Basketball Hall-of-Famer and ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman answers your questions and e-mails throughout the year. Click here to submit a question of your own.

What is your view on the Diana Taurasi flagrant foul on Kara Lawson and her subsequent ejection? Do you think she should be fined and benched a few games?
-Jeff, Inman, S.C.

I don't think Diana should be benched. It's a physical game and, let's face it, we don't see a lot of that in the WNBA. She has too much respect for Kara Lawson (to try to hurt her). Diana is one of the few players I've ever seen who goes up to try to block shots with two hands, so I think she was just out of balance. I'm not trying to bail her out… she squarely caught (Lawson) around the head. But I'd like to think it was more circumstance than a malicious act. I know Dee is a physical player and will get after it and that's what we love about her game, but come on. She was thrown out of the game. The officials did what they had to do and I assume they made the right call.

I would like your opinion on the Mystics' recent trade of Chasity Melvin to the Chicago Sky for Monique Currie. The Mystics are deep at guard and even if you want to play Monique Currie at small forward, they've given up a proven player in the middle. Now their only real size is rookie Gillian Goring. What were they thinking?
-Jeff, Dale City, Va.

Sometimes with trades, Jeff, it's about chemistry: what coaches like, what they don't like, who fits where. I don't know exactly what's going on in Washington and I never thought they'd be 0-3 at this point. But they might be having some chemistry issues. Maybe (GM) Linda Hargrove and (coach) Richie (Adubato) thought it would be good to reunite Currie and Alana Beard, because they played well together in college. But on the other side, I like Chasity Melvin's game and her presence. She's perfect for Chicago, a proven veteran who's been around for nine years and has been productive and a good teammate. Monique Currie still has to prove herself in this league. Both teams think they'll benefit from this trade, and we'll see if they do.

Hi Nancy, do you think Mark Cuban or someone else will get an expansion team here in Dallas?
-Ralph, Plano, Texas

I would be thrilled if an expansion team came to Dallas, as I've lived here for 27 years. But it's been pretty clear in my conversations with Mark that he doesn't have any interest in bringing a WNBA team there, because he's so involved with his other businesses, like the Mavericks. But I think this is a healthy market that would add to the growth of the game and the league.

I think there would be a great following there, because the cities themselves, Dallas and Houston, have their own rivalry that dates back to the old Southwest Conference football days. Fans from each team had their own hand signals that showed who they were rooting for… whether it was the Horned Frogs, the Longhorns or the Bear claw… and that's how they'd say hello to each other. The rivalries in this area are amazing! No wonder the cowboys and Indians didn't get along! So, yes, if we had a team in Dallas, I'd have to come up with some kind of hand signal so we could fit in with the other teams around here.

I think Ashley Shields is the best rookie in the league. She showed you what a scorer can do when her shots aren't falling: get to the foul line. I would put my salary on the line to say that Ashley Shields will beat Lindsey Harding and Ivory Latta and win the Rookie of the Year award. What do you think?
-Hoop Fan, Memphis

What a big-time gambler you are, hot shot! Ivory Latta doesn't even get to play, so you're really going out on a limb! Come on! If you're going to bet me, come with something interesting!

Harding is another story. In my opinion, the voting will come down to Shields, Harding and Marta Fernandez. I wouldn't rule out Armintie Price, either. They are the four players who are likely to get enough time on the court to show what they can do. Shields' winning isn't a foregone conclusion, but she'll be there because of her numbers.

Hi Nancy, why isn't Marie Ferdinand-Harris looked at as one of the best two guards in the league? When she's showcased and given the opportunity, Marie can be unstoppable. What does she needs to do to get back to that level, because I think she still has all the tools? Thanks.
-Sam, Miami

Who says Marie Ferdinand isn't one of the WNBA's best two guards? She chose to have a baby! She chose to have one of the greatest joys you can have in life. Talk about a well-rounded, balanced human being! I'm such a fan of hers. This could be one of her best seasons, too. First, having her baby, then being willing to give up her huge scoring numbers for the sake of this team and allowing another All-Star to fit into what was her team. She is the poster child for what a professional athlete should be and act like. She could score 20 points a night if she wanted to. She is showing incredible selflessness because she wants to win. Becky's shooting spreads the floor, Sophia Young's scoring is down a tad… everybody's willing to sacrifice. But everybody in the league knows how good Marie is.

Hello, I am a 30-year-old high school coach here in Omaha. On WNBA.com, I became aware that you do summer camps for young women. First, how can I receive information about the camps for our team and other Omaha schools? Second, how can I get involved in the camps? Thank you for your time.
-Nicole, Omaha

I have conducted the camps in Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix for over 24 years. If you're interested, go to NancyLieberman.com and click on "Camps." It should be self-explanatory.

Hello, Nancy. I'm not sure if you know the answer, but why is Sherill Baker of the New York Liberty averaging only one minute per game? Is she hurt? She put up 7.4 points and 1.4 steals a game last year and she's a very athletic young player. What gives?
-Larry, Hampton, Va.

Everybody knows Sherill Baker is a big talent. But Loree Moore is back and is finally healthy and playing time is all Patty Coyle's call. It's a similar situation to Minnesota, where Lindsey Harding comes in and Amber Jacobs, who had a great season a year ago, doesn't get off the bench much these days. Things change, and it's totally based on the coach's feeling. And you can't argue with Coyle's 2-0 start. They're playing really well right now and it seems like Patty has found her core group that she wants to play with.

Nancy, whenever I look at the reader comments posted at the end of online articles, I often find a dreary, "Nobody cares about the WNBA" type of comment. I'm sure you have been exposed to this type of thinking. My question: What is up with that? Why do some people feel the need to comment about something they are apparently not interested in? It seems to be some kind of resistance to women in general -- at least that's the best I can make of it. What's your opinion on this naysayer phenomenon? Thank you!
-Clay, San Francisco

I find these message boards interesting. It's better than having a crystal ball, and I love how the fans all seem to know more than the GMs and players. That said, if you have no interest in the WNBA, why would you go to the article and message board to begin with, much less write on it? I'm easily confused, but I just don't get it. If you're not interested, you don't go to a site in the first place.

Sure, there are some who don't care about the WNBA, but millions do. We have to stay focused on the people who care about our game, who want to be around our game and who want to help promote the value and goodness in our game. Not everybody's going to love us, but we have to stay positive and focus on the people we can affect: the dads, the moms, the kids, the fans and the players out there who love basketball.