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CHARLOTTE STING 2003 Results: The Sting finished 18-16, (.529, T-2nd in East). Roster | Stats | 2004 Schedule Head coach: Trudi Lacey enters her second season with the team. Purchase Sting tickets now!

2004 Probable Starters: C: Tammy Sutton-Brown PF: Charlotte Smith-Taylor SF: Allison Feaster SG: Andrea Stinson PG: Dawn Staley

2004 Draft Results: Rd. 1: Nicole Powell Rd. 2: Kelly Mazzante Rd. 2: Jenni Benningfield Rd. 3: Jia Perkins D.D.*: Mery Andrade

2003 Leaders: Points Allison Feaster, 12.4 ppg Rebs. Tammy Sutton-Brown, 5.9 rpg Assts. Dawn Staley, 5.1 apg Blocks Tammy Sutton-Brown, 1.7 rpg Steals Allison Feaster, 1.53 spg

They Said It: "As long as Stint stays healthy, Stint will be on the court. I�m having a good time. I love playing. I love the excitement building up to the season, the fans at home. This is awesome." --Andrea Stinson, on how muchlonger she sees herself playing.

VGM Prospect: Allison Feaster The Ivy Leaguer's numbers have improved consistently over her five year career. She even surpassed Andrea Stinson to lead the team in scoring last season. Always underrated, Feaster could be a fantasy steal for crafty owners in 2004. WNBA.com Virtual GM

(*-Denotes "Dispersal Draft")

The Charlotte Sting were swept out of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season and have now lost six consecutive playoff games since coming up short in the 2001 WNBA Finals.

But that does not tell the real story. The Sting have quietly been one of the most consistent and successful franchises in the Eastern Conference throughout the history of the WNBA. In fact, they have made the playoffs six of seven years. Only the Houston Comets have more years of postseason experience than the Sting.

Sutton-Brown

So is 2004 the year that coach Trudi Lacey's team finally gets over the hump and wins a championship? Conference rivals and the defending champion Detroit Shock may have something to say about that, but the Sting went 4-0 against the Shock in the regular season last year and have the veteran leadership, the stellar perimeter play and the experience necessary to win it all despite several outstanding concerns.

First, the Sting must improve defensively. Over the past four seasons, Charlotte has had the league's worst overall defense, ranking 16th, 7th, 13th and 12th over that time span. Another question the Sting must answer is how its frontcourt will fare against the rest of the league. Tammy Sutton-Brown was an All-Star in 2002, but that up with a disappointing 2003. Her field goal percentage fell from 53.1 to 42.1. The WNBA expanded the lane from 12' to 16' this offseason, so that should help to open things up against some of the bigger teams.

The Sting also remain one of the oldest teams in the league despite significant acquisitions in the 2004 WNBA Draft. But point guard Dawn Staley is still among the best in the WNBA at her position. The team's lone All-Star in 2003, the Temple University women's basketball coach recorded the highest field-goal percentage of her five-year career and had a career-low turnovers per game.

Allison Feaster, who led her French club team to the EuroLeague championship in the offseason, improved her scoring average for a WNBA record fifth straight season. In doing so, she became the first player not named Andrea Stinson (whose production dropped more than 3.0 ppg in 2003) to lead the Sting in scoring.

Staley

Staley, Stinson and Feaster started in all 34 games in 2003, but if Charlotte can rest them throughout the season, they should be able to save their best for the playoff run. Developing the bench depth has been a primary goal. The Sting traded away guard Kelly Miller, stuck behind Staley on the bench last season, to Indiana, but many key subs either remain or have been added.

Undrafted rookie Teanna McKiver provided a spark off the bench behind Sutton-Brown last season, but Charlotte also signed Olympia Scott-Richardson away from Indiana as a free agent to help play both the power forward and center positions.

But the real key to the Sting's depth could be the rookies. Just when Nicole Powell, the third overall pick in the draft, ends up starting this season remains to be seen, but she can play anywhere on the floor from point guard to power forward. She can shoot the ball from the outside, bring the ball up the court, drive and create her own shot, and post up with her back to the basket. Second round pick Kelly Mazzante, the steal of the draft, has been playing well in the preseason and should also make a significant contribution to the Sting in 2004.

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