WNBA All-Stars Will Keep Their Eyes on the Ball

Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Sheila Johnson will attend a hip-hop forum on Sunday, part of the low-key All-Star game festivities. (PR Newswire)

You've heard all about pro basketball's all-star extravaganzas: insanely glitzy parties, VIP fans, free-flowing food and drink (sometimes a little too free-flowing) leading up to the big game. This weekend's WNBA All-Star event in Washington? Not so much.

The eighth annual game on Sunday is surrounded by plenty of earnest community events but hardly any paparazzi-worthy festivities. There's the "Inspiring Women" lunch today honoring Condoleezza Rice; a concert featuring songwriter Vanessa Carlton tomorrow night; and the game Sunday at Verizon Center, with Carlton and hometown fave Mya performing at halftime. Mystics guard Alana Beard and forward DeLisha Milton-Jones made the reserve team, but the players are keeping a low party profile, except for tomorrow's soiree with No. 1 draft pick Lindsey Harding at Posh. (Maybe they're all going to the bashes for Allen Iverson's charity softball match.)

Why the lack of flash? "I would love to throw the biggest party in the world, but I'd have to get approval from the league," explained Mystics President and Managing Partner Sheila Johnson. "It's just tough."

The WNBA, she told us, lacks the glitz of the men's game: The average player's salary is $37,000; the emphasis is on community work; and the league's audience includes plenty of children. Johnson threw a Mystics bash at February's NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas; this weekend, her only event is a hip-hop forum on Sunday with Cornel West and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Reps for the league didn't return our calls.

UPDATE

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So it turns out Queen Elizabeth did not storm out of her photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz, contrary to the dishy reports the BBC put out earlier this week. While a new documentary does show Her Majesty giving an icy glare when the celeb photog suggests she remove the crown, the other bits were all out of order, giving an inaccurate impression, network reps said yesterday: A scene in which Elizabeth grumbles "I'm not changing anything" actually came as she arrived at the shoot, not as she left. The Beeb has apologized to HRH and Leibovitz.

HEY, ISN'T THAT . . . ?

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Rob Lowe plugs for driver tax breaks.(Jay Premack - Bloomberg News)

· Rob Lowe exiting the Hay-Adams and entering a car yesterday afternoon with a blond woman. He looked rather tan, with aviator shades and a white shirt with a semi-popped collar. The former "West Wing" star was here to lobby Congress for tax breaks for drivers who want to convert their hybrids to plug-ins, whatever that means.

· Michael York, in a black polo shirt, lunching at Cafe Milano yesterday. The English actor, starring in Wolf Trap's "Camelot," dropped in for the third time this week; had grilled chicken and salad but no wine or dessert.

· Alberto Gonzales and Bob Woodward having a long, friendly lunch yesterday at Rosa Mexicano. The AG and the Post author, along with their wives, were spotted having Mexican food, no margaritas. The couples split the check.

Legal Rivals Will Go to Bat for Children's Hospital

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The Washington Nationals' charitable arm has settled its lawsuit against Franklin Haney over what the foundation claimed was a $400,000 broken promise from the multimillionaire developer.

Two years ago, Haney was one of several contenders for the ownership of D.C.'s new baseball team, most of whom made lavish shows of support at the foundation's September '05 gala. Haney's was most impressive, a pledge to match the evening's proceeds dollar-for-dollar. But months later -- after the Lerner family beat out all other bidders for the team -- foundation execs claimed Haney never got around to mailing that check. Last fall they filed suit in federal court for the original $400K, plus $4 million in punitive damages.

In the settlement, the two sides agreed to cover their own legal costs and join forces to make a "significant, joint" gift to the Children's Hospital diabetes clinic. How significant? Lawyers didn't say, but the Nats in April promised $2 million toward a new $5 million facility and said the organization would help the hospital get the rest of the way there.