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Stepping forward Lynx Smith replaces Cooper in West lineup
PHOENIX (Ticker) -- With the most storied player in WNBA history out of tonight's All-Star Game, the Western Conference will turn to Minnesota Lynx forward Katie Smith to fill the void. Smith was tabbed to start in the league's second All-Star classic by Van Chancellor, the coach of the three-time champion Houston Comets. The move comes in the wake of Sunday's announcement that Comets guard Cynthia Cooper will not play due to a sprained ankle she suffered Wednesday against Sacramento. "I think she deserves it," Chancellor said. "I think she's either been the leading scorer in the league or one of the top scorers." Smith has enjoyed a tremendous season as the second-year Lynx vie for their first playoff berth. One of the game's top shooters, Smith is second in the league is scoring at 20.5 points per contest and has been battling Houston's Sheryl Swoopes all season for the top spot. Smith is no stranger to the spotlight. She led the Columbus Quest of the defunct American Basketball League to two championships and was named first team All-League in 1997-98. Smith averaged 16.7 points for the Quest before being allocated to Minnesota last season. Smith is the all-time leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference with 2,437 points and helped guide Ohio State to the national championship game as a freshman in 1993. Cooper, a two-time Most Valuable Player and three-time Finals MVP, was voted to start by the fans, finishing second in the Western Conference behind Swoopes. Cooper, who announced earlier this month that she will retire at season's end, suffered the injury in last Wednesday's game against Sacramento when she went up for a shot but came down on Monarchs guard Ruthie-Bolton Holifield. After sitting out Friday's game against Los Angeles, Cooper attempted to practice on Saturday but decided not to risk further injury.
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