2002 Record 18-14, .563 (T1st in East) Points Scored 2241 (4th overall, 2nd in East) Points Allowed 2133 (8th overall, 5th in East) Scoring Differential +3.4 (3rd overall, 1st in East) Offensive Efficiency 105.9 (1st overall, 1st in East) Defensive Efficiency 100.8 (15th overall, 8th in East) Possessions per 40 min. 65.6 (14th overall, 6th in East) What are these stats? Award Winners & Honorees All Stars Dawn Staley Andrea Stinson Tammy Sutton-Brown 2002 Draft Recap Rd. 1 – 7, Sheila Lambert Rd. 1 – 9, Shaunzinski Gortman* Rd. 3 – 41, Edniesha Curry Rd. 4 – 57, Jessie Stomski * Traded to Minnesota as part of draft day deal for Maylana Martin and Erin Buescher Playoff History Five out of six years Last Appearance 2002, lost in first round

The Charlotte Sting won 18 games for the second straight season finishing tied for first place in the East with the New York Liberty and earning the number two seed for the East in the playoffs.

The three-point shot became Charlotte’s biggest ally as they set league records for three-point field goal percentage (.400) and three-point field goals made (211). The Sting’s adeptness at hitting from long-range helped make them the most efficient offense in the WNBA.

Sutton-Brown

Tammy Sutton-Brown emerged as one of the best centers in the league averaging 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds while hitting 53.1 percent of her shots from the field. For her efforts, the Eastern Conference coaches named her to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve.

Charlotte playoff magic from the 2001 season was nowhere to be found last year as the Washington Mystics ended the Sting’s season during a 2-0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs. Charlotte’s offense went south against the Mystics averaging just 60.5 points in the two games compared to 70.0 during the regular season.

The three-point shot, which was Charlotte’s bread and butter during the regular season, abandoned the Sting in the postseason as well, as the team shot 27.9 percent (12-of-43) from beyond the arc compared to 40.0 percent during the regular season. The Sting also managed to hit just 11-of-23 free throws (.478) during the two games.

The Sting’s defense was one of the least efficient in the league last season ranking 14th in defensive efficiency, ninth in opponent field goal percentage (43.1), 12th in opponent three-point field goal percentage (35.8) and 16th in opponent turnovers (13.25).

At season’s end, Head Coach Anne Donovan left to run the show for the Seattle Storm and assistant coach Cheryl Reeve accepted a position with the Cleveland Rockers coaching staff.

Head Coach Trudi Lacey 2002 Starting Line-up G Dawn Staley G Andrea Stinson C Tammy Sutton-Brown F Allison Feaster F Charlotte Smith-Taylor Key 2002 Reserves G Kelly Miller G Tonya Edwards F Erin Buescher

Coach Lacey

How will the Sting react to what will mostly be a new coaching staff? New head coach Trudi Lacey is a link to Charlotte’s recent run of success, so the transition shouldn’t be too difficult, but coaching changes are mercurial things.

Can the Sting recapture the defensive intensity with which it played during its 17-4 run to close the 2001 regular season and during much of that year’s playoffs?

Aside from this one stretch of games, Charlotte has been an average defensive team at best over the past two seasons. An improved defense to complement the league’s most efficient offense would help push Charlotte into the “great team” stratosphere with the Houstons and LA's. With an aging backcourt, that defensive surge may have to come from the youngsters, Tammy Sutton-Brown, Kelly Miller and Sheila Lambert.

Is Sheila Lambert ready to assume a larger role for the Sting? Charlotte tabbed Lambert as its point guard of the future on draft day, 2002, knowing that she would miss most of the 2002 season with a broken right ankle. If Lambert (and Miller) can take some of the pressure off of Dawn Staley and Andrea Stinson, it should keep the two veterans fresh come August and September.