2003: 25-9
Coach: Bill Laimbeer
Starting 5:
Bench:
* Newcomer |
 Powell is the oldest Shock starter, and the most underrated. Gregory Shamus/NBAE/Getty |
The moves mean Detroit should again have a solid bench behind one of the WNBA's top starting lineups. To replace Holland-Corn, the Shock signed free agent veteran Merlakia Jones, formerly of the Cleveland Rockers. She'll team with Chandi Jones to form an all-Jones backup backcourt. Up front, Tillis is in the mix for playing time along with holdovers Ayana Walker and Barbara Farris.
What is not to like about the Shock's core? The starting lineup is young, talented and now fearless. Guard Deanna Nolan and forwards Swin Cash and Cheryl Ford (the WNBA's Rookie of the Year) were all All-Stars and All-WNBA second teamers. Nolan, who canned a career-high 42.1% from three-point range last season, is known as one of the league's best shooters. Ford, who averaged a double-double, was easily the league's best rebounder, pulling down 21% of all available rebounds. And Cash challenged for the MVP in her second season (eventually finishing fifth), averaging a team-best 16.6 points per game.
Center Ruth Riley was one of the league's most underrated players until she busted out in the WNBA Finals, averaging 14.7 points and 3.3 blocks in the series (27 points on 11-for-19 shooting in Game 3) to earn Finals MVP honors. Now, Riley is a part of the WNBA's "This is Who I Am" ad campaign and rightly regarded as one of the league's top posts.
Now, it's time to give some love to the fifth Shock starter, Powell. Only three starting point guards - Sue Bird, Shannon Johnson and Nikki Teasley - averaged more points per game than Powell's 9.0 last season, and she might have been able to do more on a different team. Powell shot a solid 45.1% from the field and was in the WNBA's top ten in assists per game.
Last season, the Shock was basically in a different league than the rest of the Eastern Conference, finishing seven games ahead of anyone else in the conference. While some of the other teams have improved, that's a mighty wide gap to close. Injuries appear to be the only thing that will keep the Shock from being the top team in the East once again.
Charlotte Sting
2003: 18-16
Coach: Trudi Lacey
Starting 5:
Bench:
* Newcomer |
In order to try to get out of the first round of the playoffs after losing there the last two years (both in sweeps), the Sting made an aggressive trade this winter. Guard Kelly Miller, the second pick of the 2001 Draft who was drafted as Dawn Staley's successor but failed to outlast the All-Star, was dealt to Indiana with the ninth pick for the third pick. Charlotte used the selection, its highest since the one used on Miller, to take versatile Stanford wing Nicole Powell. Like Miller, Powell's path to the starting five is blocked for the moment, but she'll back up several positions.
In the second round, the Sting got lucky. Penn State guard Kelly Mazzante, expected to go in the mid to late first round, dropped all the way to the 19th pick, where the Sting happily snatched her up. Mazzante played well in the preseason and should work her way into the rotation. Tynesha Lewis joins Mazzante and Powell as perimeter reserves after being productive off the bench in her first season in Charlotte.
The injection of youth is important to the Sting, which has one of the WNBA's oldest backcourts. Guards Staley and Andrea Stinson is 34 and 36, respectively, and while neither has shown much sign of slowing down, it wouldn't be a surprise to see that happen this season. Stinson has been passed as the first option offensively for Charlotte by small forward Allison Feaster, herself a six-year veteran but much younger at 28. Feaster can score, but she's not a high-percentage shooter, having shot better than 40% from the field just once in her career (oddly, that year, 1999, she shot 49.5% as a reserve in Los Angeles). Feaster does shoot a ton of threes - and made them at a 41.8% clip two years ago - but her offense is still overrated.
Up front, the youngest Sting starter is 25-year-old center Tammy Sutton-Brown, who developed from a second-round pick into an All-Star in her second season under Donovan's tutelage. Without Donovan around, however, Sutton-Brown regressed last season, seeing her shooting percentage slip from 53.1% (forth in the WNBA) all the way to 42.1%. Sutton-Brown was a better rebounder and shot-blocker in 2003 than in 2002, so she's a good bet to see her offense rebound this season, which would be huge for Charlotte.
Joining Sutton-Brown in the hyphen-heavy Charlotte frontcourt are a pair of five-year veterans, Olympia Scott-Richardson (signed away from the Indiana Fever as a free agent after missing 2003 with a knee injury) and Charlotte Smith-Taylor (a Sting fixture who suffered through a horrible 2003, shooting 31.6% from the field; she is also the only WNBA player who shares a name with the city she plays in). Another veteran, Rushia Brown, rounds out the Sting frontcourt. Smith-Taylor and Brown have each started an exhibition game, but the position should be Scott-Richardson's to lose once she shakes off rust from her injury. In Indiana, Scott-Richardson was a terrific role player, and her injury was a key reason why the Fever missed the playoffs last season. She should do wonders for the Sting on the defensive glass, where Charlotte was far and away the worst team in the league last season. The Sting grabbed 62% of available defensive rebounds, as opposed to a league average of 68.2%.
The aging of the Sting's backcourt will be a concern this season, but Charlotte has probably made enough acquisitions - it now boasts a deep reserve group - to stay ahead of the contributors in the Eastern Conference besides the Shock. The goal this year is to maintain Detroit dominance during the regular season and then set up a matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the hope of returning to the WNBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
New York Liberty
2003: 16-18
Coach: Richie Adubato
Starting 5:
Bench:
* Newcomer |
 Christon gives the Liberty more rebounding and defense at the three spot. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty |
The biggest liability on the boards was Robinson, who collected a paltry 4% of available rebounds last season - better than only three regulars last season, all of them guards 5-7 or under. Robinson is still a valuable player who posted a terrific 56.3% true shooting percentage, but the Liberty needed a more physical option at small forward. They got it in first-round pick Shameka Christon, a tremendous athletic talent out of Arkansas. In addition to backing Robinson up, Christon will push her to guard at times, where she is more valuable to the Liberty.
At guard, the Liberty should be solid. Shooting guard Vickie Johnson is so well known as an underrated player that she may have contracted "Joe Dumars Disease" - being called underrated so much means she's no longer underrated at all. Johnson remains one of the league's top shooting guards and a versatile player.
With Teresa Weatherspoon, the only point guard the Liberty has ever known, in Los Angeles, New York turns to Becky Hammon. Hammon's 2003 was both surprising and disappointing. It was surprising that she played out of her mind, hitting better from three-point range (46.9%) than most WNBA players do from inside the arc, and an unconscious 71.1% from two. Hammon's 77.1% true shooting percentage was 12% better than the runner-up amongst players who played 250 minutes or more last season (Tamika Williams, 64.8%).
The disappointment was that Hammon tore her right ACL on June 27 and was lot for the balance of the season. Hammon was still honored with an All-Star berth, and she looks ready to pick up where she left off, averaging 16 points in two preseason games. Hammon is not a natural point guard, recording more turnovers than assists last season, but she is too good of a scorer to keep out of the lineup and Johnson is also capable of handling the ball. Hammon almost certainly won't be as good as she was last year over a full season, but she has a good chance at another All-Star selection.
A healthy Hammon might have been enough to make the Liberty a playoff team last season, and with their additions, New York looks like a solid bet to make a return to contention in the Eastern Conference.
Indiana Fever
2003: 16-18
Coach: Brian Winters
Starting 5:
Bench:
* Newcomer |
On the court, the Fever has added three new starters. With the fifth pick of the Dispersal Draft, Indiana selected wing Deanna Jackson. A 2002 first-round pick out of UAB, Jackson blossomed into a starter and one of the league's best outside shooters (41.4% from downtown) during her second season with the Rockers. She is expected to start at shooting guard in Indiana. Joining her in the reconstructed Fever backcourt is Kelly Miller, acquired from Charlotte in a deal that sent Indiana's third pick in the Amateur Draft to the Sting. Miller was the second pick of the 2001 Draft, one pick before the Fever took Catchings, but never got the opportunity to play heavy minutes in Charlotte. 17.3 mpg, in 2002, is her career high to date. Miller can shoot, leading the WNBA in three-point percentage (47.1%) in 2002, but she has to prove in Indiana that she can set up teammates and play the point. Miller scored well during the preseason, averaging 12.7 points on 53.8% shooting, but handed out just 1.7 assists. Either way, count on Miller to improve her numbers dramatically while playing more minutes.
While the Fever was not strong in the backcourt last season, a bigger issue was likely the team's lack of size up front. Indiana finished 12th out of 13 teams in defensive rating last season (85.9 points allowed per 100 possessions), and like the teams that finished 11th and 13th (Minnesota and Washington), not having a true center anchoring the defense hurt the Fever. Natalie Williams is an outstanding player and rightfully earned her fourth All-Star appearance last season, but, at 6-2 and with limited jumping ability, Williams is better suited at power forward.
Indiana was unable to pick up a true center this off-season, but did add size in the draft, using the ninth pick (acquired along with Miller from Charlotte) on USC post Ebony Hoffman, another 6-2, 210-pounder but with better athleticism. Hoffman started two preseason games and is expected to be the starter at power forward this season, making the Fever much more physical. There were questions about Hoffman's lack of development with the Trojans, but Indiana is very high on her.
Hoffman's presence in the starting lineup moves Catchings, the runner-up to Lauren Jackson in 2003 MVP voting, to small forward. It doesn't really matter where Catchings plays, as she is the WNBA's mvp - most versatile player. Catchings ended the season in the top 20 of every major statistical category save field-goal percentage and also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. At the three, her ballhandling ability is not quite as remarkable, but her rebounding becomes even more valuable. If the Fever achieves its goals this season, Catchings will be a strong MVP contender.
In addition to strengthening the starting lineup, the Fever's additions should also mean an improved bench. Up to four of Indiana's top reserves should be players who started at least part of last season. In the backcourt, the Fever will likely use two of the group of Niele Ivey (who has started 70 games over the last three seasons in Indiana), Coretta Brown (who can play either guard position and is coming off of a solid rookie season) and Stephanie White (a well-regarded outside shooter who averaged 6.9 ppg last season).
Forward Kristen Rasmussen started 25 games and did a fine job for the Fever down the stretch, averaging 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 47% from the field. She scored 14 points against the Storm, a big reason the Fever pulled out a 79-70 win in Indiana on Jun. 28. The lone new member of the bench rotation is center Astou Ndiaye-Diatta, a veteran who started for the Shock from 2000-02 but missed most of last season after giving birth to triplets. Ndiaye-Diatta should edge out Kelly Schumacher for playing time behind Williams and Hoffman.
It should be pointed out that, despite the defensive issues, the Fever was not a bad team in 2003, outscoring its opponents despite finishing with a sub-.500 record. Indiana had the league's third-best offense on a per-possession basis, and was only two wins and the right tiebreakers away from having home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Fever has strengthened itself in the backcourt and also improved its interior defense. Indiana will face a tough battle again in the middle of a crowded Eastern Conference pack, but should return to the playoffs for the second time in three years.
Washington Mystics
2003: 9-25
Coach: Michael Adams
Starting 5:
Bench:
* Newcomer |
 Beard should help the Mystics improve defensively. Mitchell Layton/NBAE/Getty |
Though Melvin is undersized at 6-3 and isn't a big shot-blocker, she solidifies the Mystics interior defense. On the perimeter, the difference should be rookie Alana Beard, the second pick of the Amateur Draft out of Duke. Few rookies make a major impact on the defensive end of the court during their first seasons, but Beard, a three-time ACC All-Defense selection who averaged more than three steals per game early in her Blue Devils career, could be the exception. Beard can do a few things when her team has the ball as well, averaging 19.7 ppg at Duke and shooting an impressive 52.7% during her career.
Perhaps the only question about Beard as a rookie is where she'll play. Beard played guard throughout college, but with Coco Miller at the two, rookie Mystics Coach Michael Adams has experimented with the 5-11 Beard at small forward. Adams has also talked about playing All-Star power forward Chamique Holdsclaw at small forward, all of which can hardly be construed as a vote of confidence in incumbent small forward Stacey Dales-Schuman. (Given the Mystics limited alternatives at the four, leaving Holdsclaw there seems like the best course of action.)
As bad as Washington at center last season, point guard was hardly better with Australian Annie Burgess. Burgess, who has been bothered by a foot strain during training camp, is a complete non-scorer. Last season, she averaged 3.9 points per game and attempted just 25 free throws all season. Burgess is a passer, but her 3.3 assists per game ranked just 15th in the WNBA last season.
To reduce Burgess' role, the Mystics acquired point guard Tamicha Jackson from Phoenix in a three-way trade where they sent forward Asjha Jones, who never quite fit in with Washington, to Connecticut. Defenses will have to respect Jackson's ability to score, but she is coming off of a disappointing 2003 season in Phoenix and has never been known for her playmaking ability.
No one questions Holdsclaw's ability, but after her team suffered through another poor season despite her individual brilliance, questions persist about whether she is a winner. To some extent, the questions are unfair - is Holdsclaw to blame for Washington's weaknesses at point guard and center? - but she does not do herself any favors with injuries (she's missed nearly 30% of the Mystics games the last two years) or a 42.5% shooting percentage, unimpressive for a power forward. If Holdsclaw can stay healthy and the Mystics rebound, she could contend for her first MVP award.
Barring injuries, Washington is clearly the most improved team in the Eastern Conference. No East team got more out of this year's two drafts than the Mystics did with Melvin and Beard, and that should mean at least a return to respectability on the defensive end of the court with a productive offense. Washington should be right in the mix to return to the playoffs, casting aside the bad memories of 2003.
Connecticut Sun
2003: 18-16
Coach: Mike Thibault
Starting 5:
Bench:
* Newcomer |
When discussing Whalen’s pro potential, what you’re basically left with is a divide between performance and athletic potential. This is, of course, nothing new in basketball, but rarely have the dividing lines been drawn as clearly as they have this year with both Whalen and Giuliana Mendiola. In Whalen’s case, performance eventually won out, as she vaulted to Next Best Thing status after the top three picks. In Mendiola’s case, she went undrafted. There are those who think Whalen will fall on her face in the WNBA, and her one-point, one-assist, five-turnover effort against the Sparks in the Sun’s preseason finale did little to dissuade that viewpoint. It was a poor preseason in general for Whalen, but she is plenty capable of being one of the league’s top ten point guards as a rookie if she can live up to her college effort.
Still, that represents a dramatic drop-off at the point from Johnson, the only veteran point guard in the league who can match the scoring-passing combo provided by youngsters like Sue Bird and Nikki Teasley. Connecticut did manage to upgrade its biggest weakness last season, power forward, with the acquisition of Asjha Jones from Washington. In addition to being a UConn grad, Jones isn’t as bad as you probably think she is. With the Sun, her role will be better defined, and she’s a good bet to post a breakout season. Compared to who Connecticut was playing at the four last season, that qualifies as a huge upgrade.
The bad news for the Sun is that the team was working with a talent core that wasn't as good as last year's run to the Eastern Conference Finals indicated. Connecticut was actually outscored by 0.7 points per game - worse performance than not only the fourth-seeded Cleveland Rockers (+0.6), but also the Indiana Fever (+0.4) and even the New York Liberty (-0.4). Yes, the only East team the Sun had a better point differential than was the Washington Mystics.
Typically, teams that outplay their point differential tend not to the next season. That means Connecticut, with no major changes, was more likely to win 16 games than 18. On top of that, while the non-playoff East teams were able to make significant upgrades, the Sun took a short-term step backwards by dealing Johnson for Whalen. As a result, it could be a long season at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
