Summer Edition

WNBA All-Stars Come to Columbia

BY HANNAH FAIRFIELD

The trademark orange and white game ball of the WNBA bounced along the court painted Columbia Blue in Levien Gymnasium this week, as the elite of women's professional basketball came to campus to practice on the eve of the All-Star Game in Madison Square Garden.

On Tuesday, July 13, the WNBA's Eastern and Western Conference teams held an afternoon of practice before an enthusiastic audience of young basketball fans from some of New York's many summer day camps and children's hospitals. The children packed the bleachers as a wall of photographers and reporters rimmed the court.

The roster--including marquee players Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and rookie sensation Chamique Holdsclaw--looked fresh despite the media frenzy, and smoothly performed their three-point drills and half-court scrimmage.

"I can't think of a better place to be than Columbia," said Van Chancellor, the Houston Comets' coach who doubles as the Western Conference All-Star head coach. "This is an amazing school. I'm proud to be practicing here."

Before and after the practice drills, Chancellor rallied the children in the stands and invited them to compete in shoot-outs against him. The children clamored for his attention and the chance to play on the same court as their basketball heroes. Chancellor welcomed them, even leading one youngster from St. Mary's Hospital for Children for a shot at the basket even though the child had had a recent traumatic brain injury and wore a helmet to protect his head.

"I started coaching for the kids, and it means a lot to me to see them here," Chancellor said.

One camp counselor from the Salvation Army Brownsville day camp said, "The kids are huge basketball fans, and they haven't stopped talking about the players."

In between team practices, the media was given access to the WNBA stars and surrounded them with television cameras and microphones.

While the players joked and seemed relaxed on the day before the All-Star Game, Phoenix Mercury guard Michele Timms said she and her teammates were in it to win.

"It's going to be extremely competitive," she said. "We have a good team, but it's all in how a team comes together that night."