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.

You were in New Orleans for All-Star Week, right? What did you think of the vibe when you were there? What was the highlight for you? And you have to have some good stories to tell us, right? Anyway, why doesn't Louisiana have a WNBA team? I love the WNBA and our state would appreciate a good team.
-Michelle, Marrero, La.

C'mon, Michelle! I always have good stories to tell! That's why you read "Ask Nancy," right? LOL.

First and foremost, I had a great time in New Orleans. Kudos to David Stern and the NBA for making it a memorable weekend and for directing so much energy toward rebuilding the city. The players, the legends and the rest of the NBA community helped rebuild that local community, replanting grass at parks with LeBron James, Michael Jordan donating $500,000 to the cause, rebuilding homes so people can have a better quality of life.

I have to admit, though, I was a LITTLE nervous when I got downtown and saw the 40-story ad of Charles Barkley on the side of a hotel talking to Dwyane Wade on his cell phone. That was a little unnerving. Forty stories high! And my measurements might be a tiny bit off -- I can't confirm this -- but it looked like he was about 40 stories wide, as well. ;)

Aside from doing the D-League All-Star Game -- I love watching those young guys pursuing their dreams of playing in the NBA -- one of the highlights for me was hosting a Fed Ex dinner with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. It was really a lot of fun to have those two on stage with me hosting a Q&A.

We talked a lot about the globalization of the game. We had some international players there, like Detlef Schrempf, Sarunas Marciulionis, Gheorghe Muresan, Felipe Lopez, Steve, who's from Canada… well, and me… I'm from Far Rockaway. ;) Hey, it's the last stop on the Long Island Railroad. It's waaaaay out there! LOL.

But we had so much fun during that dinner, and Amare and I discussed our bowling techniques. See, Bo Outlaw tried to teach us both the basics, so we were comparing notes… No, it was a wonderful night and a great experience.

It was also great seeing all of my friends: Catch, Cheryl Ford, Kayte Christensen, Cappie Pondexter, Tina, Sheryl Swoopes, Kara Lawson… so many of the wonderful players in our league. And for the record, they were some of the best dressed lobby lizards in the entire city… they were all decked out, hanging out in the hotel lobby. And I tell you, they commanded that lobby!

I had a neat time, all in all.

As for bringing a team to New Orleans, I think the league is trying to look at plenty of areas for future growth. Donna Orender is a fan of growing this league, but she knows she has to grow it prudently. It's great that Atlanta is joining the league this season, and I think you'll eventually see more growth too. But we want to build to be solid, not just for the sake of building. Could New Orleans be in the discussion? Sure, but it's up to the city and its people and the possible investors in a team. That's what matters.

Hi Nancy, what is your feeling about the Shock trading Swin Cash, and who do you think they will take with the 4th and 11th picks in the draft?
-Janet, Warren, Mich.

There's a lot of emotion around the Swin Cash departure from Detroit. But I actually think the deal is good for both Swin and the Shock. I think Swin needed to breathe some new air and Bill got to a point of no return with her. When a coach and player lose trust in each other, it's hard to come back from there.

That said, though, I think Swin can definitely be rejuvenated by this move to Seattle. She could get into camp with new coach Brian Agler and bring her game back up to the All-Star form of a couple of years ago.

Back to the Shock, I could see them grabbing Candice Wiggins at No. 4. That would be a nice pickup for them. Despite losing Katie Feenstra, Detroit is still really strong inside, and they could use another perimeter player or two. But the draft is also heavy on bigs at the top. If Candace and Fowles go 1-2, there are still quality post players out there -- Larkins and Langhorne, among others -- who could go to Minnesota.

So Bill could have another big if he so chooses, but he has to keep an eye on Katie Smith, who isn't gonna be around forever and could play slightly decreased minutes this season. And with Wiggins able to play the one or two, she could make sense.

If they don't get Wiggins, they could end up with Alexis Hornbuckle, possibly. Who knows? They could look at a point guard like Matee Ajavon… or even Sharnee Zoll, who's a point guard that can also shoot it. A player like that would help them spread the floor, and that would add a new dimension. And as Phoenix showed last year, that ability to spread the floor out can be a valuable dimension! You can never have enough shooters!

Nancy, let's hear your early favorites for Eastern and Western Conference champs in 2008 and your MVP, Rookie and Coach of the Year picks. Is it too soon? ;)
-Fonzie, Minneapolis

Coach of the Year… haha, I can't believe I'm doing this in February… Marynell Meadors. MVP, without a doubt ;) , is Lisa Leslie. Rookie of the Year is going to be Sylvia Fowles.

And I see L.A. coming out of the West because I think Pau Gasol just got traded again, this time to the Sparks. His hair qualifies him for the WNBA. In the East, I'll stick with Mr. Laimbeer and Detroit.

Will the Shock win the Championship this year?
-Kitty, Port Huron, Mich.

I think the Shock will always have an opportunity to win the title with the core group of players they have. We're talking about Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith and a great inside group of Cheryl Ford, Kara Braxton and now LaToya Thomas. But they could use another couple of shooters, like I said.

Who do you see as being the best non-rookie newcomer to the WNBA in 2008? A foreign player? A formerly drafted player who will finally make a team and make a difference?
-Tony, Albuquerque

Well, Sandrine Gruda could come to Connecticut and play a solid role this season, but I've got a sleeper for you.

Her name is Jelena Skerovic, she's from Montenegro and she's playing at Wisla Can Pack in Poland this winter. She's the one who Elaine Powell belted a few years back. She's up-tempo, she's only 27 and I think she could add a lot to whoever signs her.

Hello Nancy. When I was looking at the 2008 schedule for the Silver Stars, I noticed that almost the whole month of August did not have games listed. I checked the other teams' schedules and noticed the same thing. Can you please tell me why there are no games scheduled for almost the whole month of August for the WNBA?
-Leah, San Antonio

Great question, Leah. The WNBA has a new campaign. You'll see it in commercials soon. It's called, "We Want to Tease You With the First Half of the Season and Then Take a Break." Another catch phrase being thrown around, but with the same idea, is "We Want You to Want Us." The campaign hasn't been approved yet, but I think it's gonna be big!

No, seriously, Leah, the league is taking a break for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China! The WNBA is taking a month off to allow its players to participate for their home countries. And the players who aren't heading to China will get a nice midseason break. It seems like a weird setup, I know, but it happened back in 2004, too.

Nancy, what can be done about getting more television exposure for the WNBA and women's college basketball? Is the problem that there are just not enough sponsors? I am just disgusted when I see that both the college and pro games are so poorly attended in many cities and that you almost have to be glued to the TV to find out when the games are. Now ESPN is, and is quickly becoming "was," my favorite TV station. I look at all the male highlights and there are hardly any women's highlights. It's disgusting. Let's campaign for more women sports and visibility with the highlights! Thank you for reading.
-Jeri, Rocky Point, N.C.

I appreciate your passion, Jeri, and since it is an election year, I'm all for campaigning.

But Jeri, my friends at ESPN have done an incredible job with women's basketball. ESPN has committed time and energy to the women's game. They've put their money where their mouth is. I mean, seriously… they've televised every single game from the Tournament! And they take you all the way to the finals! Go check out ESPN.com! There's a whole section dedicated to the WNBA and to women's college hoops. Honestly, their schedule has grown every year and there are games now on ABC! Radio, multiple TV stations, the magazine, dot-com… ESPN is doing its job!

So I'm going to turn it back on you, the fan. Bring 10 more people to the games with you who have never been before. Make them buy a ticket to go see your favorite team. Try to make them buy a season ticket.

That's how you grow the sport. The only way we grow the ratings is through eyeballs. And if you are passionate about the WNBA and the college game, and it sounds like you are, then I challenge you to introduce 10 more people to the game this season. Work to get them to become fans who will invest their money in the game… either by buying tickets, watching more on TV or by buying merchandise. That's how the guy's game works. And if you're all about equality, then let's try to make it happen that way.

If you can do those things, Jeri, you've got my vote! Though I still want to hear your take on health care…