Opening statements:

Doris Burke: Obviously there is a significant amount of talent, impact talent, particularly the first two picks. Everybody has talked about Candace Parker and the skills she brings. To me, there is a NBA vibe to her game. She reminds me a little of Carmelo Anthony in that they mix her spots on the floor, when she catches it on the box and goes back to the basket, she can either attack close or she can use a little escape dribble. There's just a NBA feel to what Candace does and it's so much fun to watch her. Sylvia Fowles is 6-6 and as athletic as they come. Her size and mobility is almost stunning. With Sylvia, there is so much upside on the offensive end, I don't think she's scratched the surface of where she can be. After that, there is still tremendous talent at fours. Maybe a little undersized with Erlana Larkins and Crystal Langhorne, but there is talent. I liked the comments by the coaches about Laura Harper from Maryland. I think that this is going to be a good draft.

Carolyn Peck: I have to agree with Doris, especially with her comments on Candace Parker and the comments the coaches made. She showed toughness after that shoulder went out twice last night and she came back to play like she did. One reporter even asked about the injuries with her knee but you'll look at the rehab and how hard she works and you don't think that's going to be a factor. And I have had the pleasure of covering LSU several times and Sylvia Fowles showed another level to her game. In their game against North Carolina, when [LSU Head Coach] Van Chancellor made the decision that she was going to be the number one option throughout the game, and with the passes that her teammates were able to make to her she was able to go up and get around the rim. That's something that I don't think necessarily is consistent in the WNBA, and she brings that to the game. There are also a tremendous amount of guards available in this year's draft and these players will be able to come in and make an immediate impact.

Q&A portion:

Q: To follow up on Bill Laimbeer's comment on Laura Harper and Crystal Langhorne, can you talk about the two of them and how you see them playing at the professional level?

Burke: Clearly when you look at what Crystal has been able to achieve - the efficiency with which she's been able to score on the field goal, typically drawing a terrific defender, tremendous footwork, quickness, and an ability to score over bigger people - these things are going to be important in the league. I think the one question is how she will deal with the size and physical nature of the WNBA. I think she's going to be a productive player and it will be interesting to watch her progress as an offensive player. I think there's more to her than we have yet seen. In an up-tempo system, her ability to be creative and slither around the rim will make her a terrific pro. Harper has been overshadowed a little by Langhorne, but you're talking about a bigger body, a pro body, somebody who rebounds, somebody who has - and I mean this as a compliment - a little bit of nasty in her, and that will serve her well in this league. I like the edge that she brings, the competitive drive, the desire, her ability to hit the mid-range jump shot has improved and I think it will continue to get better. I think that Harper will have tremendous upside in this league. I enjoy watching both of these players compete.

Peck: Crystal Langhorne is going to have to find different ways to score because of her being undersized but I think that her quickness on the floor will allow her to score, especially in transition. For her to be picked up by a high-octane transition team will be a plus. With Laura Harper, she hasn't been playing basketball very long and I think that her talent and coordination is now catching up with her confidence. Sometimes you have a bigger player that you have to convince to be confident and Harper has that. I do believe that she has a huge upside and I think that her value comes with her having that face up game, where she can shoot the ball from the free throw line area which would be a huge value to any team that runs a high-low pattern.

Q: Could you give your analysis of Nicky Anosike. Her game is one that doesn't show up in a boxscore but is more appreciated live. Doris was talking about the physicality of the league, could you address Nicky's ability to fit into the league because of her ability to be so physical?

Peck: I think you're absolutely right. She has a great pro body for the WNBA, and it's not just her size but the ability to move that size. I was as shocked as anyone that she did not make the All-Defensive team for the ACC, because I think she's one of the better defensive players in that conference. I have seen her defend every position on the floor. She can be at the front of the press and guard a point guard, she can go out and defend on the wing, and can also defend down low. And she has stepped up to the challenge and continued to improve her rebounding for Tennessee. She has a nice bounce and a nice nose for the basketball in going after it. Especially for a team that is guard oriented and have shooters that like to shoot from the perimeter, it would be a plus for them to have Nicky inside to clean up.

Q: Could you talk a little about Essence Carson and reflect on her performance in the tournament and how she'll translate into the WNBA?

Burke: I think Essence is going to be a player in this league. She's athletic, she's long, but most importantly she's an incredibly intelligent defender who commits to stopping her opponent's strength. The one thing we did see change during the NCAA tournament, which was lacking in the earlier part of the year with regard to the offensive end of the floor, was that she appeared to have become more aggresive. I think the WNBA coaches were thrilled to see that. This is a league where increasingly, players are able to create off the dribble. The one thing that the coaches are probably thinking is, that because Vivian Stringer's system was so defensive minded, it is hard to evaluate their players on the offensive end of the floor. They are so patient and so deliberate, and so often took the shot clock to under 10 seconds and then put Matee Ajavon, Essence Carson and Epiphanny Prince in a position to create off the dribble that so many times they were taking contested shots. If you put them into the WNBA, where the coaches understand how to place their players in positions of strength on the offensive end of the floor and get them easier shots, I think you're going to see Ajavon and Carson paired up in the league.

Q: Can you talk about her performance last night and the aftermath of the game?

Burke: You see the jubilation of Connecticut but it's hard for me to see the heartbreak of two kids. I'm a Jersey girl myself, and if consider how much Matee and Essence brought to the state university, so much pride and so much productivity and how they helped sustain the level that Vivian Stringer has now gotten the program to, it's hard to watch. They competed and were aggresive, and I think that at the end of the first half and at the end of the game, fatigue was a major factor. Matee had a couple of key turnovers. I just felt they were worn down, emotionally and physically. I think that dictated part of what happened with Connecticut's ability to get back into the game late in the first half and win the game later in the second half.

Q: Any speculation on where Essence and Matee are going to go in this draft?

Peck: I think that Matee has a strong opportunity to go in the top ten. Essence as well. It depends on any last minute trades that happen.

Burke: I think they are both going in the first round. I wouldn't be surprised to see them go in the top ten.

Q: How would you evaluate the talent of Ketia Swanier and Charde Houston, both players who have really improved their stock?

Peck: Ketia Swanier has definitely helped her stock, and the coaches made reference to her ability from the game last night (Elite 8-vs. Rutgers) to manage tempo, and hit key baskets and manage the basketball. Swanier has brought a lot of composure, and is definitely an added value to any team. Charde Houston has been excellent the last month, the only concerns that GM's and Coaches have, are the fact that she had a lot of inconsistencies in the beginning of the season. The WNBA is a long season, and when you draft early and try to draft impact players, you want to make sure that you draft players that can go the distance and be consistent. Rookies usually hit the rookie wall midway through the season, and the question for Houston is whether or not she will hit that wall, or will she be the player that she was when she finished the season.

Burke: I can't remember a guard who has made more of a significant transition from year one to her senior year then Ketia Swanier. During her first year, if there were ten big plays to be made, she didn't make one of those ten plays. At this point, she makes ten out of those ten big plays; they did not advance to Tampa without Ketia Swanier. Swanier has extraordinary presence, an aggressive mindset, her ability to will the team to win and, now, consistently hits uncontested shots from deep range. This is as physically gifted offensive player. She can string together minutes where she will be the best player on the floor regardless of the talents around her. With 34 games you can't afford to lose focus mentally and that remains an issue with Houston. She checks in and out mentally during games on a regular basis. This is a league for women, and you better show up nightly, if not, you will not look good and you will not help a franchise win games.

Q: Do you see either Charde Houston or Ketia Swanier as first round draft picks?

Burke: I believe Swanier has played her way into the late first round, or at the absolute latest, the early second.

Q: Would it be absolutely foolish not to take Candace Parker as the overall pick, and does it make sense anywhere for a trade to be done?

Peck: It is a great fit for Parker to be taken by the Los Angeles Sparks. To add Candace in the mix with Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Lisa Leslie would be extremely beneficial. Parker can learn a lot about the game from a veteran like Leslie. Leslie is such a professional, and it would be very good for Parker to learn and grow beside her. I could see where there would be an interest in getting a Sylvia Fowles, but if there is an opportunity to get a Parker, you have to take her.

Burke: If I were Chicago, I would give up No. 2 and an asset to get Parker. I would be inclined to do that. Parker has already proven that she can dominate on a basketball court with the best basketball players in the world. If you go back to the [FIBA] Americas Championship, every player that played in that tournament would say that for long stretches she was the best player, and I am including the best ten year veterans in the league. When Cooper discusses replacing Leslie, he is hinting at the center position, and Candace is a three or four, and Fowles is definitely not a bad pick for the Sparks.

Q: With Parker coming out this year, is that going to set a pattern for the future, will more players trying to leave early?

Peck: Well Candace Parker isn't leaving early, she does have another year of eligibility, but according to the WNBA rule, as long as she finishes the year that her class graduates, she is eligible for the draft. Parker meets that requirement; she was injured early with her knee, and then played three seasons, so she has been in college for four years. A player like Candace Parker will go from playing in the Final Four and play with the Olympic Team. There is not much left for her to do.

Q: Carolyn (Peck) discussed Nicky Anosike of Tennessee earlier, where should she go in the Draft?

Peck: In talking to several general managers, I think that she has the potential to go late first round or early second. It goes back to the size and strength that she brings, along with her agility. If you remember back to Rebekkah Brunson, she was a strong rebounder who wasn't known for her offensive production, but that came along with her experience in the WNBA, and that is the upside that Anosike has.

Q: Do you think Chicago's attendance would benefit if they drafted Candace Parker, since she is from that area, is that a necessity to help the WNBA with attendance?

Burke: You can use the NBA as an historical model in their early stages, some franchises have the mind set to try and get local players to help draw a fan base; it does truly make sense. This is a league that tries to continually grow their fan base. It really comes down to the individual philosophy of franchises.

Q: Carolyn, is it true that you had said Parker is more of a finesse player, and doesn't like to get physical?

Peck: I did say that. She didn't like the physical contact, but has developed into more of a physical player and has now initiated a lot of the physical contact during this NCAA tournament.

Q: Doris, besides Fowles, what do you think of Erica White and Quianna Chaney, how much they helped themselves this year under the guidance of [LSU Head Coach] Van Chancellor?

Burke: Quianna Chaney can run the floor. She can use the dribble. She is defending better and she has proven that she has a lot of explosive ability. I think that the Phoenix Mercury would love Chaney; she would be able to sprint to the three point line and shoot the ball or if they get up close to guard her she can get to the basket. Erica White has helped herself significantly. She has WNBA speed right now and she knows how to run a team. White may not be a starter in the league, but she can come off the bench and change the pace of the game for any team.