Daily Links: All star linkage

I am no fan of all star games. I love the all star process and the honor and hoopla of it all but the games themselves are a bore. No defense and rarely any hard play turns these things into layup fests.

Today's WNBA ASG was no exception and in that way it was just like the NBA ASG. Neither of which I could stand to watch all the way through. The problem with today's WBNA ASG was that it was one of a few games that league has televised on national TV. I just hope fans tuning into the W for the first time didn't think that was an example of the women's sport at its finest. Best players, yes. Best game, not even close. Hopefully, even the casual fan will understand that.

Can't we just skip the game and hold a couple of shooting or skills competitions and a big party and call it done?

• Cash earns MVP honors as West All-Stars prevail - WNBA - CBSSports.com Basketball
  Swin Cash set a WNBA All-Star Game record with 22 points, Nicole Powell had 21 and the West beat the East 130-118 on Saturday.
• hoopfeed.com
  Great all around ASG coverage...
• Friends Sue Bird of Seattle Storm, Diana Taurasi of Phoenix Mercury break down each other's games - ESPN
  All-Stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are two of the most recognizable players in women's basketball. And the former teammates and champions know each other's games and personalities better than anybody.
• Orender confident WNBA will have 13 teams in 2010 - USATODAY.com
  WNBA president Donna Orender is confident the league will have at least 13 teams next season.
• Diana Taurasi Moving On From DUI - Courant.com
  She races through life with a fistful of unrestrained joy in one hand and a fistful of competitive fire in the other.
• From first-timers to veterans, talent abounds at WNBA All-Star Game - ESPN
  One look at the talent at Friday's All-Star practice and it's easy to see the WNBA is stronger this season.
• Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker, who gave birth in May, deserves to be a WNBA All-Star in spite of her statistics - ESPN
  This makes a good point but one thing I love about the WNBA is how hard corps the fans are. She didn't play in the first half of the season so no votes to the ASG. Besides that, her team's record is horrible. Parker will get plenty of chances. This one's a win for sanity
• State of the Phoenix Suns - Basketball News & NBA Rumors - HOOPSWORLD
  This is a nice summary of where the Suns are at right now. Nothing new, but a solid re-cap if you haven't been paying attention to us here.
• Did Nash's hair ever piss you off?
  Wow. It's the off-season, all right, when this is popping up on Google Alerts.