Opening Statements:

L.A. Sparks Head Coach Michael Cooper:
"This is going to be an exciting year. Obviously with the first pick in the draft we are very excited, but all teams should be excited about the year because we have the next wave of players who are going to take our league to another level. I think the players themselves will be excited about the style of play."

Chicago Sky Head Coach Steven Key:
"I have to agree that these players coming in with the depth that everyone is talking about, these are the players that we are going to see three, four, five six years down the road and likely several of them will be All-Stars. I think that is very exciting for the league and having an impact and doing great things for us in the future."

Detroit Shock Head Coach Bill Laimbeer:
"There is a reason why we have three draft picks in the top 18, because there are going to be some players out there from impact players to some role players. Teams are all going to be pretty stocked up on Draft picks this year. It's the first year you can bring a lot of players to camp without the risk of injury or affecting the salary cap so we are going to try out a bunch of players this year. We're excited about where we are at and think we are still the strongest in the East and can get there. I wish I could talk L.A. into giving me the number one pick but he won't let me do that."

Atlanta Dream Head Coach Marynell Meadors:
"I agree with everyone else. I think it is such a deep and strong draft, and every team is going to be able to get some quality players that are going to be around for 10 years. I think these are 10-year players and we go very deep into the second round before it starts tapering off a little bit. For an expansion team like the Atlanta Dream, I think we are going to have the opportunity to pick up a couple of players that are going to be pretty good franchise players for us. We are looking forward to the Draft."

Q&A portion:

Q: Could you address the Rutgers players - specifically Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson - and what you think they could bring to the WNBA and how their skills might translate?

Cooper: I think both of them are fine basketball players and they will come in and definitely make an impact to whatever team they go to. Again, they are exciting players and we think they are exciting basketball players in the WNBA.

Q: Specifically, on Essence. She was a three-time Big East defensive player of the year. Do you think she will be able to be a defensive stopper in the league?

Cooper: I think that defense will be her best asset. Obviously, I think she is also a great offensive scorer. The thing I like about Essence is that she can guard three positions - 1 through 3 -and make an impact. I like the other fact that she is a good ball handler. Ajavon is another one that is a combo guard. Where you play her is up to your decision. Both of those ladies are going to come in and make significant contributions to their teams. They will definitely be in the first round.

Laimbeer: I agree they will both be in the first round. I think Carson is not on our board in terms of the four pick right now. We are more interested in guards. Ajavon is a possibility. We are looking at her pretty hard as well as a couple of other guards… but I think they are both going to be in, I'd say, the top eight picks of the draft. It just shows what a great program they have at Rutgers.

Q: Candace Parker is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft. I was wondering if the coaches watched [Tuesday night's] game and if perhaps the incident with her shoulder had caused some concern?

Cooper: I don't see any concern with it. Obviously, with the No. 1 pick we're evaluating the top five players. Fowles and Parker are definitely up there. I don't think [the shoulder] will be a problem, but even if it is, she'll still be a No. 1 pick because she can definitely play basketball.

Key: The talent doesn't go away because it's an injury. It's not dealing with something that's really devastating to them. The talent is definitely there.

Meadors: I think you have to look at the toughness that she showed last night. When that shoulder popped out like that, that's very painful and I thought it showed a lot of toughness on her part.

Q: Could Coach Laimbeer please evaluate Alexis Hornbuckle of Tennessee?

Laimbeer: I think she's going to be a high draft pick. We like her size, defense and rebounding and she quietly shoots the three-ball pretty well. She fits our mix pretty well. We like big guards and rebounding guards who play defense. She's definitely a candidate. I wish she would try to score more but I understand they have Parker there.

Q: Is Candace's history of injuries a red flag?

Cooper: She's played a lot of basketball. She hasn't had a lot of time to rest. I'm with Coach Meadors; she showed some toughness coming back into the ball game. She was playing under a very painful injury. Hopefully, she's the player we take at No. 1.

Q: Coach Key, what kind of presence would Sylvia Fowles bring to the Sky?

Key: She's going to take up size inside and be an interior presence defensively and offensively. I think initially it'll be defensively but after she gets her footwork together and her bearings in terms of the size of the league, that will be her strength.

Q: Is it a possibility that the Sky might trade the pick?

Key: We will entertain any offers that are out there. We would be doing our team a disservice if we didn't listen to any offers. If there's something out there to be offered, feel free to call me.

Laimbeer: That sounds like a non-denial denial to me!

Q: Is there anyone who has elevated their draft status in the NCAA Tournament as Armintie Price did last year? In particular, did Ketia Swanier or any of her teammates do anything like that?

Laimbeer: I don't think anyone has been able to move up dramatically in this draft. I think the top six or seven picks are going to be pretty locked in no matter what order. The one kid who played better than I thought she did would was LaToya Pringle [of North Carolina], but it's hard to make dramatic leaps.

Cooper: I think Swanier has moved up a lot. In [Tuesday night's game], I thought she played a real heady basketball game. She hit some big shots and I like her speed and quickness and she showed that she can play the point guard position. I think she's moved up into the second round and possibly the first round

Meadors: I thought Swanier has improved her stock in the last month.

Key: Pringle definitely did herself a service. Everyone knew about her defensive ability, but in that last game she showed that you can go to her in post situations or a need-basket situation. I don't think she had shown that prior to that evening.

Q: Has Charde Houston played herself back into the first round?

Meadors: I think she's played much better maybe she's helped herself a bit by showing what she could do. I'm not sure she has improved enough or been consistent enough to move her stock up any higher.

Q: Could you assess Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper of Maryland?

Meadors: I think Crystal Langhorne is generally a back-to-the-basket type player and she's very good at that. I think Laura Harper has been playing in the shadows of Crystal for some time. I look at Laura being really athletic. She's a much larger, taller player.

Laimbeer: At the fourth pick, none of those players are on our list but at the 11th pick I expect them both to be gone. So somewhere in that middle slot is where they're going to land.

Cooper: Those two players have played extremely well all season long. Harper, to me, is a better player because she plays face-up and her range is out a little more. Obviously, Langhorne has been coached to be back-to-the-basket and I think she has had some flaws exposed because at this level she's going to be playing against some taller players.

Q: Is there an NBA player who plays like Crystal Langhorne?

Cooper: Langhorne is a better player than Bill Laimbeer ever was in his career. Harper probably shoots the ball better than Bill ever did.

Laimbeer: If you look for an NBA player who has been successful as an undersized power forward, I'd say Elton Brand.

Q: Could you evaluate Tasha Humphrey?

Laimbeer: My own personal belief, I'd expect Atlanta to take her at eight. I don't think at eleven, she doesn't have enough size to play the position we're looking for. We'll be looking for more of a backup center or guard at that point. I think she's playing very hard despite her size. She's going to struggle a bit playing against the Cheryl Fords of the world and Candace Parker.

Q: Is there any sentiment to draft a local player in the first year of a franchise?

Meadors: She's one of the better players in that first round. She can post up or step out at the three. She realizes how good she can be and if she works real hard she'll be a fantastic player. I don't know who we're going to select just yet. If she's there, I'd have to give it a hard look.

Q: Candace Parker has been marketed as more than a basketball player, how can she impact the LA franchise?

Cooper: I think Candace is definitely an impact player. Already she has changed the interest in the WNBA because here in LA we're hearing a lot of people talk about how they would come see her no matter what team she's on. That's one of the joys about this draft, because there are a lot of players that can do that. Hopefully we can get some of those single guys who only watch the NBA to come watch the WNBA.

Q: Is there any scenario in which you don't take her No. 1?

Cooper: We're looking at all our options. She's definitely high up on the list for us, but Sylvia Fowles is playing tremendous basketball. We're not going to take the best player. We're going to take the best player for our organization. With Lisa Leslie at this stage where she probably has a year or two left, we have to pick a player who can fill her shoes and someone we can build our team around.

Q: Do you see the top two picks being Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles?

Key: [Michael Cooper] is sitting in the captain's seat and I have to wait to see what he does. I think in this situation, both players would be No. 1 if they came out in separate drafts.

Q: Do you expect any of the players working out this weekend to alter where you see them going?

Key: In our mind, the players who have moved down might get a chance to showcase themselves better. For the most part, it's a great opportunity to play against players on an All-Star level for a day and a half to show us what they can do.

Q: Can you talk about the Women's Final Four? What kind of event will this be in Tampa?

Laimbeer: If you look at the Elite Eight, almost the entire first round was in there. Women's basketball is dominated by the stars. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the great players under the intense pressure of the championship.

Cooper: You've seen a dark horse team in Stanford who hadn't played well all season but they have a star in Candice Wiggins who's putting up some big numbers. I think it's going to be fun for the fans and exciting for the players and as the WNBA head coaches and general managers, it's going to be fun for us, too.

Q: Do you equate having the first pick as similar to when Magic Johnson came out in 1979 and the Lakers had that pick?

Cooper: I would have to say so. Again, when Magic came out that year, you knew it was going to be something special but you didn't see it. This year you know Fowles and Parker are special players already and you have to see the heights that they can go to. So I would say it's a good comparison.

Q: You have some role players in Atlanta - are you looking for a "franchise player" with the eighth pick? What direction are you looking to go?

Meadors: We're trying to solidify what we have. I know we have a couple of point guards who will make a significant contribution in Ivory Latta and Kristin Haynie. We have some role players but we also have some players with a lot of upside. We're going to try to get a guard or post player or the best available player who will help our team.

Q: Can you weigh in on Tasha Humphrey? Will she be successful in the WNBA?

Laimbeer: Anyone will be successful in the WNBA, if they have skills and can play hard.

Q: What puts Sylvia at the elite level to make her a potential No. 1 pick in most years?

Key: She brings a presence. She's 6'6" and takes up space and is very mobile. She's fluid in what she does and is passionate and is overall a better presence than the post players who have been coming through the pipes lately.

Q: Can you talk about some guards you're looking at and where does Candice Wiggins fit in?

Laimbeer: There are three guards to go high in the draft: Matee Ajavon, Alexis Hornbuckle and Candice Wiggins. Wiggins has been outstanding in the tournament so far. It's one of those situations of "Who will be available at No. 4?" Conventional wisdom says Wiggins will be No. 3. I'll believe it when I see it. Our first pick will be used for one of those three guards.

Q: Can you assess Quianna Chaney and Erica White of LSU?

Meadors: Erica White has helped herself in the last half of the season by playing heady basketball and moving the ball up and down the court. One of her favorite targets is Chaney who has hit a lot of threes. I think both those players have helped themselves.

Cooper: Those two players have done it but it's about your needs and wants. What everyone likes to have when you've got a big post in the middle is someone doing what Chaney can do because she can stretch the defense.