The WNBA All-Star Game is a chance for the league to catch its breath and see the fruits of its labor. This is the league's five-year anniversary, so the All-Star Game is a celebration.

Nobody should take the All-Star Game for granted. The league is fortunate to have the game. It's part of the league's evolution. The first two All-Star Games -- in New York and Phoenix -- were fantastic experiences, and Orlando's TD Waterhouse Centre is already sold out.

	Lauren Jackson, last year's No. 1 pick, averaged 15.2 points for Seattle.

Everyone has done his or her part to make it a special event, one that showcases the best women basketball players in the world, from young players to veterans. Think of the experience rookies Lauren Jackson and Jackie Stiles will have in their first All-Star Game. It could be overwhelming, but Jackson and Stiles can at least go home and say they played with Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, Janeth Arcain and Teresa Weatherspoon.

While All-Star weekend is fun for the players, it also tires them out because their days are filled with community events, autograph signings, photo sessions and press conferences. When I was coaching in Detroit and Sandy Brondello was selected for the first All-Star Game, she called me and said, "Coach, I appreciate making the All-Star team, but I'm exhausted. Thank you."

While the players get the recognition they deserve, they also have the opportunity to have fun, become reacquainted with old friends and make new friends with players they don't get to know on a regular basis. There will be some characters in the locker room, but at the same time players will form lifetime friendships at All-Star Games. They are the stories beyond the stats.

But once the game begins tonight, the athletes will have pride. For most pro sports leagues, the game is fun. The players aren't trying to play team defense. The game may be all for the fans, but the WNBA players want to win. Although there will be no full-court presses, the players will play hard and not give up.

A player like Weatherspoon is not happy about the Eastern Conference losing two straight All-Star Games. The East will be hurt by the absences of Chamique Holdsclaw and Chastity Melvin, out with injuries.

On paper the West has the bigger team, but it also has the two rookies. And although the WNBA stage hasn't bothered either Jackson or Stiles, it is unknown how they will react in an All-Star setting. Meanwhile, the two coaches, Van Chancellor and Richie Adubato, want to compete and beat each other, but they will also keep the game light and fun.

The game's top storyline revolves around Tari Phillips returning to Orlando. Two years ago Phillips, who grew up in Orlando, was an Orlando Miracle draft pick. But she rode the bench her first year, was left unprotected in the 2000 expansion draft and then was traded from Portland to New York, where she became an All-Star last season.

For Phillips, the All-Star Game is a chance for redemption in her hometown. How will the Orlando fans react to Phillips coming back? She might get the least publicity of all the centers in the league -- compared to Lisa Leslie, Yolanda Griffith and Tina Thompson -- but Phillips dominates the East.

In addition, Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Nykesha Sales get to play in front of their home fans as All-Star reserves. In fact, with the injuries to Holdsclaw and Melvin, two UConn kids were added to the roster -- Sales and Indiana guard Rita Williams -- and Geno Auriemma had nothing to do with it, even though people say he has something to do with everything.

Two days later, the players will return to the task of making the playoffs. The All-Star break gives teams a chance to close the door on a dismal first half. Meanwhile, the five contending teams -- Cleveland, New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Sacramento -- can get healthy and take a break.

The WNBA schedule is very demanding. On one hand, the players can get some much-needed rest. On the other hand, the coaches with losing records are probably saying, "The first half is over. This is what we can do to improve." The All-Star Game can be a great motivator for players to turn the tide in the second half.

In the meantime, the All-Star experience is great for everyone involved. ESPN is treating the game like the major event it has become. No stone will be left unturned. The WNBA has earned the right to have its All-Star Game reach a high level of importance.

Ackerman and the league have come under criticism for their salaries, but they have to stuck to the business of basketball. Without caving to union pressure, the league has stayed true to its fiscal plan. It's easy to see what the NBA players are making, but they weren't making much money 50 years ago.

Today's WNBA players are pioneers. They are setting the stage for player 20 years from now who will make a lot of money. They are continuing to set the pace for someone else. The league has stayed true to belief of how the league is supposed to run. I want to see the league in 50 years. If the league is run the same way, a 50-year anniversary is a great possibility.

The All-Star Game is one of the magic moments in a player's career. The game is possible because of the WNBA's leadership. Every player should take a moment in her career to write a note to WNBA president Val Ackerman and NBA commissioner David Stern and thank them for the league, the platform and the opportunity.

Editor's Note: ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman-Cline, a Hall of Famer and former WNBA coach/player, previews the top WNBA games each week for ESPN.com.