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Keke Palmer Tips Off WNBA Footworkin' Summer Concert Tour

June 21, 2007 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release


NEW YORK, June 21, 2007 - Critically acclaimed actress and singer, Keke Palmer is teaming up with the WNBA to perform at 13 games throughout the summer. The star of "Akeelah and the Bee" and Disney's "Jump In!," and winner of the coveted Best Actress Award at this year's NAACP Image Awards, Palmer will perform songs from her upcoming debut album "SO UNCOOL" (Atlantic Records) featuring her first single "Footworkin'." Halftime or post-game performances will take place in each of the WNBA's 13 arenas, offering fans a special chance to check out her songs before the album's release in September 2007.

Palmer's hit "Footworkin'" also appears in promotional spots produced by NBA Entertainment, featuring Palmer and her dancers along with WNBA game action. The spots will air in each WNBA market leading up to local concerts.

"The WNBA delivers family-friendly entertainment in arena, on TV and throughout local communities, so teaming up with Keke was a natural fit," said Andi Poch, WNBA Senior Vice President, Marketing Partnerships & Business Development. "Like WNBA players, Keke is not only a tremendous talent but an inspiration to young people and encourages them to follow their dreams."

In addition to the concert tour, Palmer has partnered with the 2007 WNBA BE Tour to help promote healthy living among youth. The league's mobile fitness expo, traveling to WNBA markets through the summer, offers fans a variety of interactive activities including basketball, fitness and nutrition clinics, and player appearances. Palmer will visit the BE Tour at two upcoming stops -- New York on July 7 at the South Street Seaport and Detroit on August 26 at the Michigan State Fair -- to perform and sign autographs. BE Tour performances are free to the public.

"I love singing and acting but I'm already 5'6" and I'm only 13 so I'm keeping my options open by hanging with the WNBA!," said Palmer.

A Chicago native, Palmer's first concert is set to take place during halftime of the Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics game on June 23, at the UIC Pavilion. Below is the full schedule of Palmer's WNBA game and BE Tour performances:

June 23 Washington Mystics @ Chicago Sky - UIC Pavilion July 7 BE Tour - South Street Seaport, New York July 11 Connecticut Sun @ Seattle Storm - Key Arena July 12 Connecticut Sun @ Sacramento Monarchs - ARCO Arena July 18 Chicago Sky @ Indiana Fever - Conseco Fieldhouse July 20 Washington Mystics @ Minnesota Lynx - Target Center July 29 Los Angeles Sparks @ Detroit Shock - The Palace of Auburn Hills July 31 Chicago Sky @ Connecticut Sun - Mohegan Sun Arena August 2 Minnesota Lynx @ New York Liberty - Madison Square Garden August 3 New York Liberty @ Washington Mystics - Verizon Center August 7 Phoenix Mercury @ Los Angeles Sparks - STAPLES Center August 9 Sacramento Monarchs @ San Antonio Silver Stars - AT&T Center August 10 Sacramento Monarchs @ Houston Comets - Toyota Center August 11 Los Angeles Sparks @ Phoenix Mercury - US Airways Center August 26 BE Tour - Michigan State Fair, Detroit

About Keke Palmer Born Lauren Keyana Palmer in Robbins, IL, a small town just outside Chicago, Palmer began her career in acting at the age of 8. In 2004, Palmer made her big screen debut opposite Queen Latifah in the hit film Barbershop 2: Back in Business. In 2006, Keke appeared as the lead character, Akeelah Anderson, in the critically acclaimed, award-winning film Akeelah and the Bee. Palmer went on to win the 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and a ShoWest Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in Akeelah. Keke also holds the record as the youngest actress to be nominated in the coveted Lead Acting category for the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) Awards. Shortly thereafter, Keke appeared in Tyler Perry's Medea's Family Reunion, which was number #1 at the box office for two consecutive weeks. She next lit up the small screen with her starring role in the Disney Channel hit movie, Jump In! In addition to all of Keke's acting fetes, she is set to debut her first solo album through Atlantic Records. Her debut album, "SO UNCOOL" will hit stores in September. The album, which Palmer co-wrote material, is jammed with the kind of music that Keke loves, ranging from up-tempo R&B tracks to inspirational songs to youthful, fun material that kids can relate to.

About the WNBA The WNBA tipped off its second decade of play on May 19, 2007, featuring comprehensive national television coverage. ESPN2 and ABC will combine to televise up to 36 games nationally during the regular season and playoffs. The second straight year of "WNBA Tuesdays" on ESPN2 includes five doubleheaders and WNBA action on 11 of 14 Tuesday nights in-season. NBA TV will complement ABC and ESPN2's coverage by televising 70 regular-season and up to nine playoff games. The WNBA All-Star Game will be played at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on July 15 at 3:30 pm ET with live coverage on ABC.

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