2003 MVP Lauren Jackson and 2004 Finals MVP Betty Lennox stopped by the WNBA offices recently to talk about their offseasons, the Storm's chances of repeating and the future of the WNBA.

Q: When you win a championship, other teams tend to really gun for you the following season, making it very difficult to repeat. What improvements have the team made in the offseason in order to deal with that?
Lennox: I think it's natural when a team wins a championship, they have a target on their backs. You look at what it took to get us there last year and build off of that.

Jackson: We've had to rebuild a little bit, but at the end of the day, our core players have that experience now, and just like every other team, we've just got to go out there and fight. We're lucky because we also have a lot of youth on our side, so I'm pretty confident about next season.

Q: What other team or teams do you think pose the biggest threat to knock you off this year?
Lennox: I think the league gets stronger every year. Both Phoenix and Charlotte got a lot stronger. Every team has improved. We just have to be mentally focused for any opponent and be aware that we have that target on our backs.

Jackson: I agree. The league is getting stronger, and the players are getting better every year. The rookie class coming in looks really talented. Phoenix does look to be particularly, tough.

Q: Most WNBA players play in other leagues in the offseason, but Lauren, you didn't because of your ankle surgery. How did your rehab go, and how else did you spend your offseason? Do you think the time off is going to help or hurt you going into the season? Jackson: I rehabbed in Australia, came back here in February, and started working out on the court. It's been a bit of a process but otherwise I've just been catching up with my family and friends, and seeing people that I haven't seen in a long time. The break was a long time coming. I really needed it.

Q: How does the ankle feel?
Jackson: Great at the moment.

Q: Do you think the time off is going to help or hurt you going into the season?
Jackson: I think it's definitely going to help me. Emotionally, I just needed a break. The surgery really was perfect timing. Now I can come back at full strength and really give it my best shot.

Q: Betty, how did you spend the offseason?
Lennox: I tried the overseas thing this year in Italy. I was there for five months. It's hardcore basketball over there, real up-tempo. I wouldn't call it physical, I'd call it an unnecessary roughness-style of basketball. But it was a great league with a lot of competitors. You can really improve your game by playing over there.

Q: Betty, was it difficult for you to fit in early last year coming to a new team that already had two established superstars?
Lennox: No, because I knew the team was based around Lauren and Sue [Bird]. I came in with the mentality that I would do whatever they needed me to do and be the type of player that when I need to back up something, I'm there. I wanted to be that aggressive, fearless player who rebounds and does the things that are asked of me, of course behind Lauren and Sue.

Q: In winning Finals MVP, do you feel that helped you establish yourself as one of the leaders of this team?
Lennox: Winning Finals MVP was a great accomplishment, but I'm pretty much the same person who's going to do the same things I did last year. Whatever pieces need to be plugged in, I'm going to try and plug those pieces in.

Q: How do you think women's basketball is faring on a global level?
Jackson: It's definitely growing fast. The Chinese team is kind of scary right now, especially for Australia who has been the second best national team for the past four or five years. They're really big girls, and they're athletic and strong. They didn't even have their full team when we played them last week. Under the direction of [Washington Mystics coach] Tom Maher now, I think they're going to have a really good shot at getting a medal. My biggest goal is to win a gold medal, so it's kind of scary to see all these teams coming -- the Czech Republic, Russia and obviously America is the greatest. It's pretty wide open right now.

Q: Do you guys have any preference about playing for a male or female coach? What are the main differences?
Jackson: Because we play for a female coach [Anne Donovan], we really can't say we'd prefer to play for a male coach.

Lennox: Anne Donovan is the first female coach I've played for. It's a little bit different as far as a woman coach being more considerate versus a male coach. Anne Donovan is a great coach and I love playing for her. She's the most understanding coach I've ever had.