July 5, 2006

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Jackson

Bird

SEATTLE - Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird and forward Lauren Jackson have been named as starters for the Western Conference at the 2006 All-Star Game, the WNBA announced today. After finishing first among all Western Conference players in fan balloting with 99,258 votes, Bird will be making her fourth All-Star appearance and fourth as a starter. Jackson has been voted by fans to start for the second time and is making her fifth All-Star appearance.

Bird currently ranks second in the WNBA in assists per game (5.4) and assists per turnover (2.3) and owns the highest single-game assist total in the league this summer after dishing out a franchise-record 14 assists in the July 1 win over Minnesota. Bird is currently shooting a career-best 92.6 percent from the free-throw line while averaging 10.3 points per game.

In her three previous All-Star appearances, Bird has averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Her seven assists at the 2002 midseason classic in Washington D.C. remain tied for the most in WNBA All-Star history.

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“To be voted in as a starter is such an honor and I’m really excited to team with Lauren again this year,” Bird said. “I want to thank all the fans who helped vote me in and hopefully I’ll have a good game in New York and represent all of them well.”

Jackson leads the WNBA in efficiency points (25.4) and field-goal percentage (.570) and also ranks in the top-10 in scoring (19.9 ppg, fifth), rebounding (8.1 rpg, fourth), three-point percentage (.468, fifth), free-throw percentage (.890, seventh) and blocks (1.8 bpg, third). She scored a career-high 35 points on May 25 at Phoenix and has posted four double-doubles already this season.

In four career All-Star games, Jackson has averaged 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. Her six career 3-pointers in All-Star games ranks second all-time.

The WNBA All-Star Game will be played at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, July 12 and will be broadcast live at 4 p.m. (PDT) on ESPN.

Joining Bird and Jackson in the Western Conference starting lineup are Houston’s Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes as well as Sacramento’s Yolanda Griffith. The Eastern Conference starters are headlined by Indiana’s Tamika Catchings, the league’s top vote-getter in fan balloting. Joining her are New York’s Becky Hammon and Connecticut’s Margo Dydek, Nykesha Sales and Lindsay Whalen. Reserve selections will be awarded based on voting from each conference’s head coaches and will be announced on Saturday.