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Tamika Whitmore didn't find a role she could star in under the bright lights in New York and Los Angeles -- she had to go Indiana to really shine.
The Fever forward, playing for her third team in seven years, will make her All-Star debut tonight.
"I found a new passion for the game," says Whitmore, in her first season in Indiana after two in Los Angeles and five in New York. "My team believes in me ... and I'm doing whatever I need to to help my team win."
Whitmore, a leading candidate for most improved player, is averaging 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 31.5 minutes per game.
Whitmore led the nation in scoring her senior year at Memphis State but had been mostly a role player in the WNBA until arriving in Indiana. In her first year in New York, she started just one game and after being traded to L.A., she started just five her first year.
"I'm not used to being the fourth or fifth option," Whitmore says.
The Fever not only made her a starter right away, but their go-to player inside.
"For us, she is one of our main threats and main scorers," says Fever coach Brian Winters. "We give her a little more freedom."
Fellow Indiana All-Star Tamika Catchings praises Whitmore's intensity.
"I think that's one thing we lacked over the years," says Catchings. "It's funny to see how some people react to her. It's intimidating to some of our opponents."
Early winners: Houston Comets veteran point guard Dawn Staley was the surprise winner in Tuesday's Three-Point Shootout and rookie Seimone Augustus won the Dribble, Dish and Swish skills challenge. But it was Staley who stole the show, as her fellow All-Stars mobbed her after she beat out Katie Douglas and Mwadi Mabika in the final round. "They slept on me," Staley joked afterward. "All those doubters, I told them I'm from Philly!"
Shake your boot: All-Stars Tina Thompson (calf), Catchings (heel), Nykesha Sales (Achilles tendon) and East coach Mike Thibault (foot) usually don't have much in common, but at Tuesday's media availability, all were wearing soft, black boot casts. "Looks good, doesn't it," Thibault joked.
Shoe fits: Lauren Jackson donned a pair of bright orange Nikes, created specifically for the All-Star Game.
"They're sexy," proclaimed the 6-5 Australian.
The shoes, with "LJ15" on the heel, were designed to complement the Reebok All-Star East and West uniforms, which will feature a combination of stars in familiar orange and white colors, like the game ball.
Contributing: Oscar Dixon in New York
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