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WNBA Phoenix Mercury

Penny Taylor Named Reserve for 2011 WNBA All-Star Game

July 19, 2011 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Phoenix Mercury News Release


NEW YORK, July 19, 2011 - Mercury forward Penny Taylor was named a reserve for the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game presented by adidas, the league announced today. It marks Taylor's third career All-Star appearance and second as a member of the Mercury (2002, 2007). She will join teammate Diana Taurasi in the midseason showcase this Saturday.

San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon and forward Danielle Adams headline the reserves. Adams, a second round pick (20th selection overall) in the 2011 WNBA Draft presented by adidas, is one of a record 10 players, four starters and six reserves, making their first All-Star appearances, the most since 2000 when nine were selected.

The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game presented by adidas will be nationally broadcast on ABC, Saturday, July 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT) from San Antonio. It is the first time the San Antonio Silver Stars are hosting the WNBA's midseason showcase.

Reserves were selected by the league's 12 head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team, and selected reserves by voting for six players within their own conference, including two guards, two forwards, one center and one player regardless of position.

Hammon will be making her sixth All-Star appearance, becoming the first player to be selected an All-Star three times with two different teams (2003, 2005, 2006 with New York, and 2007, 2009, 2011 with San Antonio). Adams leads all rookies in scoring (15.7 ppg) and is tied for second in rebounding (5.0 rpg). She also received the most write-in votes (3,669) by fans in the 2011 WNBA All-Star balloting presented by T-Mobile.

Joining Hammon and Adams, as reserves for the Western Conference are Taylor, and a trio of Minnesota teammates: forward Rebekkah Brunson, and guards Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen. Minnesota guard Maya Moore was voted by fans as a starter, giving the Lynx the most players selected from one team for a WNBA All-Star Game since 2006 when all five players in the Connecticut Sun starting lineup were selected.

In the East, Chicago center Sylvia Fowles, making her second All-Star appearance, is one of three Sky teammates named reserves, including first-time All-Stars, guards Epiphanny Prince and Courtney Vandersloot. Rounding out the East reserves are three other first-time All-Stars: Connecticut Sun guard Renee Montgomery, New York Liberty forward Essence Carson, and Washington Mystics forward Crystal Langhorne.

This season's rookies continue to impress, as Adams, Moore and Vandersloot mark the most rookies selected for an All-Star Game since 2006 when Augustus, Cappie Pondexter, Sophia Young and Candice Dupree were selected. Moore is also the first rookie voted to start in the WNBA All-Star Game since Tamika Catchings and Sue Bird in 2002.

Following are the reserves selected for the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game presented by adidas:

Eastern Conference Reserves: Western Conference Reserves:

Essence Carson, Forward (New York Liberty) Danielle Adams, Forward (San Antonio Silver Stars)

Crystal Langhorne, Forward (Washington Mystics) Rebekkah Brunson, Forward (Minnesota Lynx)

Sylvia Fowles, Center (Chicago Sky) Penny Taylor, Forward (Phoenix Mercury)

Renee Montgomery, Guard (Connecticut Sun) Seimone Augustus, Guard (Minnesota Lynx)

Epiphanny Prince, Guard (Chicago Sky) Becky Hammon, Guard (San Antonio Silver Stars)

Courtney Vandersloot, Guard (Chicago Sky) Lindsay Whalen, Guard (Minnesota Lynx)

Replacement players, who will take the roster spot of players who cannot play due to injury, will be named by the WNBA President on July 20. Any changes to the starting lineup necessitated by injury would subsequently be made by the head coach of the respective team.

By virtue of winning their respective conference titles last season, Seattle's Brian Agler will coach the Western Conference, and the Eastern Conference will be led by Atlanta's Marynell Meadors.

2011 WNBA ALL-STAR ROSTERS

EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS Head Coach: Marynell Meadors (Atlanta Dream)

Player Team Pos.

Essence Carson^ New York Liberty Forward

Tamika Catchings* Indiana Fever Forward

Tina Charles*^ Connecticut Sun Center

Katie Douglas* Indiana Fever Guard

Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky Center

Crystal Langhorne^ Washington Mystics Forward

Angel McCoughtry*^ Atlanta Dream Forward

Renee Montgomery^ Connecticut Sun Guard

Cappie Pondexter* New York Liberty Guard

Epiphanny Prince^ Chicago Sky Guard

Courtney Vandersloot^+ Chicago Sky Guard

WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

Head Coach: Brian Agler (Seattle Storm)

Player Team Pos.

Danielle Adams^+ San Antonio Silver Stars Forward

Seimone Augustus Minnesota Lynx Guard

Sue Bird* Seattle Storm Guard

Rebekkah Brunson Minnesota Lynx Forward

Swin Cash* Seattle Storm Forward

Becky Hammon San Antonio Silver Stars Guard

Maya Moore *^+ Minnesota Lynx Forward

Candace Parker*#^ Los Angeles Sparks Center

Diana Taurasi* Phoenix Mercury Guard

Penny Taylor Phoenix Mercury Forward

Lindsay Whalen Minnesota Lynx Guard

* denotes member of the starting lineup, as voted by the fans

^ denotes first-time All-Star selection

# denotes injured and will be unable to participate in the WNBA All-Star Game

+ denotes rookie

Individual tickets are available to the general public at all San Antonio Ticketmaster locations, including by phone at (210) 225-TEAM, or online at ticketmaster.com or sasilverstars.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the AT&T Center Southeast Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or on weekend event days starting at 10 a.m. or by calling (210) 444-5090.

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