Official WNBA announcement about 2011 All-Star game

The WNBA announced the location of this year’s All-Star game today. Here is the official release:

The San Antonio Silver Stars will host the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game in San Antonio for the first time in franchise history, the league announced today during a special press conference held at AT&T Center. WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations Renee Brown, Spurs Sports & Entertainment Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Frank Micelli, Silver Stars Director of Business Operations Russell Warren, Silver Stars General Manager and Head Coach Dan Hughes, and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff were among those who participated in the announcement.

The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game will be nationally televised on ABC on Saturday, July 23, at 3:30pm ET (2:30pm CT).

“As we celebrate the league’s 15th season, we’re thrilled to bring the WNBA All-Star Game to San Antonio for the first time and have the Silver Stars and AT&T Center serve as our hosts,” said Brown. “We look forward to showcasing the extraordinary talent of our world-class players, and providing the community with an incredible fan and family friendly event.”

“We are thrilled that San Antonio was selected as the host city for the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game. It is truly an honor for Spurs Sports & Entertainment and the AT&T Center to welcome the world’s greatest female basketball players to our city this July,” said Spurs Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations Rick Pych. “This will be a great opportunity for San Antonio’s passionate sports fans to witness and enjoy first hand the WNBA All-Star experience, Texas style! We welcome the opportunity to showcase this premier sporting event here in San Antonio as well as to those that will be watching across the country and around the world.”

Individual tickets will be available to the general public at all San Antonio Ticketmaster locations, including by phone at (210) 225-TEAM, or online at ticketmaster.com or sasilverstars.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the AT&T Center Southeast Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or on weekend event days starting at 10 a.m. or by calling 210-444-5090.

Last year, the WNBA hosted a special midseason showcase, “WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun,” in Uncasville, Conn. Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky was named MVP after scoring a game-high 23 points on 9 for 11 shooting from the field and grabbing eight rebounds as the U.S. National Team beat the WNBA All-Stars 99-72. The game was part of a four-day training camp for the U.S. squad, comprised almost entirely of WNBA players, which was preparing for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic.