Natalie Nakase of the Saitama Broncos grabbed the spotlight by becoming the first female head coach in bj-league history on Nov. 24.
Nakase, a former UCLA player and women's pro basketball coach in Germany, will add another chapter to her ongoing season of accomplishments when she guides the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the sixth annual All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Saitama Super Arena.
The East's starting lineup, selected by fan balloting, will feature guards Masashi Joho (Toyama Grouses, a four-time All-Star) and Takehiko Shimura (Sendai 89ers) and forwards John "Helicopter" Humphrey (Saitama) and Daiki Terashita (Saitama) and ex-Bronco Kazuhiro Shoji (Akita Northern Happinets), the oldest All-Star at age 37. The All-Stars were named on Wednesday.