WNBA All-Stars Match Up Tonight

Van Chancellor knows what complicated is.

That’s when you figure out a way to replace last year’s playoff most valuable player, Cynthia Cooper, and last year’s league MVP, Sheryl Swoopes.

By comparison, coaching the WNBA’s West All-Stars, his assignment tonight at Orlando, Fla., seems basic.

“[Rookie] Jackie Stiles asked me what we’re going to do,” said Chancellor, who got the All-Star job by virtue of coaching his Houston Comets to the Western Conference championship last year. “I said, ‘Stiles, play ball.’ It’s pretty simple.”

Chancellor had his squad laughing in practice Sunday, with centers tossing three-point shots.

One of those centers will be the Sparks’ Lisa Leslie, but for the first time, she will be relegated by the fans’ vote to a reserve role. The other Spark representative will be guard Tamecka Dixon.

The West will have an array of 2000 Olympians at center and power forward--Sacramento’s 6-foot-4 Yolanda Griffith, Seattle’s 6-5 Lauren Jackson, Utah’s 6-2 Natalie Williams and 6-5 Leslie--as well as Houston’s 6-2 Tina Thompson.

For the East All-Stars, Washington’s 6-2 Chamique Holdsclaw and Cleveland’s 6-3 Chasity Melvin will not play because of injuries.

“Van always has the height,” East All-Star Coach Richie Adubato of New York mused.

All-star rosters: D11