It's lucky season #13 for the WNBA in 2009

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It's lucky season #13 for the WNBA in 2009

The WNBA embarks on its 13th season, and for 2009, 13 teams will be vying for the title. The Detroit Shock return as champs and from all indications seem capable of defending that title, but L.A. seems a more trendy pick. Here's a look at the season with some previews and predictions.

Before getting to the team capsules, WNBA.com reports that in the Seventh Annual GM Survey, WNBA general managers predict the Los Angeles Sparks will win their third WNBA title and that center Lisa Leslie will win a league-record fourth MVP. Here's some more details on those and other predictions. These should help you get ready for a money making season with the ladies on the hardwood.

Which team will win the 2009 WNBA Finals?
1. Los Angeles Sparks 41.6%
2. Detroit Shock 16.7%
3. San Antonio Silver Stars 16.7%
T-4. Phoenix Mercury 8.3%
T-4. Sacramento Monarchs 8.3%
T-4. Washington Mystics 8.3%

Which team will win the Eastern Conference?
1. Detroit Shock 66.7%
2. Indiana Fever 16.7%
3. New York Liberty 8.3%
4. Washington Mystics 8.3%

Which team will win the Western Conference?
1. Los Angeles Sparks 66.7%
2. San Antonio Silver Stars 16.7%
3. Phoenix Mercury 8.3%
4. Sacramento Monarchs 8.3%

Which teams will qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs?
T-1. Detroit Shock 100%
T-1. New York Liberty 100%
3. Connecticut Sun 91.6%
4. Indiana Fever 50.0%
5. Chicago Sky 25.0%
T-6. Atlanta Dream 16.7%
T-6. Washington Mystics 16.7%

Which teams will qualify for the Western Conference playoffs?
T-1. Los Angeles Sparks 100%
T-1. San Antonio Silver Stars 100%
3. Seattle Storm 83.3%
T-4. Sacramento Monarchs 50.0%
T-4. Phoenix Mercury 50.0%
6. Minnesota Lynx 16.7%


TEAM PREVIEWS: Eastern Conference

 

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Atlanta Dream

Atlanta Dream

Atlanta Dream
Home Court: PHILLIPS ARENA
Conference: EASTERN
Head Coach: Marynell Meadors
2008 Records
Overall: 4-30 SU, 15-19 ATS
At Home: 1-16 SU, 4-13 ATS
On Road: 3-14 SU, 11-6 ATS
Vs. Division: 2-18 SU, 8-12 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 2-12 SU, 7-7 ATS
In Playoffs: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals O-U: 20-14

2009 Power Rating: 63 (#13 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): What we got from the Dream last season is what we expected from an expansion team. Atlanta was out of the playoff chase early, dropping its first 17 games before claiming its first victory of the season on July 5 against Chicago. Atlanta followed that up with its first road win in Minnesota, but the back-to-back victories would account for the team?s longest winning streak of the season. The Dream managed to capture just two more victories the rest of the way and finished with a 4-30 record in its inaugural season.

But there were positives. Despite its dismal mark, Atlanta played before one of the more supportive WNBA crowds at Philips Arena all season. Betty Lennox turned in one of the best seasons of her career, averaging 17.5 points, 2.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Young players like Ivory Latta and Tamera Young got the chance to get minutes and seasoning they probably wouldn?t have received playing for any of the other 13 teams. And the team?s final victory of the season came in impressive fashion against the uber-talented Sparks in Los Angeles, perhaps giving Dream fans a glimpse of the success soon to come.

Although perhaps the biggest positive to come out of the 2008 season was that by virtue of owning the league?s worst record the Dream had the best chance to land the No. 1 overall selection in the 2008 WNBA Draft, which they did at the Draft Lottery. With the pick, the Dream drafted versatile Louisville star Angel McCoughtry ? a player who gets after it on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Having the worst record last season also allowed the Dream to select first in the Comets Dispersal Draft. Atlanta chose forward Sancho Lyttle, who had a breakout year in 2008.

But Lyttle and McCoughtry haven?t been the only major additions during the off-season. The Dream signed free agent center Michelle Snow and lured Chamique Holdsclaw out of retirement after acquiring her rights from Los Angeles. The team also plans to insert veteran point guard Nikki Teasley into the rotation after acquiring her late last season.

Suddenly, the Dream have gone from a team with a core of Lennox, Latta, Young and Iziane Castro Marques to one with Latta, Young, Castro Marques, Lyttle, McCoughtry, Holdsclaw, Snow and Teasley. It?s quite an upgrade from last year, at least on paper.

Now it?s up to head coach Marynell Meadors to make it all work. Considering Meadors is also the team?s GM, the moves must have been made with a vision of how it was going to all play out on the court.

The main task at hand for Meadors is incorporating all of her new weapons while managing egos and expectations and not alienating those players that have been carried over from last season. That includes figuring out how to divvy up the minutes for an abundance of talented wing players. Holdsclaw, McCoughtry, Young and Castro Marques can all make a case for staying on the court.

And it?ll be interesting to see how Meadors handles the point guard situation. Last season, Latta started 31 of 34 games at the point for the Dream, and her energy and long distance shooting were integral to the Dream?s attack. But with Teasley now in the fold Meadors could be tempted to go with the steady play of a veteran, which could stunt Latta?s growth a bit.

Meadors would probably gladly take those problems over the ones she encountered last season though.

 

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Chicago Sky

Chicago Sky

Home Court: UIC PAVILION
Conference: EASTERN
Head Coach: Steve Key
2008 Records
Overall: 12-22 SU, 19-14 ATS
At Home: 8-9 SU, 9-7 ATS
On Road: 4-13 SU, 10-7 ATS
Vs. Division: 10-10 SU, 14-5 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 2-12 SU, 5-9 ATS
In Playoffs: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals O-U: 12-22

2009 Power Rating: 67 (#12 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): Everything seemed to revolve around Sylvia Fowles for the Sky last season. The 6-6 center from LSU was regarded as the second coming of Lisa Leslie entering the WNBA, and the Sky found her to be a nice consolation prize after Candace Parker went No. 1 to L.A at the 2008 WNBA Draft.

Adding a top-notch post defender like Fowles solidified a talented young core of which to build a successful franchise around. The season prior, Armintie Price had earned Rookie of the Year honors with Chicago and Candice Dupree had already become an All-Star in each of her first two seasons.

But only five games into the 2008 season, a season in which Chicago figured to have its best chance yet to reach the postseason, Fowles went down with a knee injury that caused her to miss 17 games and deflated Chicago?s hopes for making the playoffs. Predictably, the Sky managed just a 6-11 record without Fowles.

Of course, that means they were only 6-11 with her in the lineup. However, a bulk of the losses with her came when the slender rookie and the Sky were still trying to find their stride in the early part of the season under new head coach Steven Key, and then when she initially returned from her knee injury. As for when Fowles did find her stride, look no further than the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where she became an unstoppable force for a U.S. team that won the gold.

After the Olympic break, Fowles rattled off three straight double-doubles and over the team?s final nine games averaged 12.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.11 blocks and 1.33 steals. More important, Chicago went a respectable 4-5 over those last nine games.

Not much has changed in 2009 in terms of the Sky?s direction. The franchise?s fortunes still rest with Fowles, although what the 2008 Olympics proved is that the more talented the group is around her, the better she plays.

The young core of Fowles, Price and Dupree is back for another go, as are steady backcourt veterans Dominique Canty and Jia Perkins. It cannot be understated just how much Perkins has improved over the past few seasons and what she has meant to the Sky?s progress. Last year, Perkins become a regular fixture in the starting lineup and led the team in scoring (17.0 ppg) and steals (1.88 spg) and was second in assists (2.8 apg).

Perkins along with Price, Dupree, Canty and Fowles have the Sky secure in one department ? defense. In fact, Chicago allowed just 73.8 points per games last season, which was the fourth-best mark in the league. On the flip side, the Sky were the second-worst offensive team in the WNBA in ?09, putting up only 72.7 points a contest.

That no doubt sparked the off-season moves by Key, also the team?s GM. Key signed long-range shooter Erin Thorn away from the New York Liberty, where she had gotten lost in a sea of guards. Then at the 2009 WNBA Draft, the Sky, with the third overall selection, drafted Maryland?s Kristi Toliver ? a point guard who isn?t afraid to look for her own shot.

But with the new-found depth in the backcourt comes new questions: Who will start? Who will get the bulk of the minutes? Who will receive the majority of the shots? Who will have the ball in her hands at the end of games? The answers to these questions may take a while to develop, but ultimately they will play a big role in determining whether the Sky can finally break through and earn a postseason berth.

Lastly, we?d be remiss if we did not mention the signing of Chen Nan, an import from China who just might be the most underrated signing of the offseason. Nan was the 2009 MVP of the Women?s Chinese Basketball Association and also took part in the past two Olympics for her home country. In the Beijing Games, Nan averaged 14.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.

It should also be noted that Nan is 6-5, and when put together with the 6-6 Fowles the tandem should create some interesting matchup problems for opponents down low. Just another weapon the Sky have added to their expanding arsenal for ?09.

 

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Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Sun
Home Court: MOHEGAN SUN ARENA
Conference: EASTERN
Head Coach: Mike Thibault
2008 Records
Overall: 22-15 SU, 14-22 ATS
At Home: 14-5 SU, 5-14 ATS
On Road: 8-10 SU, 9-8 ATS
Vs. Division: 14-9 SU, 6-16 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 8-6 SU, 8-6 ATS
In Playoffs: 1-2 SU, 0-3 ATS
Totals O-U: 15-22

2009 Power Rating: 71 (#7 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): The Sun shocked most of the WNBA last year with just how well they played after losing stars Katie Douglas, Nykesha Sales and Margo Dydek ? the bulk of the core that led the team to back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances in 2004 and 2005. Connecticut flirted with the East?s top spot all season before finishing just one game behind the Detroit Shock at regular season?s end.

Head coach Mike Thibault had perhaps his finest season in Uncasville transitioning his team into a new era without having to go through a rebuilding phase. The Sun lost big names, brought in a slew of new players and even had unheralded rookies playing important roles, yet the results barely changed. The team was able to execute Thibault?s game plan all season, offensively and defensively. So it was no surprise when Thibault was rewarded with his second Coach of the Year award in the past three seasons.

But the main reason Connecticut remained among the East?s elite was the play of point guard Lindsay Whalen, who simply used the 2008 campaign to not only establish herself as one of the best floor generals in the league, but as one of the best overall players. Taking part in her fifth WNBA season, Whalen put up career-best numbers in nearly every category and led the league in assists with a 5.4 apg clip. Whalen was honored for her stellar season with an All-WNBA First Team selection and finished second in the MVP voting behind only Los Angeles? Candace Parker.

As successful as 2008 was for Whalen, it was also bittersweet. During the final weeks of the regular season Whalen suffered an untimely ankle injury. Had she been 100 percent, the Sun may have been able to overtake the Shock for the East?s top seed, and may have been able to dispose of the New York Liberty in their first round playoff matchup. However, Whalen?s mobility was clearly limited in the postseason, and as a result the Sun were limited in what they could do on both ends of the court and lost in three games.

A hobbled Whalen wasn?t the only reason why the Sun fell to the Liberty, but her setback revealed that the team lacked the firepower and athleticism necessary to beat a versatile and deep team like New York in a three-game series.

Forward Asjha Jones certainly doesn?t lack firepower and athleticism and did her part to keep the Sun a contender in the East in 2008. While Whalen received most of the attention, Jones quietly turned in another phenomenal season, leading the team in scoring (17.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). For her efforts she was recognized with her first All-WNBA honor, being named to the Second Team.

Currently in the thick of their primes, Whalen and Jones remain the leaders of this team and are shoo-ins to start for the Sun, but the other spots in the lineup appear to be up for grabs in a pivotal year for the franchise as it searches for its new identity.

Tamika Whitmore, who was acquired from Indiana prior to last season in exchange for Douglas, put together a solid 2008 for the Sun, averaging 12.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in 34 games ? 33 starts. However, she struggled in the playoffs, shooting only 37.5 percent and not once connecting from beyond the arc (0-7), and the 10-year veteran turns 32 on June 5.

Either second-year player Sandrine Gruda or rookie Chante Black could possibly take over the starting center job from Whitmore. Gruda didn?t exactly set the world on fire in her rookie season, but at 6-4 and only 21 years old still has the potential to be a force in the middle. The Sun snatched up Black with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, which was slightly lower than most expected the Duke product to go. What Black brings to the table is a defensive stopper in the middle and a big that can run the floor, although her offensive game still needs some refinement.

The team?s top draft pick from a year ago ? Amber Holt ? ended up starting all 34 games at the shooting guard spot in her rookie season mainly because of the intensity she brought on the defensive side of the ball. However, this year she?ll have competition for the starting spot in the form of Erin Phillips, a Sun veteran who returned to the team late last season after a hiatus. Phillips is valuable asset because she's a combo guard who can handle the ball and take pressure off Whalen.

And Thibault could use any number of players at the starting small forward slot, including Kerri Gardin, Barbara Turner or even rookie Lyndra Littles. Littles was another player who fell into the Sun?s lap at the draft after starring collegiately at Virginia. Many projected Littles to be a first-round selection, but Connecticut grabbed her in the second round with the 17th overall pick.

Suffice it to say, the Sun have more weapons in 2009, which should allow Thibault to use more combinations and hopefully keep his biggest assets healthy and fresh by the time the postseason rolls around. But the Sun aren?t the only team to have upgraded themselves over the off-season and competition in the East should be fierce. Detroit, New York and Indiana are once again stacked and Atlanta, Chicago and Washington have all improved their situations.

 

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Detroit Shock

Detroit Shock

Detroit Shock

Home Court: THE PALACE
Conference: EASTERN
Head Coach: Bill Laimbeer
2008 Records
Overall: 29-14 SU, 23-20 ATS
At Home: 18-4 SU, 12-10 ATS
On Road: 11-10 SU, 11-10 ATS
Vs. Division: 20-6 SU, 15-11 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 9-8 SU, 8-9 ATS
In Playoffs: 7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS
Totals O-U: 20-22

2009 Power Rating: 78 (#1 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): The 2008 WNBA season was about more than winning a championship for the Detroit Shock -- which they did by sweeping the San Antonio Silver Stars in the WNBA Finals; it was about solidifying their place in history. In winning their second title in three years and third in six years, the Shock reached dynasty status, becoming the first and only WNBA team to do so since the Houston Comets won the league?s first four championships.

And the scary part is that this dynasty shows no signs of letting up. Detroit is still uber-talented, with a healthy mix of all-world veterans and dynamic youngsters, and enters this season as a heavy favorite to make its fourth straight appearance in the Finals. Much of the credit for that has to go to GM and head coach Bill Laimbeer, who has seemingly made every right move over the past few years and developed a culture of winning in Detroit that reverberates throughout its roster, no matter who graces it.

The Shock take the court in 2009 stacked once again, perhaps even more so than last year. That?s mainly because of a trade Detroit made toward the latter stages of the 2008 regular season when it acquired center Taj McWilliams to fill the void up front left by Cheryl Ford, who suffered a season-ending knee injury midway through the season.

Although Ford has yet to see action in the preseason, she has been cleared to play. Of course, injury issues have plagued Ford in recent years, but when healthy she?s one of the best rebounders in the game. And if the Shock can get her services for the majority of the regular season, they?ll have one of the most imposing frontcourts in the league in Ford, McWilliams, Kara Braxton and Plenette Pierson.

Pierson will no doubt return to her role as sixth woman extraordinaire, but how Laimbeer and his coaching staff use the rest of his talented bigs should be interesting. Laimbeer has never been one go with an oversized small forward in the starting lineup, which means either Braxton, McWilliams or Ford will come off the bench.

Braxton has been in and out of the starting lineup the last couple years mainly because of her inability to play well consistently. But the Shock did show faith in her by matching an offer sheet from the Sparks after she averaged a career-best 8.9 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds in 2008.

And McWilliams, who has played in six WNBA All-Star games, can always be relied upon to produce offensively, defensively and on the boards. The only issue with McWilliams at this point is her age and the amount of miles she has logged throughout her basketball career. The 38-year-old is a veteran of 10 WNBA seasons and also played two seasons in the ABL as well as many overseas.

Experience is definitely not something the Shock lack. Like McWilliams, guard Katie Smith has racked up a lot of basketball miles during her illustrious career. And like McWilliams, Smith, who turns 35 on June 4, shows no signs of slowing down thanks to her unparalleled work ethic. Last season Smith started all 34 games for the Shock and averaged 14.7 points and 4.0 assists, but her main contribution came in the Finals, in which she hit nearly every big shot and was named series MVP.

Smith?s backcourt mate will once again be Deanna Nolan, arguably the most underrated superstar in the WNBA ? a paradox that perfectly suits Detroit?s most lethal weapon. While other players in the league may get more recognition in terms of awards and media attention, Nolan simply leads her team to victory year in and year out through her superior athleticism, drive and high basketball IQ.

Unlike in years past, Smith and Nolan will have a lot of help coming off the bench in 2009, and in fact Detroit?s backcourt is so deep this year, Laimbeer may choose to start three guards. Alexis Hornbuckle is set to embark on her sophomore campaign after a sensational rookie season in which she established herself as a defensive stopper, leading the entire league in steals.

The Shock selected Hornbuckle with their top pick in the 2008 Draft and also went for a guard with their first round selection in this year?s draft, nabbing Pittsburgh?s Shavonte Zellous. Zellous is an offensive force who can score from anywhere on the court, and has been doing just that in the preseason, which bodes well for her receiving minutes. So in Hornbuckle and Zellous, not only have the Shock replenished their backcourt for the next generation, they?ve also added guards capable of stepping in and producing on a team that is designed to win now.

Detroit also added a pure point guard in Kristin Haynie, who signed on after playing last season with the expansion Dream.

Youth isn't necessarily served up front, although second-year center Olayinka Sanni is a decent big that can come off the bench and hold down the fort. The team also added Kristen Rasmussen, Barbara Farris and rookie Britany Miller, but it?s unlikely any will play significant roles in 2009 because of the talent ahead of them.

As deadly as Detroit is heading into 2009, a trip back to the WNBA Finals ? never mind another title ? is anything but a lock. In a 13-team league with 11 roster spots per team the level of competition is going to be high. Laimbeer articulated as much recently.

?Every team can win now on any given night and every team thinks they have a chance to get in the playoffs,? said Laimbeer. ?It hasn?t always been that way. I think if you poll every team out there, they believe they can make the playoffs and that?s very dangerous for a team like us that come in as the defending champion.?

On top of the increasing talent level across the league, the Shock have to worry about injury concerns, most notably with Ford, and the realization that two of their major components ? Smith and McWilliams ? are nearing the end of their careers.

For a typical champion hunger might also be an issue a year after winning a title, especially when you factor in that a team may feature a slew of players that have achieved personal and team success at many levels.

But the Shock aren?t your typical champions.

 

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Indiana Fever

Indiana Fever

Indiana Fever

Home Court: CONSECO FIELDHOUSE
Conference: EASTERN
Head Coach: Lin Dunn
2008 Records
Overall: 18-19 SU, 15-22 ATS
At Home: 11-7 SU, 8-10 ATS
On Road: 7-12 SU, 7-12 ATS
Vs. Division: 13-10 SU, 12-11 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 5-9 SU, 3-11 ATS
In Playoffs: 1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS
Totals O-U: 19-18

2009 Power Rating: 69 (#10 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): Making the playoffs year after year has been rewarding for the Indiana Fever. And if it weren?t for the Detroit Shock, things would be even better.

The Fever have advanced to the WNBA playoffs over the last four seasons. But, in each of the last three years, it has been the three-time defending East champion Shock who have sent them home. Now, the Fever are hoping the addition of two stars can help shoot them to their first title in franchise history.

Center Yolanda Griffith and guard Tamecka Dixon put the ink on contracts with the Fever this off-season. Griffith, a former MVP and seven-time All-Star, has announced this will be her final season after spending the last 11 years as one of the league?s most dominating inside presences. Dixon, a three-time All-Star who is 21st on the all-time scoring list with 3,368 points, has been with the WNBA since its inception. Both ladies also have championship rings, which could translate into valuable knowledge for their teammates.

Griffith and Dixon are to the Fever this season what guard Katie Douglas was to them in 2008 ? a big-name off-season acquisition. Douglas returns to the shooting guard spot, where she poured on over 15 points and grabbed four boards a night for Indiana. She?ll again be working side-by-side with point guard Tully Bevilaqua, a crafty ball handler who ranks perennially among the league leaders in steals.

Another area of the floor second-year Fever head coach Lin Dunn has little to worry about is down low, especially with the addition of Griffith. Forwards Tamika Catchings, a five-time All-Star and member of the WNBA All-Decade Team, and Ebony Hoffman, the 2008 Most Improved Player, return to provide big bodies outside the paint, while center Tammy Sutton-Brown uses her 6-foot-4-inch, 199-pound frame to guard the basket. Catchings, Hoffman and Sutton-Brown each averaged over 10 points and six rebounds a game last season.

The Fever, led by that trio, were among the best defensive teams in the league in 2008, surrendering just over 72 points a game, third best overall. They also ranked first in steals (9.53) and second in blocked shots (4.85) per game.

Off the bench, Dunn will lean heavily on guards Tan White and Erica White and forward Khadijah Whittington. Tan White, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Fever, started 22 games last season, averaging 9.9 points per game. Erica White was picked up in the Houston Comets? Dispersal Draft and spent last year learning the guard spot under Dixon. Dunn will have to find playing time for both ladies as Dixon, Douglas and Bevilaqua will get a majority of the minutes. Whittington, meanwhile, appeared in 22 games during her freshman season, displaying a toughness that had led some to compare her to Catchings.

Indiana also added depth in the draft, selecting guard Briann January out of Arizona State with the sixth-overall pick. Dunn believes January is the Fever?s point guard of the future with Bevilaqua?s career winding down at the age of 36. The Fever also added forward Christina Wirth (Vanderbilt) and center Danielle Campbell (Purdue) in the second and third rounds.

If history repeats itself, the Fever will put together another solid year and be back in the playoffs. But if Dunn has found the right combination of veteran players and young blood, this year?s team could alter their historical path and potentially bring home a title.

With this roster, it wouldn?t be too shocking.

 

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New York Liberty

New York Liberty

New York Liberty

Home Court: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
Conference: EASTERN
Head Coach: Pat Coyle
2008 Records
Overall: 22-18 SU, 22-18 ATS
At Home: 13-6 SU, 10-9 ATS
On Road: 9-12 SU, 12-9 ATS
Vs. Division: 14-12 SU, 15-11 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 8-6 SU, 7-7 ATS
In Playoffs: 3-3 SU, 5-1 ATS
Totals O-U: 18-22

2009 Power Rating: 73 (#3 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): The Liberty stood one win away from advancing to the WNBA Finals last season after squeezing out a 60-56 victory over the Detroit Shock at home in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. New York was hoping that momentum could carry them past Motown?s team, but Detroit is known to become a different team that time of year, and playing them on their home court is like playing the lottery ? the odds are against you.

In Game 2, the Liberty had trouble stopping guard Deanna Nolan (22 pts) and fell to the Shock, 64-55. The next night, both teams took the floor for the deciding game of the series. The Shock jumped out to a 20-point lead before New York fought back in the closing minutes to pull within two. But the Liberty missed a pair of threes that could have put them ahead, sending the Shock to a 75-73 win and their fourth trip to the Finals, three of which they?ve won.

New York hasn?t had as much luck in the Finals as their conference mates. The Liberty, one of the WNBA?s original franchises, have been to the big series an identical four times, yet on each occasion have left without a trophy. The upside to last year?s loss, however, is the amount of potential and progress the team displayed throughout the season. That?s largely why head coach Pat Coyle did very little to change the roster heading into 2009.

The Liberty will again be led by forward Shameka Christon and center Janel McCarville. Christon, the team?s veteran star throughout the season and during the playoffs, led the Liberty with 15.7 points per game. McCarville, meanwhile, took herself to a new level in ?08, setting career-highs in points (13.7), steals (1.5), assists (2.1), and rebounds (5.4) per game. Her .535 field-goal percentage was also third-best among all players.

New York was the youngest team in the league in 2008, which allowed then-rookie guard Essence Carson to move into the starting lineup immediately. The product of Rutgers ? Coyle?s alma mater, as well ? showed promise while learning the faster pace of the pro game. She?ll be joined at the other starting guard spot by Loree Moore, who in her five seasons has shown a strong ability of getting the ball to her teammates and stealing it away from opponents.

Forward Cathrine Kraayeveld (9.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) solidifies the Liberty?s starting power forward spot, where she started all 34 games last season. Coyle will use a mixture of capable players off the bench that includes guard Lisa Willis and forward Tiffany Jackson.

Coyle also has to be thrilled to have 6-foot-4 Kia Vaughn on her roster this year. The Liberty?s first-round draft pick (8th overall) out of Rutgers should give the team a strong defensive presence on the inside for years to come. Vaughn, a former teammate of Carson, will likely work under McCarville until she can step in full-time.

The Liberty may not have made any major changes on the court, but they certainly did on the sideline. The team added Hall of Famer Anne Donovan to its coaching staff, just months after she led the U.S. women?s basketball team to a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics. Donovan also has WNBA coaching experience, having led the Seattle Storm to its only championship back in 2004.

Coyle has said her team is on a four-year plan, which began after the team went 11-23 in 2006, their worst season on record. The Liberty have improved each year since that plan was put into place and if that trend continues, 2009 could result in a trip to the Finals. And, just maybe, that will result in a WNBA title being brought to the Big Apple.

 

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Washington Mystics

Washington Mystics

Washington Mystics

Home Court: MCI CENTER
Conference: EASTERN
Head Coach: Julie Plank
2008 Records
Overall: 10-24 SU, 12-22 ATS
At Home: 6-11 SU, 4-13 ATS
On Road: 4-13 SU, 8-9 ATS
Vs. Division: 6-14 SU, 8-12 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 4-10 SU, 4-10 ATS
In Playoffs: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals O-U: 18-15

2009 Power Rating: 61 (#14 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): President Obama isn't the only one hoping to bring change to the nation?s capital. With new general manager Angela Taylor at the helm, the Washington Mystics are in the midst of a change movement as well.

Not only has Taylor ushered in a new coaching staff and a number of new players, her hope is to change the culture that surrounds the Mystics, a team that has not had a winning record or a playoff berth since 2006 and has seen four coaches lead the team in the last two years.

Taylor?s first order of business was to get the coaching staff in order as interim coach Jessie Kenlaw was not retained by the club after she took over mid-season in 2008 for Tree Rollins, who was dismissed after a little over a year on the job (spanning two seasons).

Taylor, who spent the last two seasons as the vice president of business development for the Minnesota Lynx, did not have to look far to find her coach as she brought Julie Plank, an assistant with the Lynx in 2008, with her to D.C.

Plank has been an assistant coach in the WNBA for the past nine years, but this will be her first stint as a head coach. In a position that has seen so much turnover, the success of Plank will be imperative to Taylor?s goal of turning this program around. Plank plans to install an up-tempo style of offense in Washington, which should help the Mystics improve on their 69.6 points per game average from last season, which was the lowest in the league.

Not only do the Mystics have a new leader on sidelines, but they have a new leader on the floor as well with point guard Lindsey Harding coming over from the Lynx in a trade for two of the Mystics? 2009 WNBA Draft picks. With the picks, the Lynx selected Quanitra Hollingsworth at No. 9 and Rashanda McCants at No. 15.

The Mystics did hold on to their top first round pick and selected University of Maryland standout Marissa Coleman with the No. 2 overall pick. Coleman, who many scouts and analysts think is one of the most WNBA-ready rookies, should be able to contribute right away for Washington, likely coming off of the bench to start her career.

The other new faces on the Mystics roster include sophomore Matee Ajavon, who Washington picked up on the Houston Comets Dispersal Draft, and Kristen Mann, who spent time in both Atlanta and Indiana in 2008. The Mystics also welcome back a pair of players with free agents Chasity Melvin and Kiesha Brown returning to Washington from Chicago and Los Angeles, respectively.

Taylor mentioned before the draft that the biggest needs the team needed to address during the offseason were the point guard and center positions. With the additions of Harding and Melvin, the Mystics were able to fill those needs before the draft, which allowed them to select the best player available, which is what they deemed Coleman to be.

On paper, the changes that the Mystics have made this offseason have added talent and depth to their roster. Of course, playoff berths are not captured on paper, so it will be up to holdovers like Alana Beard, Nakia Sanford and Monique Currie, as well as the new players and coaches to come together to make this work.

 

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TEAM PREVIEWS: Western Conference

TEAM PREVIEWS: Western Conference

TEAM PREVIEWS: Western Conference

Los Angeles Sparks

Home Court: STAPLES CENTER
Conference: WESTERN
Head Coach: Michael Cooper
2008 Records
Overall: 23-17 SU, 23-16 ATS
At Home: 14-5 SU, 13-6 ATS
On Road: 9-12 SU, 10-10 ATS
Vs. Division: 15-11 SU, 16-9 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 8-6 SU, 7-7 ATS
In Playoffs: 3-3 SU, 4-1 ATS
Totals O-U: 18-22

2009 Power Rating: 74 (#2 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): 1.3 seconds. That is all that stood between the Los Angeles Sparks and the WNBA Finals last year.

The Sparks were on the verge of a sweep in the waning seconds of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, when Sophia Young sank a 14-jumper at the buzzer to keep the Silver Stars alive in the series. San Antonio would go on to win the decisive Game 3 and put an end to an otherwise magical season for the Sparks.

After suffering through their worst season in franchise history in 2007 with a 10-24 record, the Sparks rebounded in 2008 behind the return of WNBA legend Lisa Leslie and the arrival of rookie phenom Candace Parker. Leslie returned from her season-long motherhood hiatus in 2007 and did not miss a beat, capturing her second Defensive Player of the Year award. Parker?s season was even more impressive, as she captured both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors in her debut season.

The Sparks would have to wait nine months before they could step back on the court to try to avenge the loss to the Silver Stars and return to the WNBA Finals in search of the their third championship. A lot has happened during that time.

January 7, 2009: Parker announces that she is pregnant with her first child and will miss a portion of the upcoming season.

February 4, 2009: Leslie announces that the she will retire from professional basketball at the conclusion of the 2009 WNBA season.

March 12, 2009: The Sparks announce the signing of Tina Thompson, a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic champion (one of four current Sparks to win gold in Beijing).

May 2: Michael Cooper is announced as the new head coach of the University of Southern California women?s basketball team, effective immediately following the 2009 WNBA season.

There is no doubt that Leslie and Cooper want to go out on top and finish their respective WNBA careers as champions. However, the road to a Sparks championship is covered with question marks.

First, there is the status of Parker, who gave birth to a healthy baby girl on May 13 and has said she plans to return to the Sparks this season. Just a week later at Sparks media day, Leslie said that she expects Parker to return by late June.

In the meantime, Cooper and the Sparks open the season on June 6 against the defending champion Detroit Shock and will walk onto the floor with a much different lineup from a year ago.

Aside from returning starters Leslie and DeLisha Milton-Jones, the Sparks will feature a new point guard with recently acquired Noelle Quinn replacing Temeka Johnson; a new shooting guard with the acquisition of Betty Lennox; and a new power forward with the addition of Thompson.

While the new players bring plenty of talent, there is also the natural learning curve associated with incorporating new players. Other newcomers for the Sparks in 2009 include Kristi Harrower and Vanessa Hayden, the return of Marta Fernandez (who played for the Sparks in 2007) as well as draftees Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and Ashley Paris.

In addition to integrating a number of new players, Cooper will also have to deal with managing Parker?s return to the lineup at some point this season, which could prove to be a delicate matter.

Few players have had a child so close to the start of the season and come back to play during the same year. One of those players is Thompson, who had her son in May of 2005 and returned to play just nine weeks later in late July, missing the first 19 games of the season. In 15 games that season, Thompson averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds, while playing just over 29 minutes per game.

The fact that she was able to return to the court so quickly and play meaningful minutes is an amazing feat. But at the same time, you can?t help but notice that her production was nearly cut in half from what she did the year prior to having the baby. In 2004, Thompson averaged 20.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, while playing over 36 minutes per game.

Perhaps the biggest question leading into this season for the Sparks is what can they expect from the reigning MVP when she returns to the floor. She has overcome obstacles and exceeded expectations at every step of her young career, but now faces an entirely new challenge as a basketball player / mom.

Despite Parker?s absence for a portion of the season, the Sparks field a team that should challenge the best in the West for a berth in the WNBA Finals as Leslie and Cooper look for the storybook ending to their WNBA careers.

 

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Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota Lynx

Home Court: TARGET CENTER
Conference: WESTERN
Head Coach: Don Zierden
2008 Records
Overall: 16-18 SU, 17-17 ATS
At Home: 9-8 SU, 8-9 ATS
On Road: 7-10 SU, 9-8 ATS
Vs. Division: 8-12 SU, 7-13 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 8-6 SU, 10-4 ATS
In Playoffs: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals O-U: 23-11

2009 Power Rating: 71 (#7 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): The bottom of the Western Conference is familiar territory for the Minnesota Lynx; it?s where they?ve finished the past three seasons. But, thanks to a core of returning players and a strong draft, the Lynx look ready to move out of the basement and into contention.

With the way Minnesota came out of the gate in 2008, you would have thought they?d be the ones facing off against Detroit in the WNBA Finals. Five consecutive wins, including a strong performance over the Shock on opening night, left many fans in the North Star State energized that this could be their year. Then, things shifted south, and Minnesota was unable to muster anything more than a two-game win streak, ending the year at 16-18.

Twenty-plus wins is possible this season, due in part to the return of two-time All-Star Seimone Augustus and center Nicky Anosike. Augustus, the team?s leading scorer (19.1 ppg), has MVP potential should the Lynx improve their record. Anosike (9.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg), meanwhile, led the team in several offensive and defensive categories during her freshman campaign.

They could be joined in the starting lineup by guard Candice Wiggins, who took home Sixth Woman of the Year honors last season. Wiggins, Kelly Miller, Anna DeForge and first-round draft pick Renee Montgomery (4th overall) provide the Lynx one of the deepest guard rotations in the league.

Minnesota ranked among the top teams in scoring and accuracy in ?08. It was their defense that took them out of games and left head coach Don Zierden scratching his head. So, the third-year coach swung a pair of deals to bring in some new forwards. First, sending center Vanessa Hayden-Johnson in a sign-and-trade swap to the Los Angeles Sparks for Christi Thomas. Then, Zierden shipped center Nicole Ohlde to the Phoenix Mercury for LaToya Pringle and Miller, a Minnesota native who brings championship experience to the club. Thomas and Pringle will be matched with Charde Houston, who last season served as Zierden?s top forward choice off the bench.

The Lynx were also busy in this year?s draft after dealing last season?s assist leader, Lindsey Harding, to the Washington Mystics for first and second round selections. That left them with four picks, including three in the top 15, which Minnesota used on Montgomery (University of Connecticut), center Quanitra Hollingsworth (Virginia Commonwealth), forward Rashanda McCants (North Carolina) and guard Emily Fox (Minnesota).

It?s this youth that gives Minnesota promise for the future, and these women are poised to make waves in the West. The talent is there, at least on paper. Now, it?s up to Zierden to translate that talent into wins.

 

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Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix Mercury

Home Court: AMERICA WEST ARENA
Conference: WESTERN
Head Coach: Corey Gaines
2008 Records
Overall: 16-18 SU, 14-20 ATS
At Home: 10-7 SU, 7-10 ATS
On Road: 6-11 SU, 7-10 ATS
Vs. Division: 8-12 SU, 8-12 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 8-6 SU, 6-8 ATS
In Playoffs: 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS
Totals O-U: 19-15

2009 Power Rating: 72 (#4 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): After winning their first title in 2007, the Phoenix Mercury had the unfortunate fate of becoming the first defending WNBA champion to miss the playoffs in 2008, finishing the season with a 16-18 record.

To be fair, the Mercury did not return the same squad that it had in 2007 when they finished the regular season with a 23-11 mark and defeated Detroit in the WNBA Finals.

Penny Taylor, a two-time All-Star forward who averaged 17.8 points in 2007, chose not to play in the WNBA in 2008 in order to concentrate on training for the Olympics with the Australian National Team. Meanwhile, Paul Westhead, the team?s head coach, left the Mercury to take an assistant coaching job with the Seattle Sonics/Oklahoma City Thunder.

Taking over the head coaching duties was Corey Gaines, an assistant under Westhead for two seasons and a proponent of the same run-and-gun style the Mercury used during their championship run. However, he was unable to find the same success in his first year at the helm.

While the Mercury still had superstars Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter ? who finished the season as the top two scorers in the league ? they did not have that important third wheel that teams need in this league to achieve elite status. Tangela Smith, who played an important role in pushing the Mercury over the top in 2007, was limited by a knee injury last season that eventually required surgery and forced her to miss the final seven games of the season.

The status of Taylor, the third member of the Phoenix Big Three in 2007, remains unclear for the 2009 season. She just finished playing alongside Pondexter with UMMC Ekaterinburg and helped lead the team past Taurasi?s Spartak Moscow for the Russian Superleague title. However, it is reported that her right ankle requires surgery and that she would have the procedure done once the Russian season ended.

If Taylor is able to return to Phoenix at some point this season, she would give the team a tremendous boost. As Taurasi recently said, "Penny makes us an elite team. If there is a possibility of her coming back, the doors will be open and we'll be ready to rock."

With Taylor being such a big question mark, the Mercury aggressively pursued another elite Australian power forward ? unrestricted free agent and two-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson. Jackson narrowed her choice to Phoenix or Seattle during the winter, but ultimately chose to return to the Storm, the only team she has played for during her eight-year career.

While the Mercury were not able to land a superstar in free agency, they did make a number of moves that should keep them in playoff contention in the competitive Western Conference.

Phoenix brought in power forward Nicole Ohlde in a trade with Minnesota that saw Kelly Miller and LaToya Pringle join the Lynx. The Mercury also acquired point guard Temeka Johnson from Los Angeles in exchange for their first-round draft pick in 2010. In the draft, the Mercury selected Auburn G/F DeWanna Bonner, whose height, athleticism and skill set should make her a great fit in the Mercury?s up-tempo system.

On the downside, the first week of training camp has been tough on the Mercury. Ohlde arrived to camp with a fracture in her left foot that will require her to miss 3-5 weeks and Murriel Page, who signed with the team on Monday, tore her left Achilles? tendon on the same day and required season-ending surgery, which was performed on Tuesday.

With Ohlde out, incumbent Le'Coe Willingham will likely retain her starting spot in the post and join Johnson, Pondexter, Taurasi and Smith on the first unit. Gaines will bring Bonner ? who can play any position on the floor other than the point ? off of the bench, along with sharpshooter Kelly Mazzante and 6-7 center Alison Bales.

With Taurasi and Pondexter, Phoenix has two players that can get hot and carry the team to a win on any given night. Can they do it on enough nights to lift the Mercury back into the playoffs in 2009? Or will the additions of Johnson, Ohlde and Bonner provide enough help to take some of the load off of the dynamic duo?

 

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Sacramento Monarchs

Sacramento Monarchs

Sacramento Monarchs

Home Court: ARCO ARENA
Conference: WESTERN
Head Coach: Jenny Boucek
2008 Records
Overall: 19-18 SU, 21-16 ATS
At Home: 13-5 SU, 11-7 ATS
On Road: 6-13 SU, 10-9 ATS
Vs. Division: 10-13 SU, 12-11 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 9-5 SU, 9-5 ATS
In Playoffs: 1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS
Totals O-U: 20-15

2009 Power Rating: 72 (#4 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): During the 2008 WNBA season every team in the West had a chance to make the postseason up until the last week, making for one of the most competitive conference races in league history. When the postseason rolled around, the up-and-coming Lynx came up short, as did the veteran-laden Comets and high octane Mercury.

The team that edged them all to earn the final playoff spot was the Monarchs, who quietly reached the postseason for the sixth straight season. Sacramento seemed like an unlikely candidate to reach the playoffs at the year?s midway point, owning a mediocre 8-11 mark. But in mid-July, Sacramento?s signature team defense finally kicked in and ignited a seven-game winning streak that allowed it to leapfrog teams in the standings. The team ended up going 10-5 over its last 15 regular season games to lock up the fourth and final seed in the West.

The first round of the playoffs saw the Monarchs fall to the San Antonio Silver Stars, but not before putting up a valiant fight. Playing without star forward Rebekkah Brunson, who was sidelined with a knee injury, Sacramento pushed the West?s top seed to the brink on the road and lost the deciding game in overtime.

While you?d be hard-pressed to get anyone on Sacramento to admit something positive came out of the first-round defeat, the progression head coach Jenny Boucek and her players made over the second half of 2008 can?t be overlooked. In early July the team looked old and stagnant and in September resembled one on the verge of commencing its next successful chapter.

One reason was the surprise play of rookie Crystal Kelly, who was picked up just before the 2008 season after being waived by Houston. When Brunson went down, Kelly stepped in and stepped up. The Western Kentucky product started all three playoff games in place of Brunson and gave San Antonio fits, averaging 12.3 points while shooting 70 percent from the field.

Kelly proved to be a nice compliment to the foundation of Kara Lawson, Ticha Penicheiro and Nicole Powell, which is now reaping the benefits of the familiarity and cohesion it has been building over the past few years. Lawson became a full-time starter for the first time in her career and averaged a career-best 12.2 points per game. That number was topped only by Powell?s 13.6 ppg ? also the best scoring output of her career. Playing in her 11th WNBA campaign, Penicheiro rejuvenated her career by turning in one of her best seasons as a pro and figures to give the Monarchs steady play from the point again in 2009.

As mentioned above, Brunson?s season was cut short by a knee injury that required off-season surgery. Prior to getting hurt she had established herself as one of the top low-post defenders in the game, making the All-Defensive Second Team in ?07 and ?08. On top of that, DeMya Walker missed most of the year with her second knee injury in as many seasons.

Just how dangerous would Sacramento have been if it had a healthy Brunson and Walker all season? Well, we may get a chance to find out this year should there be no further setbacks, although the durability of Brunson and Walker remains the wild card heading into 2009.

The other variable added to the mix for ?09 is Courtney Paris, who was the team?s first-round selection in the 2009 WNBA Draft after she fell all the way to No. 7. Paris is being tagged as one of those prospects who should be able to make an impact right away in the WNBA after a successful stint at Oklahoma. She possesses a formidable array of post moves and Sacramento could definitely use some scoring down low. But just how high of a ceiling she has is another issue. The big concerns, obviously, are her conditioning and lack of athleticism and how they will translate in a league where the players are much bigger, stronger and faster than they are at the college level.

Fortunately for Paris and the Monarchs the team doesn?t need her to do too much. Up front the team is armed with Brunson, Walker, Kelly and Laura Harper, who was the team?s first draft pick a year ago. Harper played in all 34 games last season and averaged 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.5 minutes. Harper and fellow sophomore Kelly figure to take up most of the time at the center spot with Adrian Williams?Strong no longer in the picture.

The team also added free agent Hamch?tou Ma?ga-Ba during off-season. Ma?ga-Ba, a reliable player at the wing position, played for Houston the last two seasons after spending her first five with the Monarchs.

Very quietly the Monarchs have once again put together a deep, defensive-minded roster that should give the team a strong chance of reaching the postseason for the seventh straight season. Sacramento may not have signed Tina Thompson, or traded for Lindsey Harding, but what the team has done is added some useful components to further the team?s transition into its new era.

 

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San Antonio Silver Stars

San Antonio Silver Stars

San Antonio Silver Stars


Home Court: SBC CENTER
Conference: WESTERN
Head Coach: Dan Hughes
2008 Records
Overall: 28-15 SU, 21-21 ATS
At Home: 18-5 SU, 11-11 ATS
On Road: 10-10 SU, 10-10 ATS
Vs. Division: 14-12 SU, 10-15 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 14-3 SU, 11-6 ATS
In Playoffs: 4-5 SU, 1-7 ATS
Totals O-U: 24-19

2009 Power Rating: 70 (#9 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): Through the 2008 regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs nearly everything went right for the Silver Stars. Powered by the sensational play of Becky Hammon, Sophia Young and Ann Wauters, San Antonio steamrolled to a franchise-best 24-10 record, which was tops in the league, before showing true grit in playoff series wins over Sacramento and Los Angeles. The latter series produced one the most dramatic moments in WNBA history when Young kept San Antonio alive with an off-balance shot at the buzzer to win Game 2.

Of course, that was before everything went wrong for the Silver Stars in the WNBA Finals, in which they were unceremoniously swept away by the Detroit Shock in three brutal games. The Silver Stars couldn?t get much going offensively and that was due in large part to the great defense played on Hammon, who was forced to play more minutes than normal because of injuries suffered to backups Helen Darling and Edwige Lawson-Wade in the previous series. And Young and Wauters among others failed to provide more than adequate support to take some of the heat of Hammon.

Despite being totally outplayed in the Finals, the Silver Stars very easily can enter 2009 with the mindset that the WNBA title was within their grasp. Besides the injuries to Darling and Lawson-Wade, the team was without offensive weapon Shanna Crossley, who missed the entire 2008 season because of a knee injury. If San Antonio was at full strength and all its stars had played to their potential, the WNBA Finals could have been a more competitive series.

Most of the team that carried San Antonio to the Finals last season is back for another go-round, including the cornerstones ? Hammon and Young. Unfortuantely, Wauters, who gave San Antonio a nice Big Three arrangement in 2008, does not intend to join the team until midway through the season in order to rest her body and deal with some personal issues.

Wauters, the 6-4 Belgian center who San Antonio stole from Atlanta in a draft day trade, was a steady presence on offense and on the boards for the Silver Stars last season. She averaged 14.7 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 53 percent from the field ? also tops on the team.

For the first couple months the void in the middle left by Wauters will have to be filled by Ruth Riley, who will likely be thrust back into the starting lineup. Last year, Riley started just three games at the pivot for San Antonio, but in the year prior ? her first with the team ? she started 29. During that 2007 campaign she averaged 8.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.97 blocks per contest ? numbers that were significantly better than her 2008 output.

Riley will be backed up in the middle by the player who San Antonio traded to acquire her prior to the 2007 season. Katie Mattera, formerly Katie Feenstra, is back in the fold after signing as a free agent during the off-season. Mattera spent 2008 with the expansion Atlanta Dream after playing for the Shock in 2007 and at 6-8 should provide San Antonio with sufficient depth at the center spot and much-needed help on the boards. Last season, the Silver Stars were the second-worst rebounding team in the league behind only the expansion Dream. But besides the addition of Mattera the Silver Stars did little to address this area in the off-season and it could come back to haunt them.

We go from one Silver Star with a new name to another in Erin Perperoglou, formerly Erin Buescher. Perperoglou is set to take part in her third season with San Antonio. While she was forced to carry much of the load at the wing last season, this year she?ll be joined by a trio of shooters in Crossley, Belinda Snell and Megan Frazee. Snell signed on with San Antonio after taking last season off, while Frazee, an inside-outside threat out of Liberty, was the team?s top selection in April?s draft.

Still, it remains to be seen whether Crossley, Snell and Frazee can be major contributors for a team hoping to remain atop the West standings. And when you consider that the Silvers Stars are relying heavily on veterans Perperoglou, Hammon, Wauters, Riley, Darling and Vickie Johnson once again in 2009, it?s hard to ignore that San Antonio?s dreaded window to win a title with this group might be closing.

While these stars may be approaching the twilight of their careers, the good news for San Antonio is that another has only begun to realize her potential. In 2008, Young finished fourth in the WNBA MVP voting a year after Hammon came in second, perhaps signaling the initial stages of the passing of the torch in San Antonio.

But hold on. It?s always a mistake to overlook Hammon, as has been proved time and time again throughout her basketball career. Hammon had to deal with a lot in 2008, including the reaction to her decision to play for Russia in the Olympics, so perhaps a fresh season away from heavy scrutiny could allow her to take her game to even greater heights.

That?s not to say there won?t be pressure to win in San Antonio. No longer are the Silver Stars the underdog. No longer can they exceed expectations. They will again have some of the best players in the game in Hammon, Young and eventually Wauters, and pretty much return the same squad with the exception of few key additions. San Antonio also has one of the top coaches in the league in Dan Hughes, who very easily could have won his second straight Coach of the Year Award in 2008 if it weren?t for the splendid job done by Mike Thibault in Connecticut.

It?ll largely be up to Hughes to manage expectations in 2009 and maintain San Antonio?s upward trend that has developed since he arrived. The only step left in the progression though is a championship.

 

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Seattle Storm

Seattle Storm

Seattle Storm

Home Court: KEY ARENA
Conference: WESTERN
Head Coach: Brian Agler
2008 Records
Overall: 23-14 SU, 22-15 ATS
At Home: 17-2 SU, 14-5 ATS
On Road: 6-12 SU, 8-10 ATS
Vs. Division: 14-9 SU, 14-9 ATS
Vs. Non-Conference: 9-5 SU, 8-6 ATS
In Playoffs: 1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS
Totals O-U: 13-23

2009 Power Rating: 72 (#4 of 13)

2009 Outlook (from WNBA.com): The Storm?s season outlook got a lot brighter on May 4, when two-time MVP and unrestricted free agent Lauren Jackson chose to return to Seattle rather than signing with the Phoenix Mercury. Replacing Jackson?s production in the lineup would have been next to impossible and is an issue that head coach Brian Agler is happy to not have to deal with.

Having to play without Jackson is something the Storm did have to face last season as she left the team for five games prior to the Olympic break in order to return to Australia for training with the Australian Opals National Team in hopes of capturing Olympic gold in Beijing. During training, Jackson suffered an ankle injury that would require surgery. She played through the pain during the Olympics, but did not return to the floor for the Storm as she missed the final eight games of the regular season and the playoffs.

Without Jackson, the Storm were still able to secure the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 22-12 record, but were unable to get past the Los Angeles Sparks in the first round, being eliminated in three games.

In Jackson?s absence, Sue Bird made a transition from facilitator to scorer in the Storm offense. With Jackson in the Storm lineup, Bird led the league in assists at 6.1 per game, and added 13.1 points per game. With Jackson out, Bird?s scoring average jumped to 17.5 points per game as she became an MVP candidate, finishing third in the voting behind Candace Parker and Lindsay Whalen.

To open the 2009 season, Bird will likely return to her facilitator role, as Jackson returns to the Storm with a healthy ankle and Bird?s former UConn teammate Swin Cash ? entering her second season in Seattle ? returns with a healthy back after undergoing offseason surgery.

Seattle also welcomes the return of a pair of former post players with Suzy Batkovic and Janell Burse back in Storm uniforms in 2009. Batkovic, a 6-foot-4 center from Australia, played for the Storm in 2005 and will join the team prior to opening day. Burse, a 6-5 center, returns to the Storm after sitting out the entire 2008 WNBA season to rest lingering shoulder, foot and knee injuries.

On the other hand, the Storm saw two veterans from last year?s squad move on as Yolanda Griffith signed with the Indiana Fever as a free agent and Sheryl Swoopes was waived by the Storm in order to free up cap space to re-sign Jackson and guard Tanisha Wright.

With Jackson, Burse, Batkovic, Ashley Robinson, Camille Little, Kasha Terry and rookie Ashley Walker, the Storm have a surplus of post players. With rosters being trimmed to 11 players this season, it is unlikely all of these players will make the squad. Obviously, Jackson is a lock for a roster spot and Burse and Batkovic appear to be safe as well. Little and Walker have the ability to play the three as well as the four, which adds some versatility to the lineup and adds to their value.

The Storm are less deep on the perimeter. Bird will start at the point, with veteran free agent Shannon Johnson joining the squad as a backup. Wright should start at the two guard, with Cash on the other wing at the three spot. Backing up the two-three spots are sharpshooter Katie Gearlds and La'Tangela Atkinson.

With the departures of Griffith and Swoopes, the Storm have two open slots in their starting lineup to fill and a new rotation to get used to with a number of new players on board for 2009. Health will once again be a concern, but if Jackson and Cash can return to their pre-injury form, the Storm will have a legitimate Big Three to build around in hopes of an another championship run.

The Storm have made the playoffs in each of the four years after winning the 2004 WNBA title, but have been unable to make it out of the first round in any of those years. Is this the year Seattle advances past the first round and fulfills its WNBA Finals aspirations? It will not be easy, as the Western Conference is once again loaded with talent. From perennial playoff contenders like Los Angeles, San Antonio, Sacramento and Phoenix, to the up-and-coming Minnesota Lynx, competition in the West should be as fierce as ever in 2009.