Triple Threat Fantasy Preview

Fantasy freaks need not worry that the NBA regular season has passed. WNBA.com is bringing to you the only WNBA fantasy game on the web, WNBA Triple Threat Fantasy Challenge. It is both fun to play and easy to learn.

Each day, you pick one player from a list of those whose teams are in action that night. Once the box scores have been finalized, the selected player's points, rebounds and assists (PAR) are then totaled to give you your Triple Threat tally.

To make the competition even more interesting, participants are withheld from picking a player more than once in a given week, meaning you have to put on your GM thinking cap in order to beat out fantasy foes.

Here are 10 players to consider each night during the 2005 WNBA campaign:

Lisa Leslie, C, Los Angeles Sparks (30.1 PAR in 2004)

Leslie's as reliable as they come -- entering her ninth season in the WNBA she continues to be the league's most dominant center. Last year Leslie ranked third in scoring (17.6 ppg) and first in rebounds (9.9 rpg). Because she is mostly a post player, she is not particularly bothered by long range shooting slumps. Moreover, the Spark center will grab boards for you night-in and night-out. Consistency is key in fantasy basketball.

Lauren Jackson, F-C, Seattle Storm (28.8)

The Aussie superstar paced the league in scoring last year (20.5 ppg) and has been among the leaders in that category during her entire four year career. If Jackson's rebounding numbers rebound to the level they were at in 2003 (9.3 rpg), she will be even more dangerous this season than last year.

Tina Thompson, F, Houston Comets (27.8)

The second-leading scorer (20.8 ppg) in the WNBA last season, Thompson wowed observers by posting the highest point production of her career in her eighth WNBA campaign. Thompson is also a solid rebounder (6.0 rpg), although her output in that category is not what it once was.

Tamika Catchings, F, Indiana Fever (27.4)

Wow, talk about a triple threat. Catchings finished fifth in the league in scoring (16.7 ppg), fourth in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and 14th in assists (3.4 apg) last season, and those were the lowest averages of her career. With the addition of rookie scoring phenom Tan White to the Fever lineup, Catchings should find herself not nearly as burdened by troublesome defenders.

Swin Cash, F, Detroit Shock (27.1)

Running backs are said to be the crown jewels of fantasy football because of their ability to rack up touchdowns. In three-category fantasy hoops, point-forwards hold that honor, and there is no player in the WNBA whom fits the description more than Swin Cash. Her numbers speak for themselves -- 16.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.2 apg. In Triple Threat Fantasy Challenge, Cash is nothing but money.

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury, G (25.3)

The 2004 WNBA No. 1 overall draft selection is one of the few guards worth selecting because she rebounds the ball well (4.4 rpg) out of the backcourt. Add to that number the 17.0 points and 3.9 assists per game she contributed last year for the Mercury, and you get one of the highest PAR's in the league.

Yolanda Griffith, F-C, Sacramento Monarchs (22.9)

Griffth's 1.2 assists per game last season was nothing to write home about, but you have to like what she does in the paint. The 6-4 pivot finished in the top 10 in both scoring (14.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.2) and just about every other statistical category.

Sheryl Swoopes, F, Houston Comets (22.6)

The 34-year-old's numbers have dipped as of late, but she still warrants consideration for your Triple Threat pick on any given night. Last season, the Comets forward posted 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

Nykesha Sales, F-G, Connecticut Sun (22.1)

Sales does a little bit of this, a little bit of that. She doesn't dominate in any offensive category but her averages of 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season explain why she made this list.

Sue Bird, G, Seattle Storm (21.4)

The Seattle guard finished second in the league in assists (5.4 apg) last season and is still only 24 years of age, so her best basketball is ahead of her. Do not be surprised if Bird's scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (3.0 rpg) figures improve this season.

Becky Hammon, G, New York Liberty (21.4)

The shortest player to make this list, the 5-6 Hammon had a career year last season in both the rebounding (3.5 rpg) and playmaking (4.4 apg) categories by a wide margin. If she can maintain those outputs this year, her dependable scoring (14.7 ppg) will carry you through.

Other notable players: Taj McWilliams-Franklin, F-C, Connecticut Sun (21.2); Anna DeForge, G, Phoenix Mercury (21.1); Deanna Nolan, G-F, Detroit Shock (20.8); Mwadi Mabika, F, Los Angeles Sparks (20.7); LaToya Thomas, F, San Antonio Silver Stars (20.1)