Washington ? Lisa Leslie isn’t ready to relinquish the WNBA spotlight to a younger generation.

Leslie scored 13 of her 18 points in the second half and earned her third All-Star MVP trophy, leading the Western Conference to an 81-76 victory over the East on Monday night.

Seattle's Lauren Jackson (15) and New York's Tari Phillips (24) battle for the basketball in the second half of the 2002 WNBA All Star game on Monday at the MCI Center in Washington.

The West has won all four all-star games, and Leslie has been MVP in all but one.

She drew motivation Monday night from talk of a changing of the guard in the league, with high-profile rookies like Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings challenging Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and other veterans for star status.

“It’s funny how all of the sudden this year everybody is calling us old-school … just because a new class of young players has come in,” Leslie said. “By no means are any of us done.”

Houston’s Tina Thompson led all scorers with 20 points.

West coach Michael Cooper said he was impressed with the play of his veterans, Leslie, Thompson and Swoopes.

“The younger players coming in the Sue Birds, the Lauren Jacksons can learn from those players,” said Cooper, who coaches Leslie with the Los Angeles Sparks. “Because the passing of the torch … has to be done so it’s not dropped, that the caliber of play doesn’t diminish.”

This was the closest of the West’s victories.

“We’re happy it was a competitive game because we’ve blown them out so many times in the past,” Leslie said. “I think it was great for the fans.”

The West took the lead for good on two free throws by Tina Thompson that made it 77-76 with 51 seconds remaining. Swoopes, her teammate with the Houston Comets, added two more free throws with 19 seconds left to make it a three-point lead.

The East had a chance to tie it with 7 seconds left, but Catchings could not handle an inbounds pass, and turned the ball over. Thompson then hit two free throws for the final margin.

Leslie, the league’s MVP last season with the champion Sparks, finished with an All-Star game-record 14 rebounds and blocked four shots. She had 20 points and nine rebounds in last year’s All-Star game.

Catchings, a rookie with the Indiana Fever who played with a broken nose, scored 12 points.

“It just goes to show you the older players are smarter than the younger players,” Catchings said.

The East played without Washington’s Chamique Holdsclaw, the league’s leading scorer and rebounder who is out with a sprained ankle.

Seattle’s Jackson finished with 15 points for the West, while Swoopes had 11. Bird, a rookie with Seattle, was just 1-of-8 from the field for two points, but had seven assists.

The East started poorly, missing 17 of their first 21 shots in the opening eight minutes and fell behind 20-10.

But the East responded with nine points from Orlando’s Nykesha Sales during an 11-5 run, and tied it at 40 at halftime, scoring the half’s final two baskets on assists from Shannon Johnson. On the first she broke down Leslie off the dribble to find an open Sheri Sam. Then she found Dawn Staley on a no-look pass that tied it at 40.

Former Kansas standout Tamecka Dixon scored five for the winners.

West 81, East 76

WEST ALL-STARS (81)

Swoopes 4-12 3-4 11, Thompson 7-16 5-6 20, Leslie 6-13 6-10 18, Penicheiro 1-1 0-0 2, Bird 1-8 0-0 2, Dixon 2-6 0-0 5, Jackson 6-11 1-1 15, Smith 2-4 0-0 4, Goodson 0-2 0-0 0, Mabika 1-5 0-0 2, Marie.Ferdinand 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 31-81 15-21 81.

EAST ALL-STARS (76)

Catchings 4-12 2-2 12, Stinson 3-10 2-2 9, Phillips 1-9 2-2 4, Weatherspoon 2-3 0-0 4, Staley 2-5 0-0 4, S.Johnson 2-7 0-0 6, Sales 3-11 3-3 9, Sam 3-9 0-0 7, Sutton-Brown 3-5 3-4 9, Taylor 4-8 1-1 9, Dales-Schuman 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 28-84 13-14 76.

West All-Stars 40 41 81

East All-Stars 40 36 76

3-Point GoalsWest All-Stars 4-22 (Jackson 2-3, Thompson 1-3, Dixon 1-3, Leslie 0-1, Swoopes 0-1, Goodson 0-1, Smith 0-2, Mabika 0-3, Bird 0-5), East All-Stars 7-27 (Catchings 2-5, S.Johnson 2-6, Dales-Schuman 1-3, Stinson 1-4, Sam 1-4, Weatherspoon 0-1, Sales 0-2, Taylor 0-2). Fouled outPhillips. ReboundsWest All-Stars 64 (Leslie 14), East All-Stars 49 (Phillips 10). AssistsWest All-Stars 18 (Bird 7), East All-Stars 16 (Staley 5). Total foulsWest All-Stars 13, East All-Stars 20. A19,487.