Nicole Powell’s First WNBA All-Star Season
After 15 hours of flying from Turkey, where she plays for a pro club, Powell is following up her first WNBA All-Star season with a NBA All-Star experience this weekend. She is teaming tonight with Tyreke Evans and Chris Webber for Sacramento in tonight's Shooting Stars competition.
"The WNBA is not going anywhere," said New York Liberty forward and Haier Shooting Stars participant Nicole Powell in a phone interview with Swish Appeal yesterday. "I think that’s the most important thing – it’s not about which team is folding; it’s really about the grand, the whole entire WNBA, not just the Sacramento organization or individual teams. So I hope that people will see and watch and even though it’s just a shooting competition, the women are included in the All-Star events and kind of see some of their talents and skills that are presented and hopefully get them interested."
So although the celebrity game that McCoughtry and San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon participated in yesterday and the Haier contest that Hammon, McCoughtry, Powell, and Los Angeles Sparks guard Marie Ferdinand-Harris will participate in today may seem trivial, the fact is that they are a significant opportunity for the WNBA.
In 34 games last season, Powell hit 77 of 212 attempts in 34 games, making her first in the WNBA in attempts and third in made three pointers. If part of the goal is to promote the athletes, then why not put the best men's and women's volume shooters against one another and see who comes out on top? As with the NCAA, people might just be surprised and maybe it would attract a new fan or two.
"The women gotta show their personalities too and that hey, we're fun off the court, we can do things on the court," said Atlanta Dream forward and All-Star weekend participant Angel McCoughtry in an interview with Swish Appeal. "That opens people up to say, 'Oh alright, she seems cool. She seems alright. Let me come check her out.' That's how it works."
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