport held TO to just two points in the second half as the West rallied to defeat the East in an entertaining night of celebrity hoops.

Check out the highlights below, which feature a nice move my Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry.

"I had a lot of fun," said McCoughtry of her first Celebrity Game experience. "I didn't get a chance to dunk on any celebrities, but maybe next time."

"Of course this is a lot of fun; it's nice to see these guys in a relaxed mood and the celebrities are good sports, so it's a great event," said Hammon. "My highlight of the night would be when the Globetrotter guy like tossed my stuff into abou the fifth row."

Fri., Feb. 12, 8:58 p.m.

That's a Wrap

It may not have been the best display of basketball ever, but it definitely was fun as the West squad defeated the East, 41-37, in the Celebrity Game. From a WNBA perspective, Angel McCoughtry finished with four points, while Becky Hammon finished with two. We'll catch up with them soon to get their thoughts on the game.

Fri., Feb. 12, 8:31 p.m.

Jump

Question. Does Van Halen earn residuals every time an NBA arena plays the song Jump during a game? If so, I need to create a song about jumping so I can pick up some extra cash. You've got 'Jump' by Van Halen and Kris Kross, 'Jump Around' by House of Pain and Jumpin' Jumpin' by Destiny's Child. I think we need a new Jump song.

Fri., Feb. 12, 8:20 p.m.

Random Attire Notes

What year are these All-Star uniforms from that the celebs are wearing? They are definitely old school.

McCoughtry and Hammon are both wearing pink shoes. Well, Becky is wearing white shoes with pink accents, but Angel's shoes are all completely pink. This is reminiscent of last year when Lisa Leslie and Kara Lawson did the same in the Celebrity Game and all of the WNBA participants did it in the Shooting Stars.

Fri., Feb. 12, 8:10 p.m.

Celebrity Game at the Half

Mark Cuban's West squad trails by two points 21-19 after the first half of play at the All-Star Celebrity Game. Terrell Owens leads all scorers with eight points and could be making his case for a third straight MVP award in this game.

Among the first half highlights were a few fast break dunks by Owens, Rick Fox and Robert Horry jawing at each other after making back to back threes on each other, and a nice twisting layup by Dream forward Angel McCoughtry.

Second half about to get underway with Angel and Becky in the starting lineups for their respective teams.

Fri., Feb. 12, 7:15 p.m.

Celebrity Game Underway On ESPN 

We are live at Jam Session for the All-Star Celebrity Jam features WNBA stars Becky Hammon and Angel McCoughtry playing alongside celebrities from the worlds of music, television and film.

Tune in to ESPN watch the game or stay tuned for some updates here in the blog.

In case you need rosters, here you go...

Fri., Feb. 12, 1:35 p.m.

Remaining All-Star Participants Arrive and Talk a Little Trash

Angel McCoughtry, Nicole Powell and Becky Hammon have all arrived in Dallas and are ready to take part in this weekend's events. Angel and Becky will be featured in tonight's Celebrity Game at Jam Session and all three players will take part in tomorrow's Shooting Stars competition.

I had a chance to speak with Angel and Nicole as they went through the NBA Entertainment media circuit this morning and neither of them are taking this competition lightly.

"I'm very excited, this should be a lot of fun," said McCoughtry about the Shooting Stars competiton. "Coming from Europe I have to bring my 'A' game. I can't be slacking.

"When I first got the call to be in the event, my first reaction was who am I playing with because we need to win. I'm a winner. I talked to Steve (Smith) yesterday and we're going to gym today to work on that halfcourt shot.

"I'm confident in Joe Johnson. I've got to get him in the gym, test him out first and see if he's got what it takes. But I love what I see from Joe. He's a great player.

"Texas, that's the team I'm worried about. I think I might have to slip something in Dirk's drink before he comes out there, but don't tell him that. They are great shooters so they're going to be tough. Hopefully we can concentrate and get that halfcourt shot done quick then we'll be good."

When Powell heard that McCoughtry was so confident, she had to chime in as well.

"I've been practicing," she said. "I've been playing with my team so it's going to be different with the men's ball and we've got some competiton. I know Becky's been here before and won this before. Hopefully we'll be ready.

"I think Sacramento is always a sleeper team. We were like that in hte WNBA and even in the NBA. They're sleeping on us and we've got something for them."

We'll have to see how things play out tomorrow night. I haven't had a chance to talk to Becky yet, but we'll get her thoughts later tonight.

Becky chimes in on the Shooting Stars competition in this video.

Fri., Feb. 12, 9:35 a.m.

Welcome to Miss Robinson’s Neighborhood

Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images

WNBA players from all around the country – and even some coming from Europe – have descended upon Dallas for NBA All-Star 2010. The player with the shortest commute among the group is Ashley Robinson, who grew up and is currently living in Grand Prairie, which is located about 15 miles west of Dallas.

Robinson is happy that the NBA All-Star is here in her hometown – and not just because it helped her avoid all of the travel issues caused by major storms on the East Coast and in Dallas over the past few days.

“All-Star is a big party for everybody involved and for all of the people in the city it’s a big party, it’s good for the city,” she said. “It gives people a chance to know that in Dallas we many be cowboys at heart but we live in the big city and you can come here and you can have a lot of fun. Texas is the place to be.”

As a proud Texan, Robinson was quick to sing the praises of her hometown. If the city of Dallas needs a spokesperson to sell people on coming to the city, they may want to give Robinson a call.

“My city is really diverse, we have people from every walk of life, the cost of living isn’t too high so you get more bang for your buck here,” she said. “We do it big in Texas. We’ve got big houses, big cars and big bank accounts, you know. It’s flashy here but it also has that southern hospitality, that southern feel, where everyone knows each other. It’s also got that cowboy feel, where it’s all about just roughing it sometimes. Texas is full of friendly people and I’m proud to be from here.”

Robinson has spent nearly the entire WNBA offseason in Grand Prairie, with the exception of a few quick personal trips along with trips to Seattle, Houston and New Orleans on behalf of the WNBA.

She had hoped to play overseas this year after seeing limited playing time with the Storm last season, but was unable to find a situation that worked out. Instead she decided to stay home and spend more time with family. That’s not to say she couldn’t be tempted to head overseas.

“If the phone call comes tomorrow and it’s for the right price, I’ll go,” she said. “But if not, I think it’s a blessing to be here, be with my family, be loved, and get out of the whole hype of being a professional athlete and just be Ashley from Grande Prairie again.”

With the WNBA playing the 2010 season with 12 teams rather than 13 from a year ago, competition for roster spots will be tougher than ever. Since she is not playing overseas, Robinson will have to make a concerted effort to get herself ready for training camp and not enjoy the seven-month offseason too much.

“Well I got my membership to 24 Hour Fitness, so that’s a start,” she said with a laugh. “I’m starting to go more; I definitely want to get my money’s worth because it’s not cheap.”

She plans on to get back to playing and getting up and down the court on a daily basis in the beginning of March. In the meantime, she is working to get herself back in shape and enjoy the benefits of taking some time away from the daily grind that basketball puts on your body.

“The best thing right now is my body feels like I’m 17 again, before I tore my ACL,” she said. “People take that for granted because we have a rough schedule, going overseas, playing year round. Now I have these seven months of rest so I’ll probably be able to jump through a brick wall come WNBA season.”

Robinson said finding motivation to get to the gym every day and put in the time to get ready for training camp is easy to find. “I want to have a job this summer so that’s motivation enough.”

But that work can continue next week. For now, Robinson and her fellow WNBA players here in Dallas will spend the next few days making appearances and enjoying all of the activities surrounding the All-Star Game.

Things worked out pretty well for this hometown girl to have her favorite NBA team host the All-Star Game and have it played at the stadium of her favorite NFL team.

“I’m all Dallas, all the time, 24/7,” she said. “Well except for if a WNBA team came to Dallas and I wasn’t on the team, then I’d have to cheer for who is signing my paycheck. But other than that I’m a Dallas fan 24/7.”

Thurs., Feb. 11, 8:45 p.m.

Another Day at All-Star in the Books

Thursday started off with players in front of the camera, shooting WNBA Fit promos (we have a blooper reel from that shoot coming soon), followed by the NBA Entertainment media circuit where they had a photo shoot and more video promos to shoot for the upcoming season.

From there it was off to the NBA Fit All-Star Youth Celebration and the NBA/NWBA Wheelchair Classic.

Friday will bring the All-Star Technology Summit, followed by the annual All-Star NBA Cares Day of Service. While the outdoor activities may be affected by snow, there is still plenty of work to be done in the Dallas community.

Thurs., Feb. 11, 8:20 a.m.

More Players Arriving in Dallas Today

WNBA players continue to arrive in Dallas for NBA All-Star. Joining us today will be Asjha Jones, Alana Beard, Ticha Penicheiro, Scholanda Robinson and Marie Ferdinand-Harris. On the schedule today is the NBA Entertainment media circuit, where the players will have photo and video shoots and also chat with yours truly.

We will have Kara Lawson and Ticha Penicheiro host a live online chat today at 2 p.m. CT, so get your questions ready. The chat room will be posted soon so check back and submit your questions for the former Monarchs teammates. Following the media circuit, the players will head to the NBA Fit All-Star Youth Celebration. More details to come on that soon.

Wed., Feb. 10, 11:10 p.m.

All Aboard the NBA Cares Community Caravan

Glenn James/NBAE/Getty Images More Photos

Continuing the NBA family’s tradition of giving back the community, one of the first activities of All-Star week was the NBA Cares Community Caravan, which visited three locations with a mix of WNBA players, NBA players, and legends helping out.

Representing the WNBA were current players Ashley Robinson, Kara Lawson and Shameka Christon along with WNBA legend and WNBA Cares ambassador Jennifer Azzi. While the Caravan may have completed its trip in just about six hours, the impact that it had on the community as well as the players will last much longer.

“I’ve been a part of a few of the Caravans and to me this was the best one that I’ve been a part of just because of the three places we went were so different,” said Lawson. “We went to Vogel Alcove Center, which provides childcare for homeless children, so that was just very impactful. You’re interacting with these kids and they have such great dispositions, but then it kind of hits you when you’re getting ready to leave that at the end of the day they are going to leave there too and either be in a shelter or be on the street.

“I was in the infant room and when you think of homelessness, I don’t think the first thing that pops into your mind is children. So that was really eye opening to have that as our first thing of the day.”

Christon was also in the infant room with Lawson and found the visit particularly moving.

“I was with the infants and just to see their face light up was great,” she said. “Obviously they didn’t know who I was but they were just so happy, despite everything out there. I just had a chance to play with them and show them some love, which is what they wanted.

“I always said that whenever I settle down and have a family that I want to have at least two kids and then I want to adopt a child. Seeing these kids today and knowing that they are homeless, they just made me think that I’m definitely going to adopt one day when I decide to settle down and have a family.”

Lawson said it was “sobering” to see kids in such a tough predicament from a young age, but there was also a sense of inspiration as the players described the attitudes that the children had despite facing such difficult circumstances.
 
“What’s an extra kick for me is going to the Vogel Center today and seeing the kids that are homeless that have nowhere to go and they still smile,” said Robinson, who also attended the NBA/NWBA Wheelchair Classic Basketball Clinic at the Heroes Basketball Facility in Dallas following the Caravan.

“And then going tonight and seeing the guys in the wheelchairs inspire the kids in the wheelchairs, I was thinking if they work as hard as they can to play basketball I definitely can get my butt up and go to the gym.”

The second event on the Caravan took the players to Farrell Elementary School in Arlington, where they would help dedicate a new library at the school with the help of former First Lady Laura Bush.

“That appearance stood out to me because it was an event to encourage kids to read and explain why reading is so important,” said Christon. “Plus the former First Lady Mrs. Bush was there and I was kind of starstruck when I met her.”

“I was with the first grade class to read with them and that is just a great group to get because they are so excited about everything at that age,” added Lawson.

The final stop on the Caravan was at Cook’s Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth and included a moving experience for Dallas-native Robinson.

“Some of these appearances can be tough on you, but when we went to Cook’s Children today I met a 15 year old boy named Tyler Nelson that goes to my high school, South Grande Prairie, and he was in their cheesing and smiling while he’s getting his treatment done,” she said. “He’s sick, he has this thing that make his body vibrate, but he’s still smiling. When I found out he went to South, we were high-fiving each other and I’m thinking that this kid is 15-years-old and no teenager wants to be sick, but we he was smiling just because we were there. You have to feel blessed.”

While all three of the WNBA players talked about the impact of the day’s events, Robinson had the unique experience of making appearances in her hometown.

“In the WNBA we do a lot of appearances just giving back to our team’s community, but I never get to give back to my own community,” she said. “It’s just great to be able to be at home in the offseason and get to give back. It really feels good.”

At the end of the day, each player involved in the Caravan was able to take something different away from the experience.

“We do give back through WNBA Cares program, but this was a first time that I did it with NBA Stars and legends and us all coming together for one purpose and one cause, so that was kind of special as well,” said Christon, who is attending her first NBA All-Star Weekend.

“I was actually surprised that some of the kids knew who I was (laughs). When they saw Jason Terry, being from the Dallas Mavericks, they were like cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over him, but they definitely showed love to the WNBA players as well. That made it special.”

Lawson perhaps summed the day up best as she saw a common theme arise from the children she met at each of the stops along the Caravan.

“It was a day full of kids for us; kids in different circumstances, but all still kids nonetheless so it was a really good day,” she said. “I think what you take away is that kids are so resilient. If you hadn’t known the purpose of the Vogel Alcove Center you could have walked in there and you would have never known these were homeless children. They sang songs to us, they were excited to play basketball, and the infants just wanted to be held or fed, just all the normal things. That kind of thing just makes you feel good about how kids can kind of adapt and persevere through a lot of things.”

Wed., Feb. 10, 12:03 p.m.

Welcome to Dallas for NBA All-Star 2010

There may be a handful of games on the NBA schedule over the next two days, but Dallas is already in All-Star mode as the city prepares to host the biggest All-Star Weekend ever. They always do things big in Texas, so the anticipated crowd of over 90,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday should come as no surprise.

But before the game this weekend, there are plenty of activities going out throughout the Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth area. Things got underway this morning as WNBA players Shameka Christon, Kara Lawson and Ashley Robinson jumped aboard the NBA Cares Caravan to make a number of appearances.

It is just the beginning of a weekend full of community involvement, fan interaction, and some on-court action with the Celebrity Game and Shooting Stars competition.

We'll be sure to catch up with Shameka, Kara and Ashley to get their thoughts on the day's events later. We'll also have photos and videos to share as well so stay tuned.