It's your favorite article of the year, music lovers. It's time once again to look back on the offseason's top roster changes. The exciting part? It's all set to music. And while my musical preferences might differ from those of the talented Mr. Wurst (see: Taste, bad), his influence will no doubt be felt… it will be the horrible pain you're feeling in your ears (see if you can figure out whose songs are whose). Anyway, from enormous draft day trades to veterans finding a new home, we'll take a move-by-move look at the offseason's biggest maneuvers. Like we did in 2004, 2005 and 2006 let's start the music up once again…
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2. "Real Love" and "Family Affair," Mary J. Blige
-Taj
McWilliams-Franklin traded to the Los Angeles Sparks (Feb. 21)
The first song is for Taj's husband, Reggie Franklin, who is a sergeant in the
U.S. Army and has spent time in Iraq. But it's also for Taj, herself, who has
left the Miracle/Sun franchise after eight years for a fresh start in Los Angeles.
The second song refers more to why the Sparks were so keen on bringing her in:
i.e., the loss of Lisa
Leslie for the season while she is pregnant with her first child. Minnesota's
Vanessa
Hayden will also miss most if not all of the season due to pregnancy. On
the other hand, returning from a pregnancy is San Antonio's Marie
Ferdinand-Harris. Mamas, make sure your babies grow up to be "W"
fans.
3. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," Michael Jackson
-Ruth
Riley traded from Detroit to San Antonio for Katie
Feenstra (Feb. 22)
This song works for both the Shock -- who, despite winning the 2006 title and
having a stocked roster, got rid of Riley, picked up Feenstra and signed veteran
point guard Shannon
Johnson to a free agent deal -- and the Silver Stars, who, along with Hammon,
Riley and Ferdinand-Harris, have added last year's Most Improved Player Erin
Buescher, Sandora
Irvin and Helen
Darling. Will either team stop? Does either squad have enough? We'll see
on the court.
4. "Separate Ways," Journey
-Charlotte Sting Dispersal Draft (Jan. 8)
When it was announced that the Sting were folding, thoughts immediately turned
to Charlotte's solid crop of players. And in January's Dispersal Draft, they
all went their separate ways: Monique
Currie to Chicago, Tangela
Smith to Minnesota (temporarily… see No. 5 below), Janel
McCarville to New York and Kelly
Mazzante to Phoenix, among the more notable.
5. "Temperature," Sean Paul
-Tangela Smith traded from Minnesota to Phoenix for rights to No. 1 draft
pick Lindsey Harding (April 4)
After being selected by the Lynx in the Sting's Dispersal Draft, Smith was dealt
to Phoenix on draft day for Harding. Minnesota to Phoenix? That's a serious
change in temperature. This high-scoring forward will team with Diana
Taurasi and Cappie
Pondexter to keep the Mercury offense hot. Also set to enjoy the desert
heat are Olympia
Scott and Kelly
Schumacher, who the Mercury picked up in separate trades.
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7. "Sweet Home Chicago," The Blues Brothers
-Dominique
Canty signs with Chicago Sky (Feb. 12)
This Chicago native spent the last four seasons in Houston after beginning her
career in Detroit. Now a grizzled 30-year-old veteran, Canty brings some experience
to the young, up-and-coming group in Chicago led by the aforementioned Monique
Currie and rookie Armintie
Price. Free agent Kayte
Christensen also inked a deal with the Sky and will add depth at the forward
spot.
8. "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," Celine Dion
-Chelsea
Newton traded back to Sacramento Monarchs (March 23)
After a solid season with a less-than-solid first-year team in Chicago, defensive
specialist Newton was dealt back to the Monarchs this spring. She won a title
there in 2005 and could be the rung of the ladder to help put them back over
the top again in 2007. Also bound for the defending Western Conference champs
are Adrian
Williams (via trade from Minnesota) and LaTangela
Atkinson (from Indiana).
9. "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," Boyz II Men
-Retirement of Dawn
Staley
A true legend, Staley said goodbye to her playing days after her Comets were
ousted from the Western Conference semifinals, retiring after a long career
in the WNBA and ABL. The three-time Olympic gold medalist has already gone on
to become a well-respected college coach at Temple. Also calling it quits after
the 2006 season were Charlotte
Smith and two-time WNBA champion Kedra
Holland-Corn.
10. "Big Boss Man," Elvis Presley/Grateful Dead
-New coaches in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Sacramento
No, the new coaches are not all big boss men, but you get the point. Michael
Cooper returns to the Sparks with hopes of bringing back the championship
mentality, despite being without Lisa Leslie. Elsewhere, Bo
Overton brings college experience to a young squad in Chicago, Karleen
Thompson takes over a solid roster in Houston, Don
Zierden retools in Minneosta and Jenny
Boucek looks for a return trip to the Finals with the Monarchs.