The names are familiar and as ESPN's Nancy Lieberman points out, all will make an impact during the 2001 WNBA Playoffs.

Tari Phillips, New York Liberty

Phillips

Phillips has to come with a double-double every night for New York to be a contender. She's an undersized post but has a tremendous feel for the game and is explosive. It's tough for the bigger players in the league to challenge her because she takes them away from the basket and can go right by them because she's so quick off the dribble.

She is very difficult to box out because she is constantly moving her feet. The thing that will help Tari's game is if her teammates can hit the outside shot, if will give her some one-on-one opportunities. She's a gamer and an All-Star. New York isn't a very big team and they're not a great rebounding team so that's why she is so important in the equation.

Sheri Sam, Miami Sol

Sam

Sam has absolutely transformed her body into that of a professional athlete. The knock on her was, "If she ever got in shape, she'd be really good." She's in great shape now and she's really good. The thing that makes her so good is that she can slash, has a 3-point game, can handle the ball in the open floor - she can rebound and run and doesn't have to give the ball up to Debbie Black. She's a tremendous offensive rebounder. She puts so much pressure on opponents' defense with her ability to get to the basket.

She has embraced that next part of her game, which is the defensive end. Miami is one of the best defensive teams in the WNBA so obviously that is a high priority for their team. She has played her best basketball toward the latter part of the season and is just a great player.

Merlakia Jones, Cleveland Rockers

Jones

"Lake" has improved every single year that she has been in the league, and she's one of the originals from year one. Her maturation, her understanding of the game - so much has changed for her and it's really exciting to watch. Her production has also gone up each season and she is being rewarded with All-Star status. I'm really proud of the things that have happened for Lake because it's nice to see good things happen to good people. She has worked very hard and is very coachable.

Every player has an "MO" in their game and in the scouting reports and Lake's was she wants to take that dribble and pull up left for a jumper. Now she has taken her weakness, which was going right, and has made it a more potent part of her game. I like everything about her - the leadership she brings, she's a veteran, understands her role and takes it seriously. She is an unbelievable rebounder. Defensively, she can guard the best player on each team. She is a pretty special player.

Andrea Stinson, Charlotte Sting

Stinson

Sting coach Anne Donovan has finally figured out a way to allow Stinson her creativity and freedom, but in a "team" atmosphere. Andrea is unbelievable - there aren't many players better than her in the open court. She can hit the three. She comes to play, is a no-nonsense player, can score, slash, rebound, has moves in the open court that people haven't even figured out yet.

It helps greatly when you have someone like Dawn Staley getting you the basketball. I liken Stinson and Staley to Magic Johnson and James Worthy. Dawn is setting Andrea up for success and getting her the ball where she can be most effective and not take bad shots. That's important when you're looking at the big picture.

Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks

Leslie

This is Lisa's best season in the WNBA and she is playing very focused. She knew she wanted to take the Sparks to another level, both defensively and offensively. I think she is MVP of the league this year. She changes things on defense with her shot blocking ability; she's an Olympian, MVP of the All-Star Game, all-everything. What I like about Lisa is she has a tremendous respect for coach Michael Cooper. She has an openness to learn what he is teaching and wants to learn.

She has gone from being the best post player in the world to moving out to the three spot. With the addition of Latasha Byears, she has found that she can take people off the dribble. Last offseason, she worked with James Worthy on her footwork and moves, and also hired a personal trainer and got into amazing shape. She could probably slow down a bit, rest on her laurels, shine her gold medal, but she doesn't want to because there's something she doesn't have - a WNBA championship, and I'm sure her friend Sheryl Swoopes reminds her of that all the time.

Clearly Lisa has improved her game at every level. The cute little model Lisa you seeing running down the court doesn't tell the whole story because she'll knock you on your behind in a heartbeat. She is one of the toughest competitors this league has ever seen. She has one thing in mind and one thing only and that is elevating the Sparks to a championship level, and I think she can do that.

Tina Thompson, Houston Comets

Thompson

Tina has had quite the year. She pretty much said to everybody at the start of training camp, "Hop on, I've got broad shoulders, I've got experience, and have been the third arm in the law firm, but now it's Thompson, Thompson and Arcain." She has done everything they could've asked of her. She is one of the most professional players I've ever seen. She is a virtually unstoppable offensive player - can shoot the three, take you off the dribble, go right, go left, gets offensive rebounds and she is a better defender than people think. Her offense often overshadows her defense.

I think the world of what Tina has done. She wasn't happy with her salary, could've sat out and said she wasn't playing until she was paid what she was worth. But all she did was show up the first day of camp and say, "You know what? I'm not happy with what I'm making but I've got to be out here on the court and do my thing for the team." I respect her for that.

Her ankle is hurting her a lot more than she is letting on. There's no doubt she is hobbling as the Comets head into the playoffs. Teams have beaten the tar out of her this season because they know if they limit her and Arcain, they've got a good chance of beating Houston. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on Tina, but she enjoys that pressure. She knows that this is her time, she's ready to shoulder the burden and don't tell her she can't handle it & because she can. She is just a superb person and player. We should all be so lucky to have Tina Thompson in our sport.

Yolanda Griffith, Sacramento Monarchs

Griffith

Yo has taken her game to a different level. I thought she started the season a little slow and might have been tired from playing in the Olympics and playing over in Europe during the offseason. She has proven that she is tireless and relentless. She is a workhorse. There isn't a better rebounder in the league - she seeks out the basketball. I love the way she plays - the one, two, three, four or five - doesn't matter. She is such a competitor.

She is like Lisa Leslie in that she is chasing that goal and seeking after that which she doesn't have - a championship. It's her job to raise the level of her teammates' play on both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor. She has to show her teammates what 40 minutes of basketball is like every single night.

Natalie Williams, Utah Starzz

Williams

Nat is another one of the really great people in the game. She is a hard worker and a team player. There are certain things you can count on and her getting a double-double every night is one of them. She is going to be banged and knocked around, people are going to push on her, but she will just take the hits and power it up.

She also has expanded her game and developed that 15-16 foot jumper and is showing a little more versatility in her game. You have to do that in the WNBA because if you stand pat, you're in trouble. You have to take your game to superstar level like everyone else you're competing against. Down the stretch, who was hotter than Utah? It's a nice contrast having Nat and Margo Dydek on the same team because of their different styles. I like that combo a lot.