“We are very excited to bring the WNBA All-Star Game – one of our premier events – to Connecticut in 2005,” said Ackerman. “The enthusiasm for women’s basketball in the state is extraordinary, and the Mohegan Sun Arena is the perfect setting to showcase the world-class talent in the WNBA.”
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to host the 2005 All-Star Game at the Mohegan Sun Arena,” said Mitchell Etess, Executive Vice President of Marketing for the Connecticut Sun. “This will be a wonderful way to entertain women’s basketball fans in our region and build on our momentum as one of the newest WNBA franchises.”
The 2005 All-Star Game will be the sixth in the WNBA’s history. The inaugural game was played on July 14, 1999 at New York’s Madison Square Garden in front of 18,649 fans. In 2003, the WNBA returned to New York to celebrate the game’s fifth anniversary and televised the game for the first time on ABC after a four-year run on ESPN. The ratings for the 2003 All-Star Game set a record for the league with 175 percent increase in viewership from the previous year.
The Western Conference has dominated the previous five All-Star Games with a perfect 5-0 record and an average margin of victory of nearly 10 points. Last season, Los Angeles Sparks guard Nikki Teasley had 10 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals on the night, earning her game MVP honors.
| Date | Location | W | L | Att |
| July 14, 1999 | Madison Square Garden (New York) | West 79 | East 61 | 18,649 |
| July 17, 2000 | America West Arena (Phoenix) | West 73 | East 61 | 17,717 |
| July 16, 2001 | TD Waterhouse Centre (Orlando) | West 80 | East 72 | 16,906 |
| July 15, 2002 | MCI Center (Washington) | West 81 | East 76 | 19,487 |
| July 12, 2003 | Madison Square Garden (New York) | West 84 | East 75 | 18,610 |
The WNBA’s 2004 regular season begins with 12 games over four days on Opening Weekend, May 20-23, and includes ABC’s season-opening broadcast on May 22 at 4 p.m. ET as the Connecticut Sun host the Phoenix Mercury.