Just like old times for Bird at All-Star game.

July 15, 2002

WASHINGTON (AP) -- This might look and sound a little familiar to Sue Bird.

The Seattle Storm guard will be playing before an expected sellout crowd at the WNBA All-Star game Monday night, a throwback to her days at Connecticut.

Before becoming the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft this year, Bird reveled in the commotion surrounding UConn basketball. Things are different in the WNBA.

The Storm draw fewer than 6,000 fans a night, and the passions are not as intense.

``In college, if went to play Rutgers, the whole place would be cheering for Rutgers,'' she said. ``In the WNBA, people have their favorite players, or they're just fans of the league in general.''

The Washington Mystics lead the league in attendance. They are averaging crowds of 15,280, nearly double the league average of 8,416. Only New York, averaging 13,494, approaches the Mystics at the gate.

``I enjoy coming to Washington, even though I know they'll be rooting against us, just because of the atmosphere,'' said Charlotte's Anne Donovan, the East coach. ``You just don't expect that Washington and New York, with all the entertainment options in those cities, would be the top spots for supporting women's basketball. ... I don't know what it is that they're doing, but it's working.''

On Sunday, 3,500 fans showed for the All-Star practices. The workout by the West squad, coached by former Lakers star Michael Cooper, featured two stuffs by Lisa Leslie of Los Angeles -- no one yet has dunked during a WNBA game -- and a half-court shot by Seattle's Lauren Jackson.

Bird, third in the league with 6.1 assists per game, generated plenty of star power. A league official had to escort her off a courtside folding chair and onto the floor to accommodate the media throng.

Bird paid tribute to the players who established the league, insisting it's now up to the younger players to take the WNBA to the next level.

``Just by nature, the older the league gets, the younger the players will be and the more chances they'll have,'' Bird said. ``Every year is a new generation. That's how it should be.''

The West features a starting lineup of Bird, Leslie, Houston's Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson and Sacramento's Ticha Penichiero in the starting lineup.

Cooper knows exactly what he wants from his team Monday night.

``I'm looking for 100 points,'' he said. ``I'm going to tell the players, `Let's move it up,' because I think it's great entertainment value for the league.''

The East is led by Tamika Catchings of Indiana, Dawn Staley of Charlotte and Teresa Weatherspoon and Tari Phillips of New York.

The East is missing its biggest star and hometown favorite, Chamique Holdsclaw. The Mystics forward was leading the league in scoring and rebounding until an ankle sprain forced her to miss the last few games.

She has revitalized the Mystics, who have had the league's biggest fan base despite a combined 39-87 record the first four years. This season the Mystics (14-6) lead the East by 2 1/2 games.

``Finally, we have some discipline and structure,'' said Holdsclaw, whose team that has had six coaches since its inception in 1998. ``In the past it had been a revolving door. Now we have a different philosophy and a different system.''