All-Star Weekend is just around the corner and the Monarchs want to close out the first half of the season on a winning note against the Connecticut Sun.

1) The Monarchs (12-7) meet the Sun (7-11) in a battle of east versus west. This is the first time the two play each other this season.

2) The Monarchs continue to generate All-Stars as it was announced this week that Kara Lawson and Rebekkah Brunson would be on the team. It will be the first All-Star appearance for both players as they join Coach Jenny Boucek and Yolanda Griffith on the Western Conference Team.

3)Ticha Penicheiro and Lindsay Whalen go head to head at point guard this evening. Both players are comparable in the assists category – Penicheiro is averaging 4.2 assists per game while Whalen is averaging 4.7.

4) The Monarchs will play this game at home after splitting a two game road trip. Meanwhile, the Sun cap off a four game road trip in Sacramento tonight. Despite the 7-11 record, Connecticut is 2-1 on their current trip.

5) The Sun hasn’t had any trouble putting points on the scoreboard – averaging 98.3 points per game over their last three contests. During this stretch, Connecticut posted 109 points against Phoenix and 110 points against Los Angeles.

Closing thought…
The All-Star selection was just the icing on the cake for Kara Lawson’s whirlwind of a week. The Monarchs sharpshooter also became engaged last Tuesday. Her fiancé popped the question at a Kenny Chesney Concert!