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Second chance Reed a late addition to Western Conference roster
NEW YORK (CNNSI.com) -- The WNBA All-Star Game selection controversy ended Friday when Phoenix Mercury forward Brandy Reed was added to the league's Western Conference squad.
Reed's addition quieted protests and boycott talk by Mercury fans.
Before Reed's addition, the host Mercury had no representatives on the league's second All-Star Game, set for Monday night. Fans selected the starters, and the coaches in each conference selected the six reserves for each team on Wednesday. But the league created an additional roster spot for the West to add Reed, who leads the Mercury in scoring (17.2), rebounding (5.9) and steals (2.3). "We simply had not anticipated that the team would not be represented in this year's All-Star Game by virtue of either the fans' or coaches' ballots," WNBA president Val Ackerman said. "Brandy is having an outstanding year and is as deserving as anyone of being an All-Star." Reed joins Katie Smith and Betty Lennox of Minnesota, DeLisha Milton and Mwadi Mabika of Los Angeles, Natalie Williams of Utah and Sacramento's Yolanda Griffith as Western Conference reserves. Houston coach Van Chancellor will lead the West against New York coach Richie Adubato and the East. "I'm really excited about this honor," said Reed, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds Thursday night against Sacramento in her first game after being left off the roster. "It means even more that the league really respects my game. Hard work pays off." The omission of Reed had some fans asking for refunds on tickets, and others planned to either boycott the league's second All-Star Game or show up in black clothing to reflect their mood. Ackerman said she expected the uproar to subside quickly. "One reason we chose Phoenix is that the crowd support out there is outstanding," Ackerman said. Mercury vice president Seth Sulka said the youthful league, formed in 1997, showed uncommon wisdom in creating a spot for a player with unquestioned credentials. "It was a great decision," Sulka said. "I'm not sure a lot of leagues would have seen something like this happen and taken the steps necessary to correct it. You had the fans' vote and then the coaches who failed to select a deserving Mercury player, so the league hadn't really had input into it until now."
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