The East's Katie Douglas, right, tries to drive around the West's Yolanda Griffith during the third quarter of the WNBA All-Star Game on July 12, 2006. (Photo: Julie Jacobson/AP Wide World)

On Wednesday night, fans of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) gathered in New York City's Madison Square Garden for one of the highlights of the season—the All-Star Game. The East defeated the West, 98-82, in a nationally televised match that marked the first-ever victory for the East in an All-Star game.

"We knew the West was coming in with an undefeated record," said Katie Douglas of the Connecticut Sun, named the game's Most Valuable Player. "We wanted to show we could compete with them."

And that's exactly what they did. Going into the second quarter, the West led the game, 28-27. By halftime, though, the East had jumped into the lead, 49-40. Late in the third quarter, the East was up by 25 points, and the West simply couldn't keep up.

"We didn't shoot the ball well as a team," said Lisa Leslie, of the West, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. "But the East played great."

The final moments of the game weren't about competition, but sportsmanship. In the last seconds of the game, the players cleared out of the way as Michelle Snow, of the Houston Comets, scored on a one-handed dunk. The crowd went wild.

"I think that's a sign of the future of women's basketball," said Douglas, of the shot. "Just an unbelievable amount of athleticism has [developed] in the women's game."

The WNBA Turns 10

Wednesday night's game marked the 10th anniversary of the WNBA. The night spotlighted both the old and the new, featuring strong performances by rookies and players that have been in the league since its inception.

Leslie is only the first player to compete in all seven of the WNBA All-Star Games. (There was no All-Star game in the first two years of the league or in 2004.)

It was the first All-Star game appearance for Douglas. Now in her sixth season in the league, Douglas was shocked to even be on the court at the start of the game. She was actually replacing an injured player, Nykesha Sales, in the East's starting lineup.

According to WNBA President Donna Orender, the future of women's basketball is bright.

"Not only is basketball the number-one participatory sport for girls in the United States, there are 100 million females playing this sport around the world," said Orender. "It is a global game for women, as well as for men."

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