Bird's flock flies into town; Let the healing begin.

By Randy Kim

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- If today's practice was any indication, then Monday's All-Star Game will belong to Western Conference starting center Lisa Leslie.

Unofficially, Leslie was the West's MVPP (Most Valuable Practice Player) during her conference's open practice on Sunday. Not only did the Sparks center show flair and athleticism while running drills, but she showed off her dunking skills as well.

Leslie dunked three times, and all of them were running one-handers that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Her third one was the most impressive, and was thrown down with authority.

While Leslie didn't dunk in a scrimmage, she did it with enough ease to lead one to believe that she can do it in a full-court game, especially if Monday's contest turns into an up-tempo affair. And if Western coach Michael Cooper has his way, then that will be the case.

"We want to run and get easy layups (in tomorrow's game)," said Cooper. "We want to create a system where we let our athleticism and shooting carry us."

Bird's Flock Flies Into Town:
During a recent game in New York against the Liberty, Seattle guard and East coast native Sue Bird had 150 guests show up to watch her play. So with tomorrow's All-Star Game roughly a four-hour drive from the Big Apple, Bird has a few friends and family in town for the game.

"My mom and her boyfriend made it down, and I have a few friends that live in the area that are going to come watch," said Bird. "And my former UConn teammates are going to be here as well."

Unfortunately, Bird's "peeps" weren't in attendance when she broke out a one-legged, Vanilla Ice dance at the end of the West's practice. Bird busted a move while encircled by the West squad, who thumped out a dance beat with their sneakers on the MCI Center's hardwood floor. The West then closed out the impromptu dance party with Michael Cooper and Lauren Jackson doing a bump-and-grind routine that sent the crowd into hysterics.

No word on whether Cooper plans on showing Jackson any preferential treatment in tomorrow's game due to her enticing dance moves.

Quote of the Day, No. 1:
"We always say we don't want to take this game too seriously, but we're very competitive women. When we get on the floor, we play hard and we play to win. So the pressure's on the East. They're the ones that haven't won yet."
-- Ticha Penicheiro, on what to expect from Monday night's game

Let the Healing Begin:
Sheryl Swoopes and Ticha Penicheiro are glad to be All-Stars. But they're even happier to be healthy All-Stars.

Lauren Jackson (middle) and Ticha Penicheiro (right) get ready for practice while Sue Bird talks to a reporter.
WNBAE Photos
"I would much rather be in my basketball shoes and my uniform at the All-Star Game than on the red carpet in heels and a skirt like I was last year," said Swoopes, who missed all of last season due to injury.

"I'm much more appreciative this year," she continued. "The All-Star Game is a lot of fun, because it's an opportunity to play with players like Lisa (Leslie), Ticha (Penicheiro) and Sue Bird."

Penicheiro is also thankful to be in Washington. But she isn't used to being at the midseason game alone.

"I've never been at an All-Star Game as the only person representing the Monarchs," said Penicheiro. "I've always had Yolanda (Griffith) or Ruthie (Bolton-Holifield) -- or both -- with me. So I'm a little lonely."

Both players agree that while they're feeling OK, they're not at 100 percent.

"I feel like I'm back to -- I'm not going to say the old Sheryl -- but maybe 99.9 percent of the way back," said Swoopes.

"My shoulder doesn't feel 100 percent, but the last couple of games there's been a lot of adrenaline flowing, so you play hard and then ice it afterwards," said Penicheiro.

Quote of the Day, No. 2:
"They're going to put everyone at halfcourt, and the first team to make a shot is the winner. We're not going to be like baseball; we'll have a winner."
-- West coach Michael Cooper, on how the WNBA will avoid finishing with a draw in Monday night's game.

All-Star Tidbits:
While Swoopes is having a great year back, she still plays with the fear of re-injuring herself. "Until I have a full year under my belt, after the season and the playoffs, I do think I'm going to be worried about re-injuring myself," said the Houston forward. "Even now, there are some things I'm hesitant to do. In the back of my mind, I do still think about the injury." ... Penicheiro isn't the only one who feels that the East has their work cut out for them. Starting center Lisa Leslie also sees her team running away with tomorrow's game. "The West has it locked up," said Leslie. "We just have the tougher conference. We have more Olympians in the West, more experience." ... Other practice highlights: Katie Smith won the West's "Knockout" competition over Tina Thompson. Lauren Jackson won the half-court shootout competition. ... Although she's hurt, Penicheiro never thought about taking time off to rest her shoulder. "It's a great honor to be here, and I wouldn't trade it for two days off."

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