Palisades shows support for Taurasi and WNBA

Galen Center on the USC campus is quickly filling up for tonight's opening game of the Western Conference finals between the Sparks and San Antonio Silver Stars.

A short time ago, I noticed about a half-dozen high school-aged girls speaking with Sparks owners Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson. The girls were wearing Palisades High basketball warmups.

Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi wasn't kidding. She really did pay for Palisades to attend the game.

One of the girls said that they were here in support of the WNBA, in response to a freelance article published on latimes.com last week. The writer, a former girls' basketball player, wrote that she was a fan of basketball, just not the WNBA. The writer quoted several girls' basketball players from Palisades who also criticized the league.

The girls from Palisades seemed a little nervous when I pulled out my notepad, probably because they were afraid to see their names in another WNBA article. No problem, I thought. It's safe to say, they've already made their point.

-- Dan Arritt

Photo: Diana Taurasi during the women's semifinal basketball game against Russia during the 2008 Beijing Olympics on Aug. 21. Credit: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

Comments

[Brett]

How does a WNBA player have enough cheese to pay for an entire team's tickets. Can I get Taurasi's digits? Or are the seats just dirt cheap?

[Beverly]

Not that it matters, but a WNBA player that also plays in Europe, as Taurisi does has pleanty of "cheese". It is a shame that our women have to play year round to make a good living.

[title9guy]

Diana Taurasi is one of the greatest Basketball Athletes in the History of the game. The WNBA offers the most exciting Basketball in the History of the game. So at title9guy.com we all agree with Diana Taurasi on this issue. At title9guy we spread the new, the joy and popularity of women's athletes. Anytime Diana Taurasi in on the court, or in the news she is all powerful. Anyone that doesn't like watching WNBA games just does not understand the game. You know there are some people that just don't like women's athletics. Diana Taurasi really Kick'sm on the court and as always in the press. We agree with Diana and will stand by her even if she want to play for the Russian in the next Olympics. Keep kicking ladies.