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WNBA Daily Glance - February 26, 2010

Hughes Steps Aside as Silver Stars Head Coach, Becomes Full-Time GM

SAN ANTONIO � The San Antonio Silver Stars today announced that Dan Hughes will step aside as head coach to assume a full-time general manager role and subsequently named Sandy Brondello, his long-time assistant, as head coach of the Silver Stars. Olaf Lange, Brondello's husband and assistant coach under Hughes, has been named associate head coach. Hughes' decision to step aside as head coach will allow him to focus his efforts full-time on scouting, player development and building a core group of players through a hands-on, strategic role as general manager. He will continue to mentor and serve as an advisor and support system for Brondello, in addition to remaining active in the San Antonio community. �I am proud to announce Sandy Brondello as the new Silver Stars Head Coach,� said General Manager Dan Hughes. �She was an All-Star player both in the WNBA and on the world stage and she has been an invaluable piece to the growth of the Silver Stars over the past five years as an assistant coach. I have been fortunate to have had great assistant coaches as well as players over the past ten years, but perhaps the greatest gratification for me has been to watch them develop into head coaches. �Sandy will be my fourth assistant coach to become a head coach in the WNBA. Her evolution from player to coach over the past five years has been unlike any other I have seen. She is an effective teacher of the game, relates to the professional player and is ready to lead a team of her own. Along with Olaf Lange as associate head coach, the Silver Stars family is in great hands. I will do all I can as general manager to compliment this wonderful staff.� In five years at the helm of the Silver Stars, Hughes led the team to three playoff appearances, two Western Conference Finals � including one Western Conference title � and one WNBA Final. He has collected the third most wins in WNBA history and also is the winningest coach in the history of both San Antonio and the Cleveland Rockers. Hughes is the only coach in WNBA history to take three different franchises to the playoffs: San Antonio, Cleveland and Charlotte. He guided the 2008 Silver Stars to a 24-10 mark, earning the best record in the league and the franchise's first Western Conference title and its first trip to the WNBA Finals. As evidence of his success, he has been named Coach of the Year � most recently in 2007 � or finished as runner-up four times. Hughes is a member of the five-person USA Basketball Selection Committee for the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics while also serving as a member of the selection committee for the Kay Yow Award. Brondello served as Hughes' lead assistant coach for five years (2005-2009). In 2008, she helped San Antonio win its first Western Conference Championship and earn its first trip to the WNBA Finals. A WNBA veteran, she played five seasons with the Seattle Storm (2003), Miami Sol (2001-02) and the Detroit Shock (1998-99). During her five-year career, Brondello started in 146 of 155 games, averaging 11.4 points, 2.3 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 29.6 minutes per game. She ranks fourth all-time in the WNBA in three-point shooting as she connected on 41.0 percent (114-278) of her shots from beyond the arc; additionally, she ranks ninth all-time in free-throw shooting with an 85.4 percent (316-370) success rate. In 1999, she was selected to play in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game. �I am very excited to be given the opportunity to be the next head coach of the Silver Stars,� said Brondello. �I would like to thank the organization and especially Dan Hughes in having faith in my ability to lead our team forward alongside my husband, Olaf Lange. We will be working hard to continue to provide a winning team, to which our fans have grown accustomed.� A native of Australia, Brondello played for the Australian National Team for 18 years and is a four-time Olympian. She is a two-time silver medalist (2000 and 2004) and took home a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She also represented Australia at the 1988 Olympics. In 1992, Brondello was named the Australian International Player of the Year. She helped Australia bring home the bronze medal from both the 1998 and 2002 FIBA World Championships. Brondello also competed at the 1994 and 1990 World Championships and the 1990 Goodwill Games. Prior to playing in the WNBA, Brondello played in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in Australia from 1986-96, where she was selected as a WNBL All-Star in 1994 and 1995 in addition to being named WNBL MVP in 1995. She also played in Germany for BTV Wuppertal from 1992-2002. Brondello served as the team captain for Wuppertal from 1993-97 and helped the team win 10 German Cup Championships. In 1996, Brondello was named the European Cup MVP after leading Wuppertal to the European Cup title. In addition to her MVP honors, Brondello was named a European Cup All-Star in 1994, 1996 and 1997. Brondello earned a degree in teaching from the University of Western Sydney in 1990. She and Lange have a 3-year-old son, Brody Max Lange, and they are expecting their second child this spring.

Lauren Ervin Added gto Mystics Roster

Washington, D.C. � Washington Mystics Vice President and General Manager Angela Taylor announced today that Lauren Ervin has been added to the team's roster. Ervin attended the University of Arkansas and was drafted in the third round of the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. A 6'4 Forward, Ervin averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game prior to injuring her ACL during her senior year at Arkansas. In 2009, she played for the Connecticut Sun and averaged 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Ervin brings a great deal of international experience to the Mystics. She played in Sweden during the 2008-2009 season and averaged 19 points and 12.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Ervin is currently playing in Turkey and is averaging 15.1 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. "We are excited to bring Lauren in to compete for a position on our roster. Lauren is having a great season overseas in Turkey right now as she is leading the Turkish league in rebounding,� said Taylor. �She is a young post who is very active on the boards, runs the floor, capable of scoring on the low block, and presents great size in the post." The Washington Mystics organization is dedicated to providing affordable entertainment, serving as an impactful community partner and maintaining accessibility to positive female role models. Supported by passionate fans, the Mystics are elite, hardworking athletes continually striving to win a Championship.

Petersen to Return as Lynx Assistant Coach

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL � The Minnesota Lynx today announced that Jim Petersen will return to the team in 2010 as assistant coach. The St. Louis Park, Minn. native will team with head coach Cheryl Reeve to form Minnesota's coaching staff. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released. The 2010 season will be Petersen's second behind the bench with the Lynx after originally joining then-head coach Don Zierden's staff back on November 18, 2008. With the Lynx, Petersen is responsible for the team's scouting efforts, talent evaluation, and player development with a focus on the post players. In 2009, Petersen was instrumental in the development of second-year post players Nicky Anosike and Charde Houston, whom both made it to their first All-Star Games in 2009. "I am really looking forward to working with Jim Petersen," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. "Over the last 2 years - as a broadcaster in 2008, and as an assistant coach in 2009 - Jim has demonstrated great passion for the Lynx along with a strong understanding of our players and the WNBA as a whole. His years of experience in the NBA as a player and a TV analyst will be invaluable to the organization." "I am incredibly honored and excited to return as assistant basketball coach for the Minnesota Lynx," said Petersen. "I am especially grateful to owner Glen Taylor and Roger Griffith who gave me a chance to join Don Zierden's staff last season, and to stay on again this season with head coach Cheryl Reeve. Cheryl and I had a number of conversations last season as opposing coaches and became fast friends. I have the greatest respect for her work ethic, intelligence and understanding of the game of basketball and I will do whatever it takes to support her and our players' quest for a championship in 2010. Cheryl is a fantastic communicator who has impressed everyone in our organization with her approachability, candor and toughness. She is a flat-out winner and I look forward to learning from her. The WNBA is very important to me and I want to see this league flourish and see these women get the respect they deserve as world class athletes. I can't wait to begin what is lining up to be a magical season for the Lynx." In addition to his responsibilities with the Lynx, Petersen currently serves as the Minnesota Timberwolves' television analyst, teaming up with Tom Hanneman on KSTC.TV Ch. 45 and FSN broadcasts. Petersen has been a part of the Wolves' broadcast team for the past 12 seasons. Petersen spent eight years in the NBA (1984-92) with the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, finishing with career averages of 6.9 ppg and 4.8 rpg in 491 games, 208 starts. A standout at St. Louis Park High School, Petersen won the Minnesota Mr. Basketball award as a high school senior in 1980 and was the first McDonald's All-American from Minnesota. Prior to his NBA playing and broadcasting careers, Petersen played four seasons for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, winning the Big Ten Championship in 1982.

Silver Stars Sign Guard Quianna Chaney

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 24, 2010 � The San Antonio Silver Stars today announced the signing of guard Quianna Chaney to a training camp contract. Chaney originally was selected 19th overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2008 WNBA Draft. In her rookie season, she played in 28 games and tallied averages of 2.4 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 8.6 minutes per game. Additionally, she scored a season-best 11 points against Indiana on July 22, and a season-best five rebounds at Houston on July 26. Chaney joined Samsun Basketbol in Samsun, Turkey, and currently is averaging 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 36.0 minutes per game in 21 games played. Additionally, she has recorded one double-double as she tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds on Jan. 17. During the 2008-09 offseason, Chaney played for Energa Toru� (Toru�, Poland). The Silver Stars open the 2010 regular season on May 15 with a 7 p.m. tip-off against the visiting Atlanta Dream. Full and partial season ticket plans are on sale now. Visit www.sasilverstars.com or call (210) 444-5090 for more information.

Tully's Trip to Australia

G'day WNBA fans ... just wanted to share some photos with you from my recent trip back to Australia. Let me tell you the warm weather was much appreciated!! I was fortunate enough to catch up with my good friend and former Seattle Storm teammate Lauren Jackson, Suzy Batkovic-Brown also from the Seattle Storm and former WNBA players Kristen Veal (Phoenix) and Rachel Sporn (Detroit). A touching moment was also going back to my hometown Merredin where I spoke to the kids at both my High School and Elementary School (St Mary's Primary School). I checked out the outdoor courts where I use to play that are no longer in use but some great memories to be had back then. As you can see from my pictures I had a great time .... I would recommend a trip to Australia to anyone!! Cheers :-) Tully

White Signs Contract With Sun

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (February 23, 2010) � The Connecticut Sun announced today that veteran guard Tan White has been signed to a one-year contract. As per team policy, no terms were released. "I thought as the season went on, she got more confident playing in our system," head coach Mike Thibault said. "Her outside shooting and her ability to run on the break will fit in well with this group. I think her defense has been somewhat underrated in the past, and she made great strides in that area last season. She will be an integral part of our team moving forward, and I'm excited to have her back." Signed as a free agent last June 19th after she was waived by the Indiana Fever, White led the team with a career-high 49 made three-pointers while averaging 9.5 points in 30 games. The Connecticut Sun will open its eighth season at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, May 15th by hosting the Chicago Sky at 3:30 p.m. Season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now, and can be reserved by calling a Sun Ticket Representative at 1.877.SUN.TIXX (786-8499) or by visiting www.connecticutsun.com.

Tamera Young: Taking in Turkey

Hey Hey Hey Sky Fans. I'm checking in from the great Kayseri, Turkey, where the sun barely shines and it rains every other day, HA, a special delight. There is nothing at all to brag about in this city. We have one small mall that I go to every other day either to buy groceries or have dinner. The food here in Kayseri is actually good. I mean HEY, everyone who knows me knows I love to eat. Aside from the boring city we do have a bowling alley and movie theater. I haven't been bowling yet, but I've been to the movies about four times. The movie theater plays American movies in English with Turkish subtitles, which makes it even better *pumps fist*. Oh, and can you believe this? The movies have a 10 minute intermission! There are five Americans on my team including me. The other four Americans are Tangela Smith (Phoenix Mercury) and LaToya Pringle (Los Angeles Sparks) who are the picture to the right with me, and Vickie Johnson (San Antonio Silver Stars) and Julie McBride. My Turkish teammates are very young. Most of them are 18 or 19 except for two. The young Turkish players, like our point guard Burcu who you can see in the picture at the bottom right playing the drums with me, are hilarious and fun to be around. They are always trying to teach me Turkish or learn English. When they teach me a Turkish words they quiz me later and I always seem to fail, LOL. The Turkish league is a nice, competitive league with the talent it has from many American and other Foreign players. There are 12 teams in our league and we are currently in 4th place. Our schedule consists of practicing usually once a day. On other days we practice in the evening, in the morning we either lift or have a shoot around. The longest practice we've had so far was three hours, and the shortest was an hour and a half. We stay in the hotel for home games which is weird to me. The staff thinks it make us focus better, but before last week we hadn't won a road game, and we stay in hotels for those, HAHA. We play one game a week which makes the time go by slower than usual ... Tangela taught some of our teammates and me how to play the game Phase 10 so we play that a lot to kill time. When we have days off I usually go to Istanbul, Turkey. It's an hour flight from Kayseri. There's much more to do there than in my city; nice food, good shopping and great night life. My coach gave us three and half days off one time, and I came back to the States. HA!! He never gave us that much time off again after that. I went to Israel during one of my weekends off. I had a nice time with all of the American players there including my loving Sky teammates Kristi Toliver and Dominique Canty. The food in Israel was bomb by the way, I would definitely like to visit again. We have two more months until our last game which is April 17, then playoffs begin ... the top eight teams qualify for playoffs, so we shall see what happens. I am excited about this upcoming season and being able to have a full season with the Chicago Sky. Until next time I will keep in touch with all my supporters and fans through Twitter.. Follow @tyoung11 ... GO SKY!!!!!!!!!!

Asjha Jones Undergoes Surgery

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (February 22, 2010) � Connecticut Sun forward Asjha Jones underwent surgery to remove debris from her left Achilles tendon on Monday. The surgery was performed at Backus Hospital in Norwich by Connecticut Sun orthopedist Dr. Ammar Anbari, and the recovery time is expected to be six to eight weeks. Jones missed the final 11 games of the 2009 season with a strained left Achilles tendon. The seven-year veteran averaged 16.7 points in the 23 games prior to sitting with the injury. The Connecticut Sun will open its eighth season at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, May 15th by hosting the Chicago Sky at 3:30 p.m. Season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now, and can be reserved by calling a Sun Ticket Representative at 1.877.SUN.TIXX (786-8499) or by visiting www.connecticutsun.com.

Silver Stars Sign Roneeka Hodges

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 19, 2010 � The San Antonio Silver Stars today announced the signing of guard Roneeka Hodges to a sign and trade contact. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. In exchange for Hodges, the Minnesota Lynx will receive the right to swap second round picks with San Antonio in the 2011 WNBA Draft. Such option must be exercised within 15 days of the conclusion of the draft lottery. "I am very excited about this opportunity," Hodges said. "San Antonio is a well-respected team around the league and I am looking forward to a great season and great things happening." The 5'11" guard played four seasons in Houston then spent the 2009 season with Minnesota, where she averaged 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 27.3 minutes per game in 33 games. Hodges finished the 2009 season ranked ninth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (68-of-171, .398); additionally, she registered career highs in points (25) and assists (6) at Chicago on Aug. 15 and a career-best three blocks against Washington on July 7. "We are very excited to add Roneeka to the Silver Stars," said Silver Stars General Manager and Head Coach Dan Hughes. "We have a great respect for the development of her game through the years. She gives us a big guard with skill and is a great teammate. Her play last year exhibited that development in a very effective way and she became a desired free agent this offseason. We are glad her home will be in San Antonio." Hodges, originally selected by the Houston Comets in the second round (15th overall) of the 2005 WNBA Draft, has played in 136 games � including 45 starts � and is averaging 6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.1 blocks and 17.6 minutes per game for her career.

FEVER RE-SIGNS POST DUO OF MOORE AND DAVENPORT

Indiana Fever post players Jessica Moore and Jessica Davenport have re-signed contracts to play with the Fever during the 2010 season. Moore and Davenport both signed with the Fever as free agents at the start of the 2009 regular season and both played instrumental roles in guiding Indiana within one win of the WNBA championship last fall. "Moore and Davenport were integral to our success last season, and our goal going into 2010 was to keep our post rotation intact," said Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf. "They gained valuable experience throughout the regular season and playoffs. I expect them to be big contributors again." Moore, a veteran contributor and former two-year starter with the Los Angeles Sparks, was first signed by the Fever three games into the 2009 campaign. A restricted free agent after the season, she played one of the club's most durable and valuable reserve roles while averaging 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game overall. She started eight games during August in place of injured starter Tammy Sutton-Brown and helped Indiana to a 6-2 record during that stretch. She appeared in all 31 regular season games with the team, and in nine games as a starter averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 63 percent from the floor. She scored a career-high 19 points during a road win at Phoenix, August 10, in her fourth game as a starter. A 6-3 center and three-time NCAA champion from the University of Connecticut, Moore is the WNBA's first and only player that hails from Alaska. She is preparing for her sixth WNBA season. Davenport, the league's second overall draft pick in 2007, was signed by Indiana four games into the regular season last summer. She appeared in 26 regular season games and made her biggest impact during the WNBA Finals against Phoenix. After missing Game 1 of the Finals, Davenport played in four straight games and averaged 7.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and nearly two blocked shots per game. She shot 62 percent from the floor during the Finals, scoring 10 points as part of a Game 2 victory and pouring in a career high (regular season or playoffs) 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the decisive Game 5. A 6-5 center and three-time Big Ten Conference Player of the Year from Ohio State, Davenport will begin her fourth WNBA season.

WNBA Tips Off 14th Season with 15 Preseason Games in 13 Cities

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2010 � Prior to tip-off of the WNBA's 14th season, the league will play 15 preseason games in 13 cities, including four games between WNBA teams and the China and Poland National Teams. The preseason begins on April 30 with an 11 a.m. CT matinee between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn. The Los Angeles Sparks will be the first team to face the China National Team when the teams tip off at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif on May 1. The China National Team will also match up against the San Antonio Silver Stars on May 4 at the McDermott Center in San Antonio and the Phoenix Mercury on May 8 at the US Airways Center. The Connecticut Sun will also face an international foe when the team hosts the Poland National Team on May 7 at Mohegan Sun Arena. WNBA teams will play five games in non-WNBA arenas, highlighted by the Atlanta Dream, with former University of Tennessee stars Chamique Holdsclaw and Michelle Snow, squaring off against the Washington Mystics at the Hooper Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn. on May 9. In another game in a non-WNBA market, the Sparks and Silver Stars will meet on the campus of Long Beach State University in California. The Chicago Sky will play its first game in its new home, AllState Arena, on May 6 against the Minnesota Lynx. The 2010 WNBA regular season begins May 15 when the 2009 WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury hosts the Los Angeles Sparks at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The full preseason schedule is as follows:

Day Date Visiting Team Home Team Local Time Venue City
Fri. April 30 Chicago Minnesota 11 a.m. Concordia University St. Paul, Minn.
Sat. May 1 China National Team Los Angeles 7 p.m. Viejas Arena San Diego, Calif.
Sun. May 2 Phoenix Seattle 1 p.m. KeyArena Seattle, Wash.
Tues. May 4 Atlanta Connecticut 11 a.m. Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Conn.
Tues. May 4 China National Team San Antonio 7 p.m. McDermott Center, University the Incarnate Word San Antonio, Texas
Weds. May 5 New York Washington 11:30 a.m. Verizon Center Washington, D.C.
Thurs. May 6 Minnesota Chicago 11:30 a.m. AllState Arena Chicago, Ill.
Fri. May 7 Chicago Indiana 12 p.m. Conseco Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Ind.
Fri. May 7 Poland National Team Connecticut 7:30 p.m. Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Conn.
Sat. May 8 San Antonio Los Angeles 12:30 p.m. The Pyramid at LBSU Long Beach, Calif.
Sat. May 8 China National Team Phoenix 7 p.m. US Airways Center Phoenix, Ariz.
Sun. May 9 Washington Atlanta 2 p.m. Hooper Eblen Center Cookeville, Tenn.
Sun. May 9 Seattle Tulsa 1 p.m. BOK Center Tulsa, Okla.
Mon. May 10 Indiana Chicago 11:30 a.m. AllState Arena Chicago, Ill.
Tues. May 11 Connecticut New York 11 a.m. Madison Square Garden New York, N.Y.

Tamecka Dixon, One of WNBAs Original Players, Announces Retirement

A three-time WNBA All-Star and a two-time WNBA champion, Tamecka Dixon has announced her retirement from the WNBA after 13 seasons. Entering the 2009 campaign, Dixon joined Vickie Johnson, Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson as the only remaining players from the league's inaugural season in 1997. She follows Johnson and Leslie who announced their retirements last fall. A 5-9 guard who grew up in New Jersey and graduated from the University of Kansas, the 34-year old Dixon closes her WNBA career among all-time leaders in games played (360, 6th), points (3,500, 22nd), assists (961, 11th) and minutes (9,454, 12th). She boasts career averages of 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game. She announced her retirement while playing overseas for GMA Napoli where she leads the Italian League in points (18.3) and steals (5.2) per game. "I always wanted to go out on my own terms," said Dixon. "After the Houston franchise disbanded (in 2008), I was at a crossroads because I thought I would finish my career there. I was contemplating retirement then, but I still felt I had a little left to give the game and wanted to go out on my own terms. I had a very short list of teams that I considered playing for last year and Indiana was my first option. I always thought it was a class organization and a place where I would love to finish my career." Dixon signed a free agent contract with the Fever last May, prior to the start of the Fever's finest season. She played in 32 games for Indiana, shooting 41 percent from the floor and helping the development of rookie point guard Briann January. With Indiana, she reached the WNBA Finals for the fourth time while helping the Fever reach the league's championship series for the first time. "I fell a little short of my goal to help Indiana obtain the championship," she added, "so I definitely thought about coming back for 2010. It was hard to come so close and fall short, but I do think now is the right time for me. I have no regrets in making this decision now." Though no longer a starter in 2009, Dixon remained one of the league's most experienced veterans. She averaged 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game during her final regular season, and averaged 2.1 points and 6.2 minutes while appearing in each of the Fever's 10 playoff games. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Tamecka," said Fever Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf. "She came in here and did her job to help us win the East and get to the WNBA Finals. She has been a great representative of this league for 13 years. I wish her much success in the future." Echoing those sentiments, WNBA President Donna Orender said, "As someone who has been with the WNBA since the very first season, Tamecka has greatly contributed to the continued growth of not only the WNBA but women's basketball overall. We thank her and wish her the best." Added Fever coach Lin Dunn, "Tamecka is one of the original players in the WNBA and has had an outstanding career! We were fortunate to have Tamecka on our team in 2009, she was a certainly a key component of our Eastern Conference championship team. We wish her all the best." Dixon's arrival in Indiana followed three years with the Houston Comets and nine with the Los Angeles Sparks. It was in L.A. where she achieved her greatest stardom, starting beside Leslie for most of nine seasons and leading the Sparks to three WNBA Finals appearances. Dixon and Leslie captured league titles in 2001 and 2002, and started beside each other on Western Conference All-Star Teams in consecutive years from 2001 to 2003. She started 21 games as a rookie in 1997 while scoring 11.9 points per game and pacing the Sparks with 49 steals. Her 16.2-point average in 1998 was the best of her career and the second of seven years in which she averaged double-figure scoring. She ends her career as the third-leading scorer in Sparks history (2,774 points) behind Leslie and Mwadi Mabika. A Kodak All-American and Big XII Conference Player of the Year in 1997, she guided Kansas to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances before she was chosen 14th overall by the Sparks in the 1997 WNBA Draft. Dixon concluded, "What I would like people to remember about Tamecka Dixon isn't written in the record books. I would like to be remembered as a teammate who played hard 100 percent of the time. If the teammates with whom I have been fortunate to play can think of me as someone who was always ready to go to battle for them, then my legacy is perfect in my eyes."

Dixon Discusses Retirement

After 13 seasons, Tamecka Dixon has decided to hang up her WNBA shoes as she announced her retirement from the league on Thursday. The announcement caps a brilliant career for one of the league's original players, who won two WNBA championships and was named to three WNBA All-Star teams in her career. Dixon entered 2009 as one of only four players � along with Lisa Leslie, Vickie Johnson and Tina Thompson - that had played in the league since its inception in 1997. She now joins Leslie and Johnson in retirement. WNBA.com's Brian Martin had a chance to speak with Dixon from Italy, where she is currently playing for GMA Napoli and leads the Italian League in scoring at 18.3 points per game. Dixon discusses her decision to end her WNBA career, some of her favorite memories from the past 13 seasons and what she plans to do next. WNBA.com: What made you decide that now was the right time to hang 'em up? Dixon: I actually thought about it for a while. After the Houston team disbanded is when I first started to think retirement, but I still felt I had some game left in me and I wanted to go out on my terms. I just feel like now is the right time to do it. WNBA.com: Do you still plan to play overseas or is this the end of your playing career altogether? Dixon: I'm probably going to play overseas for another year or two. I'm over here now so maybe another year or two after this. WNBA.com: What do you plan to do next; what is your plan for life after basketball? Dixon: I'm going to back to school as of now, getting my masters in corporate finance from the University of Phoenix. So I'm doing that and I also started a business a few years back with my father and my personal trainer, training kids, so I'd like to spend a little more time in that area, really getting our business off the ground and growing it. WNBA.com: What brought you to that field? Was it a natural progression for you? Dixon: I think so. I've always worked with kids and I just enjoy giving back to the game as much as I can. It's a joy to see the kids growing up and learning the fundamentals of the game and you just never really know where they're going to take it. It's always been an exciting thing for me. WNBA.com: Take me down memory lane for a minute. What are some of the moments that stand out most in your career? Dixon: Obviously winning the two championships in LA has to be on top of my list. Some of the other things are being drafted by the Sparks, then all of the teammates I've had and the friendships and bonds that I've build over the years with a lot of the players. Definitely my years in LA have been really, really memorable ones for me, but also this last year in Indiana was really a good one for me. WNBA.com: What did you like most about this year that you had? You mentioned going out on your own terms. Do you feel that this last year fulfilled that and that you were able to do what you wanted to? Dixon: Definitely. We felt a little short of our ultimate goal, which was to win another championship, but we had a historical season in Indiana with the crowds that came out and supported us, just the runs that we went on, the winning streaks during the season. Every game that we played just built it up a little bit more. We were a really tight group and that's really what was special about that group. WNBA.com: What will you miss most about playing in the WNBA? Dixon: I definitely think the friendships. You know you play other teams and you form bonds and friendships with other players and it's nice to go from city to city and be able to catch up with old friends. I'm definitely going to miss that, and just the competitiveness. I am a competitive person by nature so I'm definitely going to have to find something to quench my competitive thirst because basketball was always it for me. WNBA.com: What won't you miss? Dixon: After doing it for 13 years, I'm definitely not going to miss the travel. Just being in one city one night and another city the next night, it became repetitive and redundant, but it also was a blessing. But after doing this for so long it did get a little old for me. WNBA.com: What are you looking forward to most about retirement? Dixon: I'm actually really looking forward to it. I feel like I gave the game everything I had and I gave the league everything I had and I tried to show that every night. I'm looking forward to the next stage of my life. I'm just looking forward to spending a little bit more time with my family and friends at home. I've missed so many of my family's functions � weddings, family reunions and things like that � and now I'll be able to be a part of them, so I'm looking forward to this next stage. WNBA.com: Last year you were one of four original WNBA players remaining in the league and now three of you have retired. What was it about that group of players that came into the league and carried the league through its first 13 years? Dixon: It was a great group. When you look at the last couple that have retired with Lisa, I was able to spend nine years with her in L.A.; Vickie Johnson, I've played overseas on teams with her and we've battled year in and year out in the league so I know her very well; and Tina was my teammate in Houston. It was a special group. I've been able to be around those girls for my entire career and they've all had great careers in their own right. I'm blessed to be a part of a group like that.

Kristi Toliver: Shalom from Israel

As some of you already know, I've been spending my "offseason" over in Israel playing for B'not Hasharon. It only took me about a week to realize this was no offseason because of the two-a-days we had three times a week. We are wrapping up our season right now and are playing the No. 2 team in the league in the playoffs. We are a very young team full of 18 and 19 year olds, but there is a lot of fight in us, so we will see what happens. You gotta' love being the underdog sometimes. Although there was a lot of basketball being played in my time out here, I also had time to go check out the sites and see what Israel had to offer. My favorite place we went to was The Dead Sea. Yes, it's true�you do in fact float. My sister was in town for that trip, so that made it extra special to have her around. I want to take this time to give all you Sky fans a heads up on a project I will be working on this upcoming season. I will be auctioning off my game shoes at every home game this summer to help raise money for the people in Haiti. I have sponsored a child, Delwood, since I was in high school and I thought that this country could use the help now more than ever. So with YOUR help I think we can team up and do something great for those who suffered from the earthquake. I look forward to seeing you all again this summer out at Allstate Arena! Thanks in advance for the help in Haiti! I think we can really make a difference! Go Sky!

Monique Currie Re-signs with Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. �Washington Mystics Vice President and General Manager Angela Taylor announced today that Forward Monique Currie has re-signed with the team as a restricted free agent. Per company policy, terms of the contract will not be released. "We are very excited to announce the re-signing of Monique Currie. Monique was one of the most sought after restricted free agents in the market this off-season and we are glad that she is excited about being a part of the championship roster that we are developing in Washington, DC. Mo is a very versatile player for us who contributes in many different ways," said Taylor. "In 2009, she led the team in 3 point %, free throw attempts, and was our best perimeter rebounder. We have one of the best perimeter rotations in the league and her ability to play both wing positions for us allows us to do a variety of things that create match-up problems for other teams. This is a very important off-season for our organization and re-signing Mo certainly is a great start for us." Currie joined the Mystics in 2007 when she was acquired from the Chicago Sky in a trade for center Chasity Melvin. She was drafted in the first round (third overall) by the Charlotte Sting in the 2006 WNBA Draft and first overall by the Sky in the 2007 Dispersal Draft. Currie has averaged 10.2 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game in her four year career in the WNBA. Last season, she recorded 8.9 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game and was one of the top rebounders during the playoffs. The Mystics also added Guard-Forward La'Tangela Atkinson to its roster. She has had stints with the Indiana Fever, Sacramento Monarchs and Seattle Storm. Last season, she averaged 2.5 points per game and 2.2 rebounds per game. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Atkinson is the first player in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference to record more than 1,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 350 career assists The Washington Mystics made a return to the playoffs following a 16-18 campaign. Season, group tickets and six packs for the 2010 season are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Mystics Sales Office at 1-877-DC-HOOP1 or by visiting the Mystics web site at www.washingtonmystics.com. The Washington Mystics organization is dedicated to providing affordable entertainment, serving as an impactful community partner and maintaining accessibility to positive female role models. Supported by passionate fans, the Mystics are elite, hardworking athletes continually striving to win a Championship.

Lynx Sign Hamchetou Maiga-Ba

The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has signed unrestricted free agent Hamch�tou Ma�ga-Ba (Hahm-Sha-To My-Ga Ba). Ma�ga-Ba, a Mali international, signs with the Lynx after spending parts of the last eight seasons with the Sacramento Monarchs and Houston Comets. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Originally chosen 10th overall in the 2002 WNBA Draft by Sacramento, Ma�ga-Ba enters the 2010 season with career averages of 5.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 241 games, 71 starts. In 34 games with Sacramento in 2009, the 6-2 forward averaged 8.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting .486 from the floor, which was the 11th-highest shooting percentage in the league. Ma�ga-Ba scored a career-high 20 points against the Lynx on August 28, 2009. The eight-year veteran enjoyed a career season in 2007 with Houston, averaging 9.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.6 minutes per game � all career highs � in 34 games, all starts. "We're very happy that Hamch�tou has chosen to continue her career here with the Minnesota Lynx," said Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. "We identified her early on in the free-agency process as someone we really wanted to add to our team because of her ability to defend and her experience in the playoffs. She's a player that's in the prime of her career; her statistics from the last three years prove that. Ma�ga-Ba's addition is the next step in assembling a playoff- and championship-caliber roster." Considered one of the league's best perimeter defenders, Ma�ga-Ba has totaled 239 steals over her career, including a career-high 1.7 spg in 2007 with Houston, good for sixth in the league that year. Ma�ga-Ba tallied a career-high eight steals � the third-highest single-game total in WNBA history � on June 18, 2008 vs. Washington. Over the last three seasons, Ma�ga-Ba has averaged 1.29 steals per game. A veteran of postseason play, Ma�ga-Ba was a key member of the Monarchs teams that advanced to the playoffs four consecutive years from 2003 to 2006, including back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances in 2005 and 2006, capturing the title in 2005. In 27 career playoff games, Ma�ga-Ba holds averages of 2.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest. "Our goal in free-agency was to sign a versatile, veteran player who would be a complement to our existing personnel on the perimeter," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. "The signing of Ma�ga-Ba gives us exactly that. She adds length and athleticism to defend opposing teams' best perimeter scorers and she is a player who over the last two seasons has blossomed into a scoring threat as well." Born in Bamako, Mali, Ma�ga-Ba has been a member of the Mali National Team since 1994. Known in Mali and Senegal as the "Queen of Basketball," Ma�ga-Ba competed in her home country's first-ever Olympics as part of the 2008 Women's Olympic Basketball Team. In two games, she recorded averages of 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Ma�ga-Ba played four years at Old Dominion University, earning the Colonial Athletic Association's Player of the Year Award in 2001, her junior year.

Lynx Withdraw Qualifying Offer to Humphrey

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL � The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has withdrawn its qualifying offer to Tasha Humphrey, thus making the second-year forward an unrestricted free agent. Signed as a free agent by the Lynx on July 17, 2009, Humphrey appeared in 19 games with the Lynx during the 2009 season, averaging 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. Originally drafted by the Detroit Shock in the first round (11th overall) of the 2008 WNBA Draft, Humphrey has appeared in 58 games in the WNBA - spanning two seasons - with Detroit, Washington and Minnesota, averaging 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game.

10 Questions With Ebony Hoffman

Trivia question: Who was the Indiana Fever's leading scorer during the 2009 WNBA Finals? Answer: Ebony Hoffman Averaging 16.4 points per game to pace the Fever in five WNBA Finals games last fall, Ebony Hoffman once again asserted herself as one of the top power forwards in the WNBA. Since her pro career began in Indiana in 2004, she has steadily improved her game and risen among the league's top performers. She has become one of the WNBA's most sought after personalities and she even spent a week in Lebanon last October with WNBA President Donna Orender as an ambassador of the game. A four-year Fever starter, one of the league's most formidable rebounders and the 2008 WNBA Most Improved Player, Hoffman took time from her overseas play in Turkey to answer 10 Questions for FeverBasketball.com.
FeverBasketball.com: What kind of basketball differences do you see in overseas play versus the WNBA? Ebony Hoffman: "Well, it all depends on the coaching staff. But the intensity with which they play overseas is generally way different!"
FB: What is like being able to play with Tammy Sutton-Brown year-round? EH: "As you know I played with her two years ago and had a blast playing with my teammate and getting our chemistry together. This time, it's even better because we have grown closer over the years and have created a great bond so the basketball part is falling into place nicely!!"
FB: What is the competition like when you play against one of your Fever teammates overseas? EH: "Well it's tough because it sometimes feels wrong that you're on another team. You feel like, 'this is isn't right,' but you put your feelings aside learn to go hard just like you don't know them."
FB: You have played in Italy, Lithuania, Israel and now Turkey. Which is your favorite and why? EH: "Well, right now it's a tie between Turkey and Israel. Turkey has so much culture and it's very busy all the time. Traffic is horrible and if you're brave enough to drive then may the Lord be with you! But it truly is an amazing country all year round, not just during certain times of the year. Israel, on the other hand, is more laid back but very 'Americanized,' if that's even a word. It, too, has an abundant amount of culture and history. It is a very beautiful country with sprawling beaches and warm inviting people. Plus, the food is to die for. I'm trying to choose which is the best, but it is a debate that will never end."
FB: Is there anything specific you miss about being in the U.S.? EH: "The things I miss in the U.S. are my family, house and dogs. I really miss my family. It's hard being away from my nephew and I miss him growing up and getting taller. Plus, my dogs always keep me smiling."
FB: Does playing overseas make it easier to transition back in to the WNBA schedule? EH: "Well, you definitely will be in shape since you have been playing the entire winter season. But fatigue is always something that you try to battle since most players don't take time off, or can't."
FB: What is one thing that you took with you from home that you can't live without? EH: "I cannot live without my computer and Xbox. You have to stay busy. Idle time gets you in trouble."
FB: How much time does your husband Ron get to spend overseas with you? EH: "Ron spends some time overseas with me, but not the whole time. It's hard being so far away from the one you love, but you have to remember this is only for a short time and we'll be together sooner than later."
FB: What role has your family played in your success � not only on the court, but off? EH: "They are the reason for my success. They have been with me through good times and bad, and have dropped whatever they were doing to make sure I was comfortable or in good spirits. They have spent an obscene amount of money traveling with me, following me, and in the end still being there for me. There is no gift big enough that I can give to say how I truly feel about them. But what I can do is say THANK YOU!!"
FB: If you could perform any other job for a day, what would it be? EH: "I would be the Speaker of the House (i.e., Nancy Pelosi's job). I would stand on that podium and tell each and every representative the TRUTH!!"

Connecticut Signs Kerri Gardin

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (February 10, 2010) � The Connecticut Sun announced today it has signed forward Kerri Gardin to a training camp contract. As per team policy, terms were not released. A 6-foot-1 forward out of Virginia Tech, Gardin was third on the team with 143 rebounds while also averaging 5.5 points per game in 2009, collecting three double-doubles. She closed out the 2009 regular season with a career-high 23 points against Indiana (9/13). In two seasons, Gardin has appeared in 67 games for Connecticut, with 38 starts. The Connecticut Sun will open its eighth season at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, May 15th by hosting the Chicago Sky at 3:30 p.m. Season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now, and can be reserved by calling a Sun Ticket Representative at 1.877.SUN.TIXX (786-8499) or by visiting www.connecticutsun.com.

Sparks Sign Forward LaToya Pringle

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Sparks have signed forward LaToya Pringle, announced today by Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Pringle joins the Sparks after being drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Making a big splash in her rookie season, she finished the season by starting the Mercury's final seven games and shooting an impressive 44.8% from the floor and 82.4% from the free-throw line. Her rookie year ended with her being ranked 5th in the WNBA in blocked shots (1.52 bpg) and first in the WNBA in blocks per 40 minutes (4.66). "I saw the type of player and person LaToya is when I had the opportunity to coach her in Minnesota," said Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom. "I knew we could use her because she is a fantastic defensive player and has a great locker room presence. I look forward to the impact she will have on our team." After spending one season in Phoenix, she was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in a multi-player trade. With the Mercury, Pringle saw action in 29 games and averaged 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. In 2009, she played in 17 games for the Lynx and averaged 2.2 points, 2.2 rebounds in 9.4 minutes/game. "I am very excited to join the Sparks," said Pringle. "It is a great organization with a great team and great players. I am truly looking forward to playing with this group of talented players and I hope that I can make this team even better." A native of Nuremberg, Germany, Pringle played college basketball at the University of North Carolina where she helped the Tar Heels reach the NCAA Elite Eight in each of her four years with the program. As a senior she was named the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and received First-Team All-Defensive honors. In her final campaign, she ranked second in the ACC in blocks (3.18bpg) which was good for 5th in the NCAA. Pringle finished her career averaging 8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.43 blocks in 110 career games played. See LaToya at STAPLES Center this summer. Don't miss the Sparks home opener on May 28th against the Washington Mystics! Visit www.LASparks.com or call 1-877-44-SPARKS to purchase season tickets today! E

Lynx Re-Sign Two-Time All-Star Seimone Augustus

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL � The Minnesota Lynx today announced that the team has re-signed U.S. Olympian Seimone Augustus. Augustus, a two-time WNBA All-Star, entered the 2010 season as a restricted free agent. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Originally chosen first overall by Minnesota in the 2006 WNBA Draft, Augustus ranks as one of the most prolific scorers in league history. Her career scoring average of 21.2 ppg is tops all-time, besting the likes of WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper (21.0 ppg), Diana Taurasi (20.3 ppg) and Lauren Jackson (19.4 ppg). Augustus holds the third- and fourth-highest single-season point totals in league annals (2007, 769 points; 2006, 744 points). Furthermore, the sharp-shooter recorded 88 consecutive double-figure scoring nights to start her career, the second-longest run of consecutive double-digit games in WNBA history (Cooper, 92). Augustus scored her 2000th career point July 27, 2008 vs. Los Angeles, reaching the mark in her 93rd contest � only Cooper (90) accomplished that feat in fewer games. "We are extremely pleased to announce the re-signing of one of the world's best players in Seimone Augustus," said Roger Griffith, Lynx Executive Vice President. "She's been one of the WNBA's top scorers from the day she stepped on the court as a rookie in 2006 and we're thrilled that she's chosen to continue her career in a Lynx uniform. Not only is Seimone a tremendous basketball player, she's also a great person and has made a remarkable impact in the Twin Cities community. Her re-signing is the next step in what's shaping up to be an incredible offseason for us. With a healthy Seimone and the additions of Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson and the second and third overall picks in the 2010 WNBA Draft to our already existing core, we expect to contend for the WNBA Championship in 2010 and beyond." "I'm really happy about re-signing with the Lynx," said Augustus. "I love the city of Minneapolis and truly want to thank everyone in the Lynx organization for allowing me to continue my WNBA career here. The fans in Minnesota have been great and I cannot thank them enough for the support they've given me this past year. Obviously last season was tough for me, with my injury, but I am very excited about returning to the court at full-strength this upcoming season. With some of the moves we've made this offseason, adding a veteran point guard in Lindsay Whalen and an experienced power forward in Rebekkah Brunson, 2010 is going to be our year; we expect to make the playoffs and compete for the WNBA Championship." In 105 career games, all starts, Augustus holds averages of 21.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while shooting .482 percent from field, .379 percent from beyond the three-point arc and .887 percent from the free-throw line. A two-time All-WNBA selection (2006, 2007), Augustus finished no lower than third in the WNBA's scoring race her first three seasons in the league, and her 21.0 ppg in 2009 was third at the time of her season-ending injury: 2006, 21.9 ppg - 3rd; 2007, 22.6 ppg - 2nd; 2008, 19.1 ppg - 3rd. The 2006 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Augustus registered six games with 30 or more points her rookie season, making her the third player in WNBA history to accomplish that feat (Taurasi, Cooper). Additionally, Augustus' scoring average of 21.9 ppg that year stands as the highest mark by a rookie in WNBA history. Annually one of the league's most efficient scorers, Augustus, in 2007, became the first player since 1997 (Cooper and Eva Nemcova) to finish among the league's top 10 in scoring and all three shooting categories -- 4th in field-goal accuracy (50.8 percent), 5th in three-point accuracy (41.9 percent) and 7th in free-throw accuracy (87.3 percent). Augustus finished eighth in the league's Most Valuable Player balloting that year. Augustus, a three-time WNBA Player of the Week honoree, sits atop the Lynx' record books in a number of scoring categories. Augustus owns Lynx single-season records for most points (769, 2007), most made field goals (296, 2007) and most games with 20 or more points (2007, 23). In addition, Augustus possesses three of the top five single-season scoring averages in team history (2007, 22.6 ppg - 2nd; 2006, 21.9 ppg - 3rd; 2008, 19.1 ppg - 5th). In just 105 games in a Lynx uniform, Augustus ranks 1st in scoring average (21.2), 1st in free-throw accuracy (.887 percent), 2nd in total points (2,230), 2nd in field-goals made (861), 3rd in field-goal percentage - minimum 150 field-goal attempts - (48.2 percent), 4th in three-point field goals made (85), 4th in steals (106) and 4th in blocked shots (54). Augustus' 12 career 30+-point games is tied with Katie Smith for the most in franchise history. Augustus enters the 2010 season after having her 2009 campaign cut short after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee June 17, 2009 at Phoenix. Augustus underwent surgery on July 7, and was sidelined for the final 28 games. Prior to the injury, Augustus was putting up MVP-caliber numbers, averaging 21.0 ppg and 4.2 rpg while shooting 57.0 percent from the floor -- including 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from three-point range -- and 90.5 percent from the free throw line while playing 29.7 mpg. Augustus continues to make progress in her rehabilitation from ACL surgery and is on schedule to return to the court prior to the start of the 2010 season. A longtime participant with USA Basketball, Augustus captured her first Olympic Gold Medal as a member of the U.S. Women's Basketball Team during the 2008 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. In the tournament, Augustus averaged 7.9 points (46.6 percent), 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in eight games (17.8 mpg) off the bench for the USA. Augustus was named a member of USA Basketball's 2009-12 Women's National Team on Aug. 17, 2009. A veteran of international competition, Augustus has captured five gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal for Team USA. Before joining the Lynx in 2006, Augustus enjoyed an illustrious four-year career at LSU, where she led the Lady Tigers to three NCAA Final Four appearances. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native took home the Wade Trophy � given annually to the top collegiate player � in 2005 and 2006 and was named Associated Press Player of the Year (2005, 2006), Associated Press All-America (2005, 2006) and SEC Player of the Year (2005, 2006). Augustus finished her collegiate career at LSU as the only player in school history to have at least 2,500 points, 600 rebounds and 250 assists. In recognition of her tremendous career at LSU, the school recently retired the #33 jersey worn by Augustus, making her the first female athlete in school history to receive such honor.

Silver Stars Guard Becky Hammon to Play In 2010 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 12, 2010 � San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon joins some of the biggest names in entertainment as they take Center Court for the Celebrity Game tip-off on Friday, Feb. 12, at the Dallas Convention Center inside NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas. Hammon will play on a team coached by Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Magic Johnson. The team also includes seven-time NBA Champion Robert Horry, Scooter Christensen and Special K Daley from the Harlem Globetrotters, actor Michael Rapaport, musician/actor Common and Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban. This year's celebrity participants includes, a cast of players from film, TV, and music who will be outfitted in retro 1986 NBA All-Star uniforms paying homage to NBA All-Star 1986 in Dallas. Game jerseys highlighting key players from the 1986 NBA All-Star Game will be available at NBAStore.com and at the NBA Store inside NBA All-Star Jam Session. In addition, select celebrity jerseys will be auctioned off after the game on NBA.com. For the sixth straight year, ESPN will televise the game, which will also feature former NBA players and current WNBA players, beginning at 6:00 p.m. CST/7:00 p.m. EST. The game rosters are subject to change without notice. Visit NBA.com/jamsession for more information.

WNBA Stars to Join NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas

NEW YORK and DALLAS, Feb. 9, 2010 -- The WNBA and its players will join the NBA family in celebrating its tradition of commitment to social responsibility at NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas, Texas, highlighted by the first-ever NBA Fit All-Star Youth Celebration on Thursday, Feb. 11. WNBA stars will participate in over 25 events and will help comprise the largest crowd to ever attend a basketball game in history. WNBA stars including Washington Mystics guard Alana Beard, New York Liberty forward Shameka Christon, Los Angeles Sparks guards Marie Ferdinand-Harris and Ticha Penicheiro, Connecticut Sun forward Asjha Jones and guard Kara Lawson, and Tulsa Shock guard Scholanda Robinson will participate in the first-ever NBA Fit All-Star Youth Celebration. The WNBA players will be joined by NBA and NBA Development League stars as they host nine simultaneous fitness clinics in Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas for over 1,000 boys and girls. On Friday Feb. 12, San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon and Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry, the 2009 adidas WNBA Rookie of the Year, will play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by FINAL FANTASY� XIII. New York Liberty guard Nicole Powell, Los Angeles Sparks guard Ferdinand-Harris, Hammon and McCoughtry will team with current NBA players and NBA Legends for the 2010 Haier Shooting Stars competition as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night. On Thursday morning, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, the league's all-time leading scorer and rebounder who retired following the 2009 season, will join Dallas Mavericks player Matt Carroll and NBA legends to host a Vaccine for Teens event in partnership with the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) and sanofi pasteur for students at William James Middle School in Dallas. In addition, Dallas native and Seattle Storm center Ashley Robinson and WNBA Legend Lynette Woodard will participate in a number of community-related events during the NBA Community Caravan. Fans can also catch WNBA players at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas which runs from Feb. 11-13 at the Dallas Convention Center, and features player meet and greets, clinics and autograph sessions. Fans will be able to follow WNBA player appearances throughout the week through editorial, photos and video placed on WNBA.com, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Lawson, McCoughtry, Penicheiro and Robinson will tweet from Dallas with their tweets included in a Tweetmixx Channel located on NBA.com and WNBA.com. Additionally, Robinson will appear at the NBA Jam Session Tweet-Up. The following is a complete listing of WNBA activities at NBA All-Star 2010.
Feb. 10 and 11 � NBA/NWBA All-Star Wheelchair Classic Basketball Clinic � NBA and WNBA players and Legends will join National Wheelchair Basketball Association All-Stars to host a basketball clinic for local wheelchair-bound youth athletes.
Feb. 11 � �Vaccines for Teens' Event � Lisa Leslie will join NBA Legends and Dallas Mavericks player Matt Carroll to host a vaccination awareness event in partnership with Society for Adolescent Medicine for local students at William James Middle School in Dallas.
Feb. 11 � NBA Fit All-Star Youth Celebration � Shameka Christon, Kara Lawson, Ticha Penicheiro, Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Asjha Jones, Scholanda Robinson and Alana Beard will join NBA and NBA D-League players to teach over 1,000 youths across North Texas about the importance of physical activity and healthy living.
Feb. 12 � NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by FINAL FANTASY� XIII � Becky Hammon and Angel McCoughtry will compete with celebrities from TV, film and music at Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session.
Feb. 12 � NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service � WNBA players will join over 1,500 NBA family members at three locations across North Texas to create and refurbish eight places to live, learn and play in conjunction with KaBOOM! Build, North Texas Volunteer Center, HP, Rebuilding Together and Timberland.
Feb. 12 � T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam � WNBA players will watch the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge with over 3,500 area kids who complete fitness, nutrition and community service requirements.
Feb. 13 � NBA Fit Area � Ashley Robinson, Asjha Jones, Ticha Penicheiro and Lynette Woodard will greet fans at NBA Fit Area in NBA Jam Session.
Feb. 13 � Haier Shooting Stars � As part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Nicole Powell, Angel McCoughtry, Becky Hammon and Marie Ferdinand-Harris will team up with NBA Players and NBA Legends in the Haier Shooting Stars contest.

Christon, Powell Join NBA Family To Celebrate NBA 2010 All-Star Weekend

Shameka Christon and Nicole Powell, our pair of All-Stars, are amongst the group of WNBA players invited to join the NBA family in celebrating NBA 2010 All-Star in Dallas, Texas this weekend. Christon and Powell will make various appearances at some of the hottest events throughout the weekend's amazing line-up of festivities, alongside the stars of the NBA and even Hollywood persuasion. Traveling from the Big Apple, Christon arrived in Dallas mid-week, while Powell arrived before the start of the weekend, making the trek all the way from Turkey, where she is currently competing for Fenerbahce in the Euroleague playoffs. If you're bound for Dallas and looking to catch our All-Stars in action, check out their scheduled public appearances below. And for those of you unable to make the journey to the Lone Star state, you can keep tabs via updates from our friends over at WNBA.com.

Sylvia Fowles: Life in Russia

Life in Russia ...where should I begin? Okay, for you guys out there who don't know where I play in my off season, I am in Vidnoe, Russia. That's about 30 to 40 minutes away from the city. Playing here is not so bad when you have Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Janel McCarville as teammates. They keep me going and I have to say, having them around makes things much better. I really don't get out too much here. I may go out to eat from time to time with my teammates, but nothing major or juicy to tell you guys. I am more of a home body and I LOVE "me time". The main reason for me being a home body is because it is too cold here, and I don't like it one bit. I spend most of my days drawing, watching movies and talking to my mother through Skype. My mother will be coming to visit me in a few weeks and she's bringing my dog. YAY!!! I'm super-excited to see them. I'm going to be super-happy when they're here. It seems like forever since I've seen them, and it's only been a month. When my mother gets here I will take her out, but she has to cook me meals. She is not on a vacation, and I have to get some good home-cooking in while I can. Thanks for checking in. I can't wait to see you all when I get back in the States, and back in Chicago.

Storm Signs Willingham

SEATTLE - Seattle Storm Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Brian Agler announced today the signing of 6-0 forward Le'coe Willingham. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. �We are extremely excited to add Le'coe Willingham to the Storm roster,� said Agler. �Without question Le'coe will improve our team and provides us with the ability to be versatile in how we play and the combinations of players we place on the court. We targeted Le'coe as an individual we knew would be a great fit to our team not only because of her talent, but also her personality. She is an efficient player with a team-first mentality and has a great understanding of how to play to her strengths within the team setting. I admire Le'coe's competitive drive � it's something she always brings to her game whether playing in the WNBA or overseas.� Willingham started 34 games for the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury during the 2009 season, averaging 10.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. She scored a season- and career-high 26 points against the now defunct Sacramento Monarchs on June 13, 2009. Willingham ranks ninth on the WNBA's all-time list for field goal percentage at .533 with 351 out of 659 field goals made. The former Auburn University player was signed by the Connecticut Sun as a free agent on April 25, 2004. Willingham started in just five games in four seasons with the Sun before signing with the Mercury on March 10, 2008. Willingham enjoyed a breakout season in 2008, recording career highs in nearly every category including leading the WNBA in field goal percentage at .570 � a Mercury franchise record. Also in 2008, Willingham recorded her first two career double-doubles in a three-game span from June 6-14.

Sparks Sign WNBA Veteran Ticha Penicheiro

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Sparks announced today that they have signed WNBA veteran and 2005 WNBA Champion Ticha Penicheiro. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Penicheiro has spent her entire 12-year WNBA career with the Sacramento Monarchs leading them to their only WNBA Championship in 2005. Averaging 6.4 points, 5.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game for her career, she helped the Monarchs reach the playoffs in nine of her 12 seasons with the team. "We are so thrilled to have Ticha in Los Angeles to fill a vital role on our team," said Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom. "She is well-respected around the league, an incredible leader and a tremendous point guard. She knows the league, the players and will be an immediate impact player from day one." Originally selected #2 overall in the 1998 WNBA Draft by the Monarchs, Penicheiro has become one of the greatest point guards in WNBA history and a legend in her own right. A four-time All-Star, Penicheiro is the WNBA's all-time leader in assists, (2,178) and steals, (685), and has amassed more than 2,300 points and 1,200 rebounds in 369 career games. "I am very excited to be part of the Sparks family," said Penicheiro. "It's any point guard's dream to play with a roster like the one we have in Los Angeles. I am really looking forward to contributing to our goal of winning a WNBA Championship." A native of Figueira da Foz, Portugal, Penicheiro played college basketball at Old Dominion University from 1994-98 and helped lead the Lady Monarchs to the 1997 NCAA Championship game. During her playing time at ODU, she collected 1,304 career points and finished her career as ODU's all-time steals leader with 591. She is second all-time at ODU on the career assist list with 939 and is the Colonial Athletic Association's all-time leader in steals. Penicheiro was a two-time Kodak All-American (1997, 1998) and became ODU's second winner of the prestigious Lifetime/Wade Trophy and the first international player to win the honor. A four-time All-CAA honoree, she was named the conference's Player-of-the Year in 1995-96 and 1996-97 while also claiming the Rookie of the Year award in 1994-95. She was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. With the addition of Penicheiro, the Sparks add an extremely talented player to a star-studded roster that includes Olympians Candace Parker, Tina Thompson and DeLisha Milton-Jones. The Sparks current roster, including Penicheiro, has five All-Stars and owns eight WNBA Championships. Penicheiro will wear #21 when the Sparks open the 2010 WNBA season on May 15th in Phoenix against the Defending WNBA Champion Mercury at 11:00am. To find out how you can join "The 21 Club" and sit in Ticha's special section, call 1-877-44-SPARKS or visit www.LASparks.com.

Shock may make move without 2 All-Stars

TULSA, Okla.(AP) One of the last things the Detroit Shock did before they moved to Oklahoma was announce that All-Stars Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith had agreed to contract extensions. Now that the WNBA franchise has moved to Tulsa, the team's two top scorers may not be coming along, after all. Coach and general manager Nolan Richardson says Nolan has indicated she intends to skip the upcoming season to rest instead of relocating with the team. Her agent says she's not under contract and "considering all alternatives.'' Smith, a six-time All-Star, has already said she doesn't plan to play in Tulsa and is listed as a free agent by the league. The season begins in May. Team officials said they're uncertain what happened with the contract extensions but they're holding out hope Nolan will join the Shock. "We're hoping that she will play, but she may decide - according to her agent - she may decide to take off this year because she's tired,'' Richardson said. "As of right now, she's saying that she's not playing this year.'' Nolan, a Michigan native, has played her entire eight-year career in Detroit, winning three WNBA championships and being selected as an All-Star four times. Her agent, Mike Cound, said it was "more or less correct'' that Nolan's agreement in September to extend her contract was contingent on the franchise remaining in Detroit. Instead, an Oklahoma-based ownership group bought the team in October and moved it to Tulsa. "Basically, Deanna is under no contractual obligation to compete for Tulsa or any other WNBA team at this time, nor is she under any obligation to comment on the topic,'' Cound wrote in an e-mail. "She is considering all alternatives and Tulsa and Coach Richardson will be the first to know anything she decides.'' Nolan, who ranked eighth in the league last season by averaging 16.9 points per game, was designated one of the Shock's two core players - meaning she would be guaranteed a maximum, one-year contract. Normally, franchises are only given one core player each year but Richardson said Tulsa was given an extra one because of confusion over the contract extensions with Nolan and Smith. Richardson said he didn't "know exactly the details'' of why Nolan and Smith, who was part of Detroit's last two WNBA championship runs, were let out of their contracts but it was his charge to replace them. "My job is to make sure I can find players that can come in and fit the bill,'' Richardson said. Smith, who averaged 13.7 points last season, told ESPN she didn't want to finish her career in Tulsa. Phone and e-mail messages left with her agent, Neil Cornrich, were not returned. "Deanna and Katie are both great players and ambassadors for the League,'' Shock president Steve Swetoha said. "Katie's desire to finish her career elsewhere has been known for some time. While we would love to have her in Tulsa, we understand and wish her only the best. "As for Deanna, discussions with her and her agent are ongoing. Obviously it's still more than two months before the season tips off. There is still time to get the contract secured. But, it's too early to speculate the outcome.'' Richardson said he does expect Plenette Pierson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in last year's opener, to remain with the team in Tulsa. Her contract extension was announced along with Nolan and Smith. Pierson and Cheryl Ford will make up the core of the team along with Shavonte Zellous, the team's third-leading scorer last season as a rookie. Tulsa also acquired guard Scholanda Robinson in the dispersal draft of the Sacramento Monarchs' former players. Richardson intends to mold the team in the uptempo, ൰ Minutes of Hell'' style he used to win a national championship at Arkansas. "We've got to upgrade from an athletic standpoint, people who can run the floor and play multiple positions,'' Richardson said.

McCoughtry Joins NBA All-Star Festivities

ATLANTA, February 8, 2010 - Atlanta Dream guard Angel McCoughtry has been selected to participate in the Haier Shooting Stars competition as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night on February 13. For the first time in the event's history, TNT and NBA TV analysts will participate in the event, each serving as the NBA Legend on one of the four respective teams. �I am excited about the opportunity to compete alongside such great players in the NBA All-Star festivities,� said McCoughtry. �This is the first time Atlanta has been represented in the competition and hopefully we can bring home the title!� Team Atlanta features McCoughtry, the 2009 WNBA adidas Rookie of the Year; the Atlanta Hawk's Joe Johnson, who was named to his fourth consecutive All-Star Game this year; and NBA TV analyst Steve Smith, an All-Star selection in 1998 with the Hawks. They will compete against teams from Los Angeles, Sacramento and Texas. The home team from Texas includes the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki, 2009 WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars; and TNT analyst Kenny Smith, a two-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets. Los Angeles is represented by Pau Gasol of the Lakers, Marie Ferdinand-Harris of the Sparks, and NBA TV analyst Brent Barry, formerly of the Clippers. Team Sacramento is represented by the Kings' Tyreke Evans, TNT and NBA TV analyst Chris Webber, and former Monarchs All-Star Nicole Powell, currently with the New York Liberty. This is the first year that Atlanta will be represented in the competition. In last year's competition, Team Detroit captured its second title in three years, defeating host Team Phoenix in the final round with a time of 58.4 seconds. Haier Shooting Stars will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night at American Airlines Center in Dallas on February 13. Coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on TNT.

Super Bowl Fever in the WNBA

With Super Bowl Sunday nearly upon us, WNBA players in the States and around the world will be tuning into the matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. While just about everyone has an opinion on who they are rooting for and who they think will win, there are a few WNBA players that are die-hard fans of the teams involved. We took some time to catch up with them and talk about the big game. Louisiana native Seimone Augustus will be watching this weekend's Super Bowl in Minneapolis as she continue to rehab her surgically repaired knee. Since it is just two weeks removed from the Saints defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship to advance to their first Super Bowl, Augustus may be one of the few people in the state of Minnesota rooting for the Saints on Sunday. Augustus was in friendlier surroundings for the Saints-Vikings game as she was back in Baton Rouge for her jersey retirement ceremony at LSU, which took place during halftime of the Lady Tigers' game against the University of Tennessee on the same day. �The whole day was special for me�the jersey retirement, and I had my whole family there with me at LSU,� she said. �That Sunday was the first time in a while that I had my whole family with me. They were screaming and hollering during the game. �I missed the first half of the Vikings-Saints game, but I caught the second half - the good stuff. Of course I had all my Minnesota Vikings people sending me messages. That's extra motivation. Once we (the Saints) won, everyone was partying, jumping up and down. It was real good, but I was more excited to experience that with all my family and friends.� While she will not be surrounded by friends and family on Sunday, Augustus remains a proud member of the Who Dat Nation and is ready to see her hometown team make history by defeating the Colts and winning their first Super Bowl. The Saints have become the sentimental favorite among non-Colts fans due to what the city went through with Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. Augustus knows first hand how much a sports team's success can help lift the spirit of the region. �Us getting to the Final Four was a special moment for the city because it was right around the time of Katrina,� she said. �Everyone was focusing on us, trying to have something to do, to keep their minds occupied and off what was going on with the water levels and the Katrina victims. The Final Four was significant because of that. �This is significant because we've been waiting so long for the Saints to do something good. The Saints had been the laughing stock of the NFL for years, but now it's our time! People are going crazy because finally, something good happened.� Augustus isn't the only WNBA player pulling for the Saints as fellow LSU alum and New Orleans native Temeka Johnson of the Phoenix Mercury is hoping to see Drew Brees and company bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy. �I'm rooting for the Saints not just because they are my home team, but also because they have become a great team,� she said. �They have a great leader in Drew Brees and an exciting offensive team with players like (Marques) Colston, (Pierre) Thomas, and (Reggie) Bush. The defense has been playing well with another great leader in Darren Sharper. As a point guard, I know that your team is only as good as your leader. We have two great ones! WHO DAT?!� Johnson's Mercury teammate Diana Taurasi and L.A.'s Tina Thompson are also siding with the Saints on Sunday. "I'm picking the New Orleans Saints; I love rooting for the very talented underdog,� said Thompson. �I also feel like the Saints winning would be great for the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. And last but definitely not least I'm a Trojan and so is Reggie Bush. Fight On!" "The Saints have been the most consistent team all year,� said Taurasi. �Their offense is unstoppable, weapons on both ends, down the middle, out of the backfield!� Of course not everyone is rooting for the Saints. Several WNBA players are among the legion of Colts fans looking to dash the hopes of the Saints and watch the Colts bring home their second championship in four years. Indiana natives Katie Douglas of the Indiana Fever and Katie Gearlds of the Seattle Storm will be cheering for the Colts from Turkey and Greece, respectively. �I'll watch the Super Bowl at a friend's house here in Greece,� said Geralds. �We'll hook the laptop up to the big screen and enjoy the game!� Gearlds and Douglas are not fair-weather Colts fans; they have been fans of their hometown team since they were young and have made it a point to keep up with the team while overseas. �They are my favorite professional team and they have been ever since I can remember; even through the 3-13 seasons of early in Peyton's career,� said Gearlds. �It's not hard to follow them because I'll watch the games on my Sling box and if it's a Sunday night game or Monday night game, I just wake up in the middle of the night here to watch it or at least to see the score.� �I follow the Colts very closely,� said Douglas. �It's sometimes hard with the time change but I record the games and watch them when I wake up. Lately though, my sister has been going to the games and keeping me awake and texting me the scores in case I fall asleep.� Sunday is going to be a late night for Douglas and Gearlds as the Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET, which 1:30 a.m. in both Turkey and Greece. While some WNBA players have aligned their Super Bowl picks based on supporting teams featuring players from their alma mater (Tina Thompson picking the Saints because of fellow Trojan Reggie Bush or Tamika Catchings going with the Colts and former Volunteer Peyton Manning), Douglas and Gearlds will have to root against their fellow Purdue Boilermaker Drew Brees this weekend. �I am cheering loud and proud for the Colts,� said Douglas. �But, as I say that, I have watched Drew's career over the years and am very happy and proud of the success he has made for himself. He is making Purdue very proud and I would like him to play well like he has all season, but still want the Colts to win.� �I love Drew Brees and what he brought to the Saints,� Gearlds added. �The truth is, I hope he has a great game, I just hope the Colts come out on top.� So how will the Super Bowl play out? We'll let Augustus and Gearlds make the case for their respective teams. "The Saints will win,� claims Augustus. �New Orleans is a motivated team with a lot to play for. They have the whole state of Louisiana behind them in addition to the city of New Orleans. That gives them that extra motivation and confidence. �Most importantly, we have the most accurate quarterback in the NFL in Drew Brees. He's completing like 70 percent of his passes! Besides all of that, we're very lethal with a dangerous ground attack and Reggie Bush, who's dangerous in special teams situations. Our defense is pretty tight. Freeney from the Colts might not be playing. He's their best pass-rusher, so that gives Drew Brees more time in the pocket to pick the Colts apart. It's looking pretty good for the Saints." �I think it's going to be a great game,� said Gearlds. �I'm a little worried about (Dwight) Freeney being injured, but it is the Super Bowl so my opinion is he will play and be pretty effective, too. The Saints are America's team right now. If you aren't a Colts fan, you are probably a Saints fan because of everything they have been through. However, I just don't think there's not a lot the Saints defense can do with number 18.�

Where Are They Now? Kate Starbird

Kate Starbird is one of the greatest basketball talents ever to come out of the Seattle area. The Lakes High product was Naismith College Player of the Year as a senior, starred for the ABL's Seattle Reign and spent a memorable stint with the Storm, helping lead the team to its first playoff appearance in 2002 after a midseason trade, as part of her five-year WNBA career. As great a player as Starbird was, her life was never defined solely by basketball. A computer science major at Stanford, she is now putting those skills to use as a graduate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder working on using social media and especially Twitter to aid in crisis response. The timeline of what is known as Project EPIC was accelerated by last month's devastating earthquake in Haiti, as Starbird and her co-collaborators seek to use their "Tweak the Tweet" methodology to help those in need. As Starbird's playing career was winding down, she knew she wanted to continue her education in graduate school. She last played in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever in 2004, playing overseas in Spain for two more seasons. Colorado's ATLAS (Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society) program appealed to her desire to combine her experience with computers with application in the social sciences, specifically in the rapidly expanding field of social media. "When I came to the ATLAS program and the University of Colorado, I did not have a Facebook account. I don't think Twitter even existed, or at least I had never seen it," Starbird said by phone. "That's the really cool thing about being in this particular space. It's taking off right now. There's so many things to study, so many research opportunities. In general, what we were studying is technology, media and society - how technology affects society. This social media thing happening at the same time, it's all coming together." That's certainly true of the research into the use of social media during crisis situations, which began last winter as a case study based on the March 2009 flood of the Red River in North Dakota. "In combination with collaboration with my advisor Leysia Palen and two other graduate students here, we started studying the Red River floods on Twitter, and we collected 30,000 different tweets that we read and we classified," explained Starbird. "We read all these tweets and we tried to figure out how people, many of them local, were using Twitter during the Red River flood to coordinate, to communicate their needs, to make sense of what was going on, to plan sandbagging efforts. We did this very intense research and we also ended up studying the Oklahoma grass fires and how Twitter was used by people during that event. Since that, every time there's been an event, we've picked up data and looked at that." With the help of a funding grant from the National Science Foundation, Project EPIC (Empowering People in Crisis) turned its attention to how the information provided by Twitter could be more easily collected. Here, Starbird's background in computer science proved useful in the development of software tools as well as understanding what programs could and could not take from messages on Twitter, or tweets. A key breakthrough came at last November's Random Hacks of Kindness conference. Starbird and Jeannie Stamberger combined to create a form of syntax, built on Twitter's hashtag capabilities, called "Tweak the Tweet" that makes information provided by individuals on Twitter more usable to those trying to help. The idea was well received and was named runner-up in the Random Hacks of Kindness competition. Initially, the plan was to develop "Tweak the Tweet" over time, but the urgency of the situation in Haiti spurred immediate action. "When the Haiti earthquake happened, for a few days, we talked about not really doing anything except collecting data," Starbird said. "It's really hard to work in our space because we know we're supposed to go out there and start studying things. At the same time, it's hard for everyone to see the devastation that was happening there. Then we realized, we have this idea, we think it may be able to help it may not be able to help today, but in two or three weeks it may be able to help coordinate relief efforts. "We started pumping messages out on our Twitter account directing people to our Web page that would show them how to use this synxtax. We started putting example tweets out there where we took real information and we translated it into the syntax and sent that out there. We did some local press releases to try to disperse the information and the syntax and have people see it. The more people see it and the more people who use it, the more useful it becomes." Because of the importance of end users being aware of the syntax and the limitations of technology in Haiti, Starbird isn't sure that she and her peers are having an impact on Haiti relief. The learning process and exposure, however, both figure to be valuable down the road. "It's hard to think about this as a person in the disaster space," said Starbird, "but it will probably be useful in the next event. We hate to think about the next event, but there always is a next event. We see this as really valuable for people in future events and in this one we're trying as hard as we can to help whomever we can with it. If we get one message and push it to the right person and got the word out there and it got there faster because they saw our message travel around, it's worth it for us." Being part of the aid process is certainly a motivating factor for Starbird, but during the process itself it is hard not to get caught up in the overwhelming nature of the need. "As an academic researcher, it's rare that you get to see your research so quickly," she said. "That, it's rewarding but it's also been extremely emotional and stressful because these are people's lives. You're positioning yourself as a player in helping or maybe not. It's very nerve-wracking in this particular instance. It's been so painful and hard for all of us - not just researchers; everyone who's tuned in to that event has been emotionally touched by it. For us, it's been pretty intense, because we've been watching these requests go out for very specific things and it's hard. I think it will be rewarding down the line. Right now, it's very emotional." While Starbird has left her playing days behind her, she still draws upon lessons from her basketball experience in her new role. "There's three things that I really lean on a lot from my basketball career that have been vital for my academic career so far," she said. "One of them is teamwork. I work in a lab with three active other graduate students, but there's a lot more peripherally involved. We've got two professors and we're all working together. We know how to pick up where the other one lets off, we know how to spread credit and pick each other up when someone needs it. For me, having a teamwork background has been really important for working in such a collaborative research lab. It's something I enjoy. I was working sort of by myself on my own project for a while, and it definitely wasn't as rewarding for me as working in a team environment. "The other aspect that really has been helping me is the leadership and the public speaking we would do as basketball players. I used to be insanely shy, and all that aversion therapy of having to speak in front of people, give talks, talk to reporters was so valuable - especially the last few weeks when I've had to be on conference calls with people in high places talking about coordinating things and I've got to go up there and say what we're doing. I feel a lot of confidence in that, and I know I would not be that confident had I not been a basketball player. "The third thing is just discipline. Academic research takes a lot of self-discipline. There's nobody sitting over there telling you you've got to do it. You have to put your time in, the same as especially being a professional athlete in the WNBA when you have eight or nine months off and you have to be self-disciplined and take yourself to the gym. That's really helped me." With her work so far, Starbird is on the way to establishing a legacy off the court every bit as impressive as what she accomplished as a basketball player.

Teams from Atlanta, L.A., Sacramento and Texas to Compete in 2010 Haier Shooting Stars

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2010 � A new Haier Shooting Stars champion will be crowned as teams representing Atlanta, Los Angeles, Sacramento and the state of Texas take the floor on Feb. 13, as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night at American Airlines Center in Dallas. For the first time in the event's history, TNT and NBA TV analysts will participate in the event, each serving as the NBA Legend on one of the four respective teams. The home team from Texas includes the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki, the team's all-time leading scorer, who was selected to his ninth All-Star Game, which will be played Feb. 14, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington; 2009 WNBA All-Star and All-WNBA First Team member Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars; and TNT analyst Kenny Smith, a two-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets (1994, 1995). Team Atlanta features the Hawks' Joe Johnson, who was named to his fourth consecutive All-Star Game this year; Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream, the 2009 WNBA adidas Rookie of the Year; and NBA TV analyst Steve Smith, an All-Star selection in 1998 with the Hawks and a member of the 2003 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs; Team Los Angeles, which won the inaugural Haier Shooting Stars competition in 2004, is comprised of Pau Gasol, who will be making his third NBA All-Star Game appearance in 2010; Marie Ferdinand-Harris of the Los Angeles Sparks, who is a three-time WNBA All-Star; and NBA TV analyst Brent Barry, winner of the 1996 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest as a member of the Clippers. Team Sacramento is represented by the Kings' Tyreke Evans, who has won four consecutive Western Conference T-Mobile Rookie of the Month awards, and who headlines the 2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam Rookie Team; TNT and NBA TV analyst Chris Webber, a five-time All-Star, who averaged 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists over a 15-year career; and Nicole Powell, currently with the New York Liberty, who was a first-time WNBA All-Star in 2009 with the Sacramento Monarchs. In last year's competition, Team Detroit captured its second title in three years, defeating host Team Phoenix in the final round with a time of 58.4 seconds. Haier Shooting Stars will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which will also feature the Sprite Slam Dunk, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, and NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas. TNT and ESPN Radio's national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from American Airlines Center. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 14, will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and will be broadcast in more than 40 languages. The Haier Shooting Stars contest features one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one TNT on-air talent and legend on each team. There are six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty, with each team attempting to make all shots in numeric order in the fastest time. Each team will select a specific player rotation to follow throughout the competition. Each shot must be made before the next player begins shooting in succession. Teams have up to two minutes to complete the entire shooting course and the team that completes all six shots in the least amount of time is declared the winner. In the case of a tie, a shoot-off will be used to determine the winner. Once again, every All-Star participant will join members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 12. The volunteers will participate in one of three projects in North Texas. About Haier America Haier America is the Sales and Marketing arm of the Americas for the multinational Haier Group, the world's largest white goods brand. Headquartered in the Haier Building at 1356 Broadway in New York City, Haier America is a leader for room air conditioner, compact refrigerator, and wine cellar sales, as well as a leading force in major appliances, compact appliances, portable electronics and HDTV sales. Haier is an Official Marketing Partner and the Official High Definition Television of the NBA. www.haieramerica.com. Listed below are the previous winning teams from the Haier Shooting Stars competition:
2004 (Los Angeles)
Magic Johnson (L.A. Lakers legend), Derek Fisher (L.A. Lakers), Lisa Leslie (L.A. Sparks)
2005 (Denver)
Dan Majerle (Phoenix Suns legend), Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
2006 (Houston)
Steve Kerr (San Antonio Spurs legend), Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Kendra Wecker (San Antonio Silver Stars)
2007 (Las Vegas)
Bill Laimbeer (Detroit Pistons legend), Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons), Swin Cash (Detroit Shock)
2008 (New Orleans)
David Robinson (San Antonio legend), Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs), Becky Hammon (San Antonio Silver Stars)
2009 (Phoenix)
Bill Laimbeer (Detroit legend), Aaron Afflalo (Detroit Pistons), Katie Smith (Detroit Shock)

10 Questions with Shay Murphy

When FeverBasketball.com last spoke with Shay Murphy, she had begun overseas play with Soller Joventud Mariana in Soller, Spain. She was averaging 17.6 points after her first few games, but has since raised her average to 18.1 points, with at least 20 points in eight of the 16 games she has played. From halfway across the world, Murphy took time again to answer 10 questions for FeverBasketball.com's Emily Diekelmann. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FeverBasketball.com: What has your experience been like so far playing in Spain? Shay Murphy: �My experience so far in Spain has been mixed. There have been some good times and bad times. Last Season in Spain, I loved my teammates; we won alot of games and got to travel throughout Europe. But my team had money problems and had trouble paying the players and the city was located in the north therefore it was really cold and snowed a few times. As for this season in Spain, things for the most part are great. My team is finally connecting and playing well together. I am becoming more comfortable on and off the court. My club is very professional and it has been easy for me to leave our island of Mallorca and travel throughout Spain, visiting my friends all over. In general, my experience in Spain is way more positive than negative.� FB: You have eight games with 20 points or more. How do you feel your performance has changed in the past few months? SM: �My game has changed over the last few months in that I am more confident in my abilities offensively and defensively. I look to attack and contribute in different ways. I am using my pull-up jump shot more consistently. I also appreciate every minute on the court because I know that my opportunity as a professional basketball player will not last forever.� FB: You have played professionally in Greece and now Spain, how have you been affected by the language barrier? SM: �I previously played in Greece and now Spain. Both are two amazing countries that I really have enjoyed playing in and learning the culture and language. However, they do differ from each other in many different ways. I believe the biggest difference as a pro athlete is the style of play and the competition is way more competitive in Spain � but that's just my personal opinion.� FB: Being a California girl, what was one of the hardest things to adjust to in Indiana last summer? SM: �The biggest adjustment I had to make was getting used to no beaches!!! I really enjoy laying out in the sun and riding my bike along the coast, things like that. But, luckily for me, Indiana has many lakes, and I was able to enjoy them with some of my teammates last summer.� FB: When you are not on the court, what is something you enjoy doing? SM: �When I am not on the court, I enjoy working out, going to the beach, hanging with friends, shopping, going to the movies, extreme sports, outdoor activities and most of all � SINGING and DANCING! Those are my two favorite hobbies. I really enjoy writing songs and composing little melodies and dance routines.� FB: If you weren't playing basketball, what type of job do you think you would have? SM: �If I wasn't playing basketball, I believe I would be working in the entertainment industry. Either, with film, music or advertising. I really enjoy that type of field.� FB: If you could go one-on-one with any NBA player who would it be and why? SM: �If I could play any NBA player 1 on 1, I would have to choose Kobe Bryant. I think he is such an amazing basketball player and extremely talented. His competitive nature and his work ethic, even now, expires me. He never settles and isn't ever satisfied. That is why he will continue and forever be GREAT! Plus, I believe I could score a point or two on him ... LOL! FB: What are some of your pregame rituals or superstitions? SM: �My pregame rituals are to attend shootaround, come back home and sleep, then show, then eat a pregame meal, then listen to Celine Dion's �Because You Loved Me' and �Worship Music.'� FB: What is one of the major differences of playing basketball in the U.S. versus overseas? SM: �Playing basketball in the U.S is extremely competitive and more difficult than overseas, mostly because, in the U.S., everyone is competitive, athletic, big, fast and strong. Also, overseas, the majority of countries only allow 2-3 Americans on one team. The style of play is different in the U.S. because the games are more organized and called more closely. However, in Europe, there are no over the back calls and a spin move is often called a travel. Those are just a few major differences.� FB: Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life? SM: �My biggest inspiration in life has to be my faith in Jesus Christ and the strength of my mother. With the blessings of the Lord, my mother was able to raise my brother and I alone, after my dad passed away. Witnessing my mom's strength and her faith in the Lord encouraged me to believe that anything is possible and I could achieve my dreams. I am truly grateful for the Lord's grace and mercy and for my mom's unconditional love and support � which has made me the person I am today.�

Mercury Re-Signs Head Coach Corey Gaines

The Mercury has signed Head Coach Corey Gaines through the 2010 WNBA season, General Manager Ann Meyers Drysdale announced today. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. �Coach Gaines has been a tremendous contributor to our championship success over the past few seasons,� Meyers Drysdale said. �With him at the helm and with the return of our proven core of players, we're confident that the pieces will be in place to bring home a third championship in 2010.� Gaines returns for his third season at the helm of the WNBA's highest-scoring offense. With 2009 WNBA MVP Diana Taurasi and All-Star Cappie Pondexter, the Mercury shattered scoring records yet again in 2009 en route to the team's second WNBA championship in three years. With Gaines on the bench, Phoenix has set WNBA scoring averages in three of the last four seasons, and has led the league in scoring average in each of that last four. Gaines began his tenure with the Mercury as the top assistant under former Head Coach Paul Westhead in 2006. He spent two years as assistant coach, including Phoenix's first championship campaign in 2007, before being named head coach on Nov. 7, 2007.

Silver Stars Re-Sign Center Ruth Riley

SAN ANTONIO � The San Antonio Silver Stars today announced the signing of veteran center Ruth Riley to a two-year deal. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released. The Silver Stars acquired Riley in February 2007 by way of a trade with Detroit that sent Katie Feenstra to the Shock. A WNBA all-star, Riley owns a rare trifecta with an NCAA Championship (Notre Dame 2001), Olympic Gold Medal (Athens 2004) and two WNBA titles (Detroit 2003, 2006). In 2003, she earned MVP honors during the WNBA Finals after scoring 27 points against Los Angeles in the championship game. �We are pleased to announce that Ruth Riley will remain a key member of the San Antonio Silver Stars,� said General Manager and Head Coach Dan Hughes. �Ruth brings so much both on and off the court with her leadership of the team.� In nine WNBA seasons, Riley has averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 assists per game. Last season, Riley played in 31 games � including 17 starts � and tallied averages of 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 0.9 assists and 0.4 steals per game. Additionally in 2009, she surpassed 2,000 points, 1,200 rebounds, 7,000 minutes and 400 blocks. �As I enter my 10th year in the WNBA, I am just as excited now as I was on the day I was drafted,� said Riley. �Without a doubt, this will be the most competitive season our league has seen, as our talent and game continues to improve with each passing year. I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to continue to be with teammates that I enjoy on and off the court, to play for a coaching staff that I respect and an organization that is committed not only to our team but also to the fans and community of San Antonio.� Collegiately, the 6-foot-5-inch center was voted Most Outstanding Player at the 2001 NCAA Final Four after helping the Fighting Irish to their first national title. Additionally, she picked up the Naismith Award as the nation's top basketball player that season. Well known for her humanitarian efforts, Riley spent much of the past three off-seasons in South Africa where she worked with Nothing But Nets to distribute bed nets to children as part of the group's malaria prevention campaign. She also spent time working basketball clinics for children and promoting health initiatives while in South Africa.

Langhorne Takes Her Game to Spain

Crystal Langhorne, as a high school basketball player, travelled to France with a select youth squad. When she got to the University of Maryland, Langhorne was part of a summer trip to Hungary, Austria, France and the Czech Republic for some exhibition games a few months after the Terps won the national title in 2006. Now Langhorne, who had a breakout season as a second-year pro for the Mystics in 2009, is on her own in Europe. She lives in Rivas, Spain and is playing pro basketball for the second straight winter season overseas. During the 2008-09 season she played in Lithuania. "It is my first time ever in Spain," said the 6-foot-2 forward/center. "I am in a town about 15 minutes by car from Spain. It is a small town. It is not very big. People have regular jobs, just like back home." The job for Langhorne, 23, who was born in New York and played high school ball in New Jersey, is to improve her skills on the floor as she gets ready for her third pro season with the Mystics in a few months. In her first 15 games in the Spanish league she was averaging 25.8 minutes, 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Her team also plays in the Euroleague, perhaps the best league outside of the WNBA and that allows for trips outside of Spain to face top European clubs. Langhorne averaged 33.4 minutes, 17.1 points and 5.5 boards in her first 10 Euroleague contests this season. One of her teammates is Hungarian center Petra Ujhelyi, who played in college at South Carolina and was once a member of the Mystics before Langhorne turned pro. "She is one of my closest teammates. We hang out a lot," Langhorne said. The team also includes players from Serbia, Sweden and, of course, Spain. The Rivas coach is from Spain and uses several languages, including Spanish, English and French. "His English is decent. It is enough for him to get his point across to me," said Langhorne, who was the sixth pick overall by Washington in the 2008 WNBA draft. "I am learning some Spanish. We will see how that goes." Langhorne was named the WNBA's Most Improved Player last season, as she averaged 29.8 minutes, 12.0 points and 7.9 rebounds in 34 games, with 22 starts. As a rookie she played in 34 games, with six starts, and averaged 15.6 minutes, 4.8 points and 4.0 boards. Now she is trying to improve her game even more while facing some of the top European players, and also Americans with WNBA experience. "The WNBA is more physical. This game is not as physical," Langhorne said of the Euroleague. "But you can not get away with what you would (on fouls) in the States. Europe basketball is a little different." One of the biggest challenges for American players, both men and women, in Europe is how travelling is called. A player must clearly put the ball on the floor before they pick up their pivot foot or walking will be called. Langhorne said she has been called for walking several times. Despite the language barrier and new rules on the court, Langhorne is grateful for her time overseas. Her parents plan to visit her in Spain in March and she had family members come to Lithuania last season. "Just being in a different culture" is the best thing, she said. "I wouldn't be over here if I wasn't playing basketball. I love to eat so I get to see different types of food. This is a lifestyle that so many people would like to do." Like most American imports she is provided the free use of a car and a fully-furnished apartment while with the Spanish club. She has very few expenses, such as food and gas. Langhorne has a one-season contract and plans to be in Spain until May before joining the Mystics in time for the 2010 season. She said the biggest challenge of being overseas is the distance from family and friends. The former Maryland star is able to bridge that gap with Skype, a phone service, and e-mail messages. Langhorne said the Spanish women's league is much better than the one in Lithuania. "In the Lithuanian league there was one team that could compete with us. The league was very weak. This year I came to Spain and everything is very good," she said. Her Spanish team is in a Euroleague division that includes teams from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France and Poland. "Right now I am trying to reinforce some of the things from the WNBA season, like keeping my jumper consistent and working on my ball handling," she said. Most European teams practice or train two times per day on non-game days, and that is the case for Rivas. Langhorne, on a recent Tuesday, said her team practiced for about 90 minutes starting at noon. She then went home and had lunch and worked on her Spanish. She was back at the gym around 7:30 p.m. for a two-hour session. She eats around 10:30 p.m. most weeknights and usually sleeps from 3 to 11 a.m. So can Langhorne envision a long career overseas while also playing in the WNBA? "I don't know. It depends. We will see what opportunities I have. I like to go with the flow," she said. Editor's note: David Driver has covered college and pro basketball in the Washington area for several years. He covered American basketball players in Europe for three years while living in Hungary with his family, and filed stories from nine countries for North American publications, including The Washington Post, Oregonian and the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. He can be reached through his website at www.davidsdriver.com

Sky Re-Sign Dominique Canty

CHICAGO, February 2, 2010 � Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Steven Key announced today that the Chicago Sky have re-signed veteran guard Dominique Canty to a two year contract. Due to team policy, the terms of the contract were not released. �We're more than happy that Dominique will be here to continue in the pursuit of the goal we set out to reach when she originally got here in 2007 � to win a WNBA Championship,� said Key. �Dominique has been a huge part of the success we've experienced to this point, and her veteran presence will be integral in continuing to grow that success.� Canty was originally signed by the Sky as a free agent on February 12, 2007. In her three years with the Sky she's played an average of 25 minutes per game in 30.7 games per season. She's averaged 7.9 points, 3.8 assists and grabbed 2.1 rebounds per game with the Sky. Canty completed her 11th season in the WNBA having started all 34 games in 2009. On August 1 Canty recorded her 300th career steal to become the 11th player in WNBA history to amass 800 career rebounds, 800 career assists and 300 career steals. Canty was selected by Detroit in the third round (29th overall) in the 1999 WNBA Draft out of Alabama. While at Alabama Canty was a two-time All-American and four-time All-SEC selection. As a senior, Canty was named First-Team All-American by both the Associated Press and The Sporting News. Canty is a product of Chicago Public Schools and attended Whitney Young High School in Chicago.

Sun Sign Lawson, Jekabsone-Zogota

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (February 2, 2010) � The Connecticut Sun announced today it has signed former Sacramento Monarchs guard Kara Lawson to a three-year contract. As per team policy, terms were not released. �This is a great signing for us,� Sun Vice President and General Manager Chris Sienko said Tuesday of Lawson, an unrestricted free agent who spent seven seasons with Sacramento. �Kara is the kind of accomplished veteran you always find on the roster of successful teams in any sport. She can do so many things well, and she has so much experience playing in big games. She has won a WNBA title with Sacramento, a gold medal in the Olympics, and she will play a key role for the Connecticut Sun.� Connecticut has also re-signed Anete Jekabsone-Zogota to a two-year deal. Lawson averaged 9.3 points per game for Sacramento, appearing in 217 games with 54 starts for the Monarchs. A former Tennessee star who was selected fifth overall by the Detroit Shock in the 2003 WNBA Draft, Lawson is a career 38.8-percent shooter from three-point range who scored her 2,000th career point last year. She was a member of the 2008 United States Olympic team that defeated Australia for the gold medal. �This is a player we've tried to trade for several times,� Sun coach Mike Thibault said. �We tried to sign her as a restricted free agent, but we knew Sacramento would match the offer. She fills a huge need on our team because she plays both guard positions and can excel at all the skills required of both positions. Her shooting, her ball-handling, her passing, her vision, her toughness and her leadership are all things we need.� Jekabsone-Zogota appeared in 27 games with 16 starts in her first WNBA season, leading the team with a shooting percentage of 39.4 from three-point range. She had 39 made threes, and averaged 9.4 points per game. �Amidst all the other things we have done, the re-signing of Anete to a two-year contract is a huge step forward in our progress,� Thibault said. �After she got comfortable last year, I think fans and opponents alike saw the kind of player she will be for years to come in this league. Her shooting, passing and court sense are exceptional, and we look forward to her being an integral part of our team for a long time.� The signing of Lawson continues an extensive offseason makeover for the Connecticut Sun, which also selected veteran forward DeMya Walker in the dispersal draft for Sacramento in December, then completed a major trade that sent Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft for Renee Montgomery and the No. 1 pick in 2010. �We lost a valuable player in Lindsay Whalen, but we've turned around and signed Kara Lawson, and we acquired Renee Montgomery and DeMya Walker along with the first pick in the draft,� Thibault said. �It's as significant an offseason as we've ever had.�

Storm Offseason Q&A: Sue Bird

Seattle Storm point guard Sue Bird arrived in Russia at the start of the month looking to help Spartak Moscow Region defend its Euroleague title and reclaim the Russian SuperLeague championship. Before that, however, Bird enjoyed a longer period of time at home than normal, spending three months with family and friends. In a Q&A over e-mail, Bird explains what she was able to do during that period, how the time off helped her physically, discusses life in Moscow now that Lauren Jackson is no longer her overseas teammate and looks ahead to the upcoming Storm season. stormbasketball.com: What do you miss most while overseas? Bird: The obvious answer to this question is people. I miss my friends and family the most but I also have to admit that I miss food a lot too. There is nothing more frustrating than having a craving you can't fulfill. What are you looking forward to coming back to in Seattle? My house. I really feel at home when I'm in Seattle and there is nothing that can compare to the feeling of being home. How different did it feel spending a couple of months at home before going overseas this year? It felt SO different. I was actually a little nervous in my first game back because of my time off, but after a week or so I got right back into the swing of things. Was there anything you were able to do that normally you miss while overseas? Yes! My entire family is born in either September or October [including Sue] so for the first time in a LONG time I was able to spend all those birthdays with them. I also have some close friends who had their birthdays during that time as well, so that was great. I got to see my sister run in the NYC Marathon and it really was a highlight for me. She has seen me play a million times, so to witness her accomplish such a huge feat was amazing. How was it spending time with this year's UConn team and practicing with them? It was a lot of fun. I really enjoy going up to campus, visiting and practicing with the team. It's an easy way to stay in shape and spend time with the staff, as well as get to know the current players. I will always remember the alumni coming back to practice when I was in school and it was a special relationship that I have valued to this day. This year's team is a great group on and off the court. Physically, do you feel refreshed after the time off? Absolutely. My neck turned into more of an annoyance than I realized so it was great to give it some real rest. Also, the little nagging stuff that every athlete deals with had time to cool down too. I still worked out and played on occasion, but not at the level I had been for the past few years and I can definitely feel the difference. It doesn't hurt to get out of bed in the morning!! That's a big deal for me. When was the last time you had this much time away from playing basketball? I can't even remember. Probably when I had surgery in the fall of 2003. How much were you in contact with teammate Diana Taurasi about how Spartak was doing without you? We talked often. She'd give me the updates on what was happening with the team on and off the court, and I'd make her jealous by telling her which NBA game I was watching at that VERY moment ... it was fun :). Is it odd to be over in Russia and not have Lauren there with you? Of course it is! You can't live and play with someone for three years and not miss them when they are gone. She was a huge part of my Russian experience. Is there motivation for this season to win for the memory of late owner Shabtai von Kalmanovic? Yes, the memory of Shabtai is everywhere you turn. There are times where it is difficult and times where it is motivating. I miss him dearly. Have you taken a look at the 2010 schedule? Does anything stand out to you? The first few things I check out whenever a new schedule is released is the amount of back-to-backs we have and when we go to NY and CT. The schedule looks good to me except we have to play some teams five times. That will be a new experience. From playing against her for years, what can Chelsea Newton bring to the Storm? Chelsea will bring a HUGE amount of energy. She is known for her defense, and believe me I know alllll about it, but she brings much more than just that. I'm excited to have her on the Storm and feel like it's a perfect fit. Plus now I'll have a few less bruises on my forearms ;).

World's Best Women's Basketball Players to Square Off at Mohegan Sun Arena

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2010 - WNBA All-Star 2010 will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday, July 10, league President Donna Orender announced today. The game will be on ESPN with tip-off set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The 2010 WNBA All-Star Game will feature a unique, exciting format in which the USA Basketball Women's National Team will compete against a team of WNBA all-stars. The U.S. squad will be coached by national figure and local treasure, Geno Auriemma, who will guide the national team. As the head coach at the nearby University of Connecticut, Auriemma has led the school's women's program to six national championships, including the 2009 title. �We will showcase the greatest female basketball players in the world,� said Orender. �With Geno Auriemma leading the national team in his home state before one of the WNBA's most dedicated fan bases at a terrific venue, we're set for a great basketball experience.� �Women's basketball is ingrained in the fabric of the state of Connecticut,� said Sun Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Etess. �Sun fans, in particular, proved that last year, filling the arena for the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game and making that game one of the greatest in the history of the event. Now in 2010 we're thrilled to be able to offer our fans an opportunity to see the best women's basketball players in the world all on one court at the same time with a unique twist.� �On behalf of USA Basketball, I want to thank the WNBA for providing us with this extraordinary � and important � opportunity to gather the USA Women's National Team together in advance of the 2010 World Championship,� added Auriemma. �As we prepare to face teams from around the world, there is no better competition we could face than to tip off against a team of WNBA all-stars.� Sun season-ticket holders will receive information this week detailing an opportunity to buy their current seats for the All-Star Game in advance of a public on-sale date. Others with an opportunity to purchase All-Star tickets prior to the public sale date include fans who purchase one of the Sun Mini Plan options, which go on sale Feb. 1, or those who purchase a Sun pick-a-plan option that will go on sale in March. Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Arena, host of the 2005, 2009 and 2010 WNBA All-Star games, joins New York's Madison Square Garden as the only venues to stage the event three times. In addition to hosting the league's first All-Star event on July 14, 1999, Madison Square Garden was the site of the All-Star Game in 2003 and again in 2006 during the league's 10th anniversary season. Washington, D.C. hosted the game in 2002 and 2007. Last year, the Seattle Storm's Swin Cash � a product of Auriemma's at UConn, earned the game's MVP honor by scoring a record 22 points on 10-16 shooting from the field. She also added six rebounds and four assists to lead the Western Conference over the Eastern Conference, 133-118.

A New York Minute With ... Nicole Powell

Nicole Powell will come to the Big Apple in a matter of months as the Liberty opens its 14th Training Camp. Powell brings with her WNBA All-Star status, a championship ring and an inspiring competitive spirit. She finished her sixth season as a professional ranked as the WNBA's No. 1 free throw shooter (.979), one of the league's top 10 leading scorers and one of the top 20 three-point shooters (.363). Powell's game has been on the rise with each passing summer, and could be the spark to get New York back to winning form in 2010. Get to know the newest member of the squad in a New York minute.
I first started playing basketball with my parents at our neighborhood park.
I first knew I could make it to the WNBA when pro coaches began scouting me in college.
The celebrity I'd be star struck over is President Obama.
My first job was as an assistant tennis coach.
My dream job is to be a rock star.
My first car was a Ford Explorer.
The athlete I admired most when I was younger was Michael Jordan.
My favorite movie is Love Actually.
My favorite sports movie is For Love of the Game.
My favorite TV show is The Office.
My favorite actor is Peter Griffin.
My favorite actress is Pam Grier.
Post-career, I'd like to be injury-free.
Don't ever call me to help you move.
My favorite WNBA city to visit is Phoenix.
My favorite arena to play in is Madison Square Garden.
The most interesting thing about me that people might not know is that I have a harmonica; a gift from my friend Kristen Newlin.
One item I am never without is chapstick.
My cell phone bill is too high.
My favorite snack is popcorn.
The one place in the world I'd like to visit, but haven't yet is Greece.
The best part of college was meeting all kinds of people with different backgrounds.

Christon Calls For A Time-out

Shameka Christon sure knows how to keep busy, but then again, it's all she's known. Her life, much like that of any other WNBA player, is a continuous cycle year in and year out since graduating from college. At the conclusion of the WNBA season, she jets off overseas to compete and comes back home just in time to report to Training Camp. Although, this winter she's shaking things up by giving her body a rest from the court and making the best of her time stateside. After three months of competition in Poland, Christon traveled back to Arkansas to enjoy some time with her family, rolled up her sleeves to help out at a local daycare and now finds herself in and out of the Liberty office between appearances and events to rally fans for the 14th season. So much for that relaxation plan, huh? Before setting her sights on the next adventure � NBA All-Star Weekend � NYLiberty.com snuck in a few minutes with its All-Star. Tell us about your on-court experience in Poland. I really didn't know what to expect, but the fans in Poland were absolutely amazing. They add me now on Facebook to keep in touch. And my team-mates, I love 'em to death. They were great. They worked hard. We had a lot of fun. And how was living in Poland? The city, Gydnia, was beautiful. And the people were nice. It was cold, and it rained a lot. It was right on the coast. It was nice that I was near the beach, but unfortunately I was there when it was cold. It snowed a lot. The snow wasn't worse than where you were in Russia (last year), was it? No, not even close. How did it work out between you and the language? It was difficult, and I didn't attempt to learn. I knew I wasn't going to learn it. They have everything in English. Not just signs, but you could go to the movies and it's in English with Polish subtitles. Movies that came out here, would come out a week later in Poland. I went to the movies a couple of times. Because of that, people learn English and it's easier to get around and that made it that much easier to not learn Polish. My team-mates spoke English, but they were shy about it; they didn't want to get things wrong. So overall it sounds like good experience. Yes. Where does it rank in your all-time overseas gigs? Third, Spain is first, Israel is second. As you can tell, those are the two warm places I've played. What was the first thing you were craving when you got back to the States? I went home to Arkansas, and there's this placed called Rod's Pizza Cellar. They have this godfather pizza and I killed it, three times there. I don't eat out at home unless it's at Rod's. In Poland, there are all different kinds of restaurants, Chinese, Mexican � they had KFC. Their KFC would blow our KFC out of the water. You're calling KFC a restaurant � Well fast food, whatever. Over in Poland, it's a restaurant compared to here. What did you do once you got settled in at home? Slept. And I slept some more. It felt good to just rest and relax. Spending time with my family was great, because this was the longest I've ever been home. We had family nights of board games, my nephew had games I went to and my brother is coaching now. So I've been watching a lot of basketball. I went skating with my sister and nephew. I haven't skated since high school. I was thinking the whole time, �I'm gonna fall,� but I didn't. My sister did. I went bowling, too. It was just a lot of family gatherings. It was fun. Was there anything you were craving or looking forward to when you got into New York? Not really, I was just excited to be back in a city � there's a lot of stuff to do. What about that box Krispy Kremes you were walking around with in the office, do they not have those back home? No, we have Shipley's Donuts. We may have one, just not in my little town. I'll get a half dozen, if I go, but just like Krispy Kreme, it's so much glaze and sugar. If they're not hot, I really don't care for them. I don't crave them every day. My mother cooked for me a lot when I was home. She told me that she's never cooked so much. Now that I'm here, she's so happy, in that sense that she doesn't have to cook. What have you been up to around the city? I went to Dave and Buster's, and literally sat there for three hours with a friend playing games. One game, I couldn't get off of. Any good prizes? I didn't want the prizes, left it for my friend. It was probably 6,000 tickets. Three hours will do that. Yeah, so I just gave him the tickets. A majority of the time, we played a trivia game. And it was questions I should know, like, �Who's the lead singer of Matchbox 20?� And so I guessed. I was the only one to get it wrong at the whole table. There were a lot of questions and I was thinking, how could you not know that? So you've been keeping busy here. I have. And I've been in the office calling around to season subscribers to get them to renew their tickets

Coach Jen Answers Your Questions!

You sent in your questions to Sparks new head coach Jennifer Gillom and she sat down to give you the 411 on everything you wanted to know.
Kim Hayashi: How are you going to fill the considerable hole left by the retirement of the great Lisa Leslie? Coach Jen: Lisa was a great player and leader on and off the court. She will be greatly missed by the team and organization but any team must be able to adapt and I believe that we will be able to do some things that put us where we need to be to contend for a Championship.
Kim Hayashi: Do you consider 2010 a "rebuilding" year (boo), or do you think the Sparks will be contenders (yay) in the Western Conference? Coach Jen: The goal this year, as it has been every year is to not only contend in the Western Conference but for a Championship. We have great players on our team and have no doubt that this will occur.
Deborah Cunningham: I was very excited to hear that you are our new Sparks head coach. In the LA Times article it stated that your plans are to adopt a fast-paced offense. How are you going to implement this? And do you think it will require some major changes for that much needed production from our bench to occur? Coach Jen: I think a fast pace offense would work very well for the makeup of our team and bench and we will work on that over the next few months. I have always been a firm believer in getting production from the bench and will look to do that this year.
Renika Dixon: How do you think the season will go for you being the Sparks new head coach? Coach Jen: I am really looking forward to the season and working with this talented group of players and administration. I am familiar with LA and feel very comfortable here, I believe it will be a smooth transition for everyone involved and we will hit the ground running.
Tiesha Tunstall: What does it take to be someone like Candace Parker? Coach Jen: Hard work and dedication and the desire to continue to improve your game.
Alyse Owens: Are you as excited as I am about this golden opportunity? Coach Jen: I love your enthusiasm! Yes, I am extremely excited about being in LA and working towards bringing a Championship back.
Taylor Brooks: Big mercury fan right here. But for the question, did you ever think you would become the Sparks head coach? Did the thought ever cross your mind? Coach Jen: I am truly grateful to people like you and all my fans, they have been so gracious and amazing to me throughout my career. I hope that no matter where I am that support continues!
Sarah Kressin: Hi my name is Sarah Kressin and I play for njb in diamond bar and I was wondering if I could be on the Sparks when I grow up? I'm 12 and I average about 20 points a game. Coach Jen: Hi Sarah! If you continue to work hard on your fundamentals on both ends of the court, have a great attitude and love the game of basketball, I have no doubt that one day we will see you on the court.
Augustus Sonpon: What are your plans next season for the sparks to be able to cross the second round of the playoffs? Coach Jen: I'm going to look to utilize our bench more and get more overall production.
Kendall Barlow: With the 2010 season approaching, what position do you feel the Sparks will scout most in the upcoming draft? Coach Jen: There are some positions we are looking to fill and hope to do so with our draft picks and through free agency.
Micah Gaines: What are you looking forward to the most about coaching the LA Sparks? Coach Jen: I am really looking forward to being in LA because of their terrific fan base, knowledgeable administration and first class players. Everyone in LA from the players to the front office have one goal in mind and that is to win a Championship and that is a very exciting energy to be around.
Isaac Stevens: How are you going to address the point guard situation on the Sparks? Coach Jen: You need a true point with some size, can play some defense and who can shoot the three pointer to open-up the inside game. We are looking at a variety of scenarios this off-season that will put us in the best position to win a Championship.
Felicia Brown: What will be your biggest task, besides replacing Lisa Leslie? Coach Jen: Controlling my enthusiasm!!! :)
Kent Dobbs: Welcome back to LA! What do you see as the biggest change in playing style as you take over the team from the Cooper coached teams? Coach Jen: You will probably see a more up-tempo team that not only uses our size but the quickness of our players.
William Smith: How are you planning on using Candace? Are you trying to put her at center or let her play all five like she can? Coach Jen: Because she is such a versatile player we will continue to evaluate that and put her where she is most comfortable and fits best with our team.
Lisa Sanchez: What are you looking to improve on the defensive end for the sparks? Coach Jen: INTENSITY!
Kevin Wilson: My question is what coaching technique or drills that are taught to players that will make them become an above average player? Coach Jen: I am a firm believer in one on one work versus drills because it allows the player to be evaluated based more upon their strengths and weaknesses versus being evaluated as a group.

Boucek to Re-Join Storm

SEATTLE - Jenny Boucek has re-joined the Seattle Storm organization as the director of player development and scouting, Storm Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Brian Agler announced today. The 2010 season marks Boucek's fourth with the organization. �I'm thrilled Jenny is joining our staff this season,� Agler said. �Jenny has witnessed and experienced the WNBA from both the playing and coaching vantage points and brings a valuable perspective to our staff. She knows both the professional game and our league and what it takes to be successful at our level. �We will count on Jenny to work with our players to improve their skills and overall game along with overseeing the team's scouting responsibilities. Just like finding individuals that fit our program and improve our team, we look for staff members that can do the same. Jenny brings that to the Storm.� Boucek served as an assistant coach for the Storm under Anne Donovan during the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons and was an integral part of the 2004 WNBA championship team. In two-plus seasons as the head coach for the now-defunct Sacramento Monarchs, Boucek compiled a record of 40-41. �It's an honor to be part of the Storm organization again,� Boucek said. �There is a dynamic, synergetic relationship that exists between the Storm, the fans and the community and to me this epitomizes what pro sports should be. �Sharing in the experience of winning the 2004 WNBA championship was one of my most memorable experiences and I am elated to team up with this great organization and community in pursuing another championship.� After beginning her WNBA coaching career began in 1999 as an assistant with the Washington Mystics, Boucek spent three seasons as an assistant with the Miami Sol. She played professional basketball for two years before joining the coach ranks. In 1997, the WNBA's inaugural season, Boucek was a member of the Cleveland Rockers. Boucek also played in Iceland in 1998 and was voted the country's best player after averaging 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. She returned to Cleveland for the 1998 season but was forced to retire due to a career-ending back injury. A four-year starter at the University of Virginia (1992-96), Boucek helped lead the Cavaliers to four regular-season ACC Championships and three NCAA Elite Eight appearances. She was a two-time GTE Academic All-America team member and two-time ACC selection. Boucek twice earned team Defensive Player of the Year honors and finished her career at Virginia as a member of the 1,000-point club. She also competed in the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1993.

Dream Hires Former Braves Executive as COO

ATLANTA, January 19, 2010 - The Atlanta Dream has hired Toby Wyman as the organization's new Chief Operating Officer. Team owner Kathy Betty recruited Wyman from the Atlanta Braves organization where he served as Assistant General Manager of Business Operations for the Gwinnett Braves. "I am delighted Toby has joined our WNBA family," said Betty. "I sought someone with a strong business acumen and experience in sales and marketing to take our team to a higher level. It is not only our goal to win on the court. It's also our goal to win on our balance sheet and win in the hearts of Atlantans." Wyman had rejoined the Atlanta Braves organization in 2008 after leaving in 2006 to start his own mobile marketing company that provided branding and marketing support to sports organizations. During his tenure with Gwinnett Braves, Wyman tripled net profits, increasing total gross revenue 216 percent. From 2001 � 2006, Wyman worked with the Richmond Braves responsible for the day-to-day operations of the club. Wyman has extensive experience in advertising and consumer branding having worked at executive level on national accounts for Ocean Spray, T.J. Maxx and the Boston Globe. As Vice President of Advertising for Foot Locker, Wyman worked with global brands such as Nike, Reebok, and Adidas. "I am looking forward to building a brand identity for the Atlanta Dream that captures the fun and excitement of competitive sports and one that creates a strong bond between the team and the City of Atlanta," Wyman said. "The Atlanta Dream is a unique opportunity to build a first-class organization that wins championships on the court and positively impacts the community off the court," he said. "A healthy business means you are paying attention to your customers. In our case, our customers include many young girls who aspire to become pro athletes," Betty said. "We have set ourselves on a course to create a synergy between the love of the game and delivering a family entertainment package that makes our team strong." Wyman is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he received his B.S. in Management Engineering. He also holds an MBA from Wagner College where he was the youngest Division I Head Wrestling Coach in the nation. He served on the Board of Directors of the Miracle League of Richmond where they built the first Miracle League field in Virginia enabling both physically and mentally challenged children the opportunity to play baseball. Wyman currently resides in Dacula, Ga. with his wife Nancy and their children. He is member of the 2010 Class of Leadership Gwinnett.

New Jackson Contract Tops Storm's Free Agency Goals

The Seattle Storm heads into the WNBA's free agency period, which opens today, confident in achieving its main objective of re-signing unrestricted free agent Lauren Jackson. Based on Jackson's public comments to reporters at the end of the season that she would sign a new contract with the Storm and her private conversations, there is every reason to believe that Jackson will re-sign even though she was not placed under a core designation. "Lauren has told me on numerous occasions that she plans on signing a multi-year contract with Seattle," Storm Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Brian Agler said by phone Friday, "and we fully expect that she will follow through on her word. "That being said, with us not having to core her she understands that she potentially can help us put a stronger team on the floor in the future. Whenever you have a core tag available, you have the ability to place it on certain individuals that you don't want to lose. We've got a variety of people that are coming to the ends on their contract and you always want to have that core tag available. "If we would have cored Lauren and signed her to a multi-year contract, that ties that core spot up for the length of the contract. Usually that core tag is best used for one year. We're at a point now where we want to get Lauren into a multi-year contract. We believe what she's told us. We know that she loves Seattle and we have great confidence that she'll end her career with a Storm jersey on." While Jackson took her time last offseason before deciding to re-sign with the Storm, the anticipation is that this year's process will move much more quickly as the two sides talk over the next two weeks before players can begin signing contracts on Feb. 1. "Our goal with Lauren would be to get her signed by Feb. 1," said Agler. "I've had numerous conversations with her agent, I've been in contact with her, I've been in contact with her mom. We anticipate having Lauren signed on Feb. 1 or soon after." Once that is complete, the Storm can focus its attention on adding outside free agents to the roster. While the Storm may not be as active as two years ago, when Agler signed WNBA legends Yolanda Griffith and Sheryl Swoopes and also completed a sign-and-trade deal for All-Star Swin Cash, the key is finding the right player or players to complement a starting lineup that was as effective as any in the league. "We're going to explore a few options," explained Agler. "We have definitely focused on or narrowed our list down to a handful. We have designated the people that we're going to go after to ourselves and we're going to be aggressive that way." That process started today, which was the first time teams could have conversations with free agents. Now is the time when the Storm and other WNBA teams will begin to see which players have interest in joining them and who might be the right fit. "There's a recruiting element to it," Agler said. "People are at different stages right now. Some are totally open. Some have narrowed their focus down some, obviously would like to remain with the team they've been playing with. It's more of a fact-finding time for us right now on the first day." While Agler and his counterparts around the league are making those phone calls, they also are making decisions based on a slightly different financial landscape. The WNBA and the WNBA Players Association agreed to a reduction of the salary cap to go along with last year's move reducing rosters to a maximum of 11 players. That means less room to work with under the cap. While other teams with more free agents will feel the brunt of this change, the Storm is certainly affected as well. The league has also undergone key changes with the departure of the Sacramento Monarchs and the move of the Detroit Shock to Tulsa. Veterans Kara Lawson and Ticha Penicheiro, who had played their entire careers in Sacramento, are two of the most prominent free agents on the market. That group also includes former Detroit guard Katie Smith, who told ESPN.com in December that she does not plan to play in Tulsa. "In both cases, the Detroit and Sacramento players really enjoyed the places they were playing," said Agler. "I felt all along that those players would for the most part stay in those locations. Now, things have changed. Whether players decide to sit out, whether players decide to go elsewhere, it will be interesting to see how a lot of this plays out." Other top unrestricted free agents include Tulsa's Taj McWilliams, Minnesota's Kelly Miller, San Antonio's Ruth Riley and Phoenix's Penny Taylor and Le'Coe Willingham. All-Stars Seimone Augustus, Candice Dupree and Cappie Pondexter lead the list of restricted free agents, though their former teams would surely match any offers to the four-year veterans. Beyond Jackson, the Storm's other unrestricted free agent is center Ashley Robinson, who has expressed a desire to remain in Seattle. "We've loved having Ashley as a part of our team, a part of our franchise," said Agler. "She's a quality person and an excellent athlete and we would love to have Ashley come to training camp. I'll be in dialogue with her representatives over the next couple of weeks to see where she stands on that. She really loves Seattle. She understands that she has a place here. She understands that she's played well for us." Guard Chelsea Newton, selected from Sacramento in the Dispersal Draft, is the Storm's lone restricted free agent. "I'll have a conversation with her agent now before Feb. 1," Agler said, "and it will be expressed to me whether she wants to sign the contract that's extended to her or whether she wants to be patient and wait a few weeks to see whether other offers come in." Seven Storm players, including the rest of the starting lineup besides Jackson, are under contract. Center Suzy Batkovic-Brown, whose desire to play in the WNBA this season is uncertain, is a reserved player who can negotiate only with the Storm.

Support Haiti Recovery Efforts

During the afternoon of January 12, 2010, an earthquake, registering 7.0 on the Richter scale, rocked the Caribbean nation of Haiti, causing mass devastation. Haiti, which is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and has a population of 9.6 million, is in dire need of funds to provide safe water, temporary shelter systems and essential medical supplies.

The NBA is joining forces with our partner UNICEF, who has been on the ground in Haiti since 1949, to bring attention to the crisis and much needed emergency assistance to the victims. UNICEF is ready to provide immediate support to the estimated three million victims of the unfolding humanitarian crisis. In coordination with other UN agencies present on the ground, UNICEF will provide supplies to allow access to adequate sanitation, safe water and basic health care.

Please join the NBA Family in support of those in need. Click here to learn more about how you can contribute to this critical issue.

Trade Brings a Mix of Emotions for Montgomery

Bittersweet was the first word Renee Montgomery used to describe today's trade that sent her and the No. 1 pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft to Connecticut in exchange for Lindsay Whalen and the No. 2 pick in the Draft.

The trade seemed to make perfect sense on paper for all parties involved:

Minnesota native Whalen returns home to play for her hometown team and brings a buzz to a fan base that watched her at the University of Minnesota years ago;

Montgomery returns to Connecticut, just a year removed from leading the UConn Huskies to an undefeated season and a national championship;

The Sun also move up a spot in the Draft, where they will have the option to select another UConn star in Tina Charles, widely regarded as one of the top prospects coming out of college this year.

But what can't be measured on paper is the emotion that is involved when a player is traded from one team to another. Shortly after today's trade was announced, Montgomery spoke with WNBA.com's Brian Martin to discuss her thoughts on the trade, her return to Connecticut and her preparation for her first season with the Sun.

WNBA.com: What was your reaction when you were told that this trade was official?

Montgomery: "It's bittersweet. I had so many emotions and so much was going through my mind at the time. I was thinking Minnesota, oh my goodness, I had such a bond with so many people there; I was really close to Charde Houston, so I was sad to be leaving her and the organization.

"And then on the other hand I was excited because I'm coming back to (she nearly said UConn) Connecticut, where of course I went to college. I just didn't know what to think, but overall I was happy, definitely."

WNBA.com: How tough is it to leave Minnesota and your Lynx teammates? That team seemed like a very tight group.

Montgomery: "It's hard because when you go through things with people, and you all go through the same same situations, you know we had a lot of ups and downs during the season so it brought us closer together. And that's a bond that is going to be hard to leave because it was strong.

"And now to come to a new team and have to make new connections � and I will � make new connections and new bonds, it's different. It's bittersweet because I'm excited and I'm just sad to leave Minnesota and that program, but it's also exciting at the same time."

WNBA.com: Have you heard from your now former Lynx teammates yet?

Montgomery: "Not yet. Although this was the worst kept secret, I didn't really talk about it much. I don't know if they know yet because almost everyone is overseas so a lot of people can be asleep right now. I'll have to go around and tell them my goodbyes or whatnot."

WNBA.com: There had been rumors about this trade out there for a while. What was that like to hear your name out there like that?

Montgomery: "I tried not to really think about it much because rumors are rumors and you don't know if it's going to happen or when it's going to happen, so I tried not to pay attention to it too much. I just waited until I knew something for sure and then it was quick when I found out, then I'm flying out here, and now I'm talking to you. So it was fast."

WNBA.com: What were the biggest lessons you learned during your time with the Lynx and how will they help you with the Sun?

Montgomery: "I think just one of the biggest lessons is to stay confident. When you go into a new team and a new league it's easy to lose confidence and not do what you're capable of doing. The main thing that I learned last year is to stay confident and things will work out.

"It was difficult last year with Lynx because we lost our leader and it was just difficult to get everything together. This year, I'm going in a whole different direction and there's a lot of changes going on with the Connecticut Sun team and I'm happy to be a part of it and I definitely want to be a leader of this team."

WNBA.com: Coming to Connecticut you're joining a team that was a perennial playoff team before falling short last year. What is it like to come to a team that's known success and having to get them back?

Montgomery: "I really feel like its history repeating itself. I kind of went through a similar situation in college at UConn. Diana Taurasi had been there before me and won a whole bunch of championships and we had to kind of reload and get the program back to winning championships like they were accustomed to."

WNBA.com: Along with acquiring you, the Sun also gets the No.1 pick in this year's draft and there is speculation that they will take your former teammate Tina Charles. Between the two of you as well as young players like Sandrine Gruda, Amber Holt and Chante Black, this team will have a young core to build upon.

Montgomery: "That's definitely something that I'm excited about. It's always exciting to be a part of building something from the beginning and watching it grow and come together. I think we had a similar situation in Minnesota last year and now I'm in a similar situation this year."

WNBA.com: Have you had a chance to talk with Coach Thibault and get his thoughts on your role with the team?

Montgomery: "We talked for a little while, not in depth, but in we talked in general and I know he wants to push the ball and run and, of course, that's the style of player I am so it's just exciting to be in a program where you know you're going to fit in well and where your coach is excited to have you. I'm not saying that Minnesota wasn't because I think the organization was great and I enjoyed my time there, but it's also nice when you're traded to feel welcomed."

WNBA.com: You spent a few months overseas playing in Lithuania (TEO Vilnuis). How was that experience?

Montgomery: "It was a different experience because you're submerged in a culture that isn't yours, and everyone around you isn't' speaking your language and the style of play is also a little different."

WNBA.com: Why did you decide to remain in the U.S. for the remainder of the season?

Montgomery: "There were a lot of personal decisions that was involved in that but just mainly family. It's weird, you would think that just because I'm in the United States I'd be able to see my family often, but basketball is a very demanding thing in college and every time I would come home everything would be so different. It was like, now my niece is talking, now she's riding a bike, now my nephews are doing this and I was just felt like this is an opportunity where I can be around my family and I just took it, I took the opportunity to spend time with my family. I'll still be working out and training so I don't plan on losing anything and I just feel that I'll come into training camp ready to go."

WNBA.com: It does seem like a tough life because when you're here your on the road a lot, and then you go overseas and can be over there for months. It does seem that you can be really disconnected from everybody.

Montgomery: "It is tough. You have to think, if you have a tough day at practice, which is like saying a hard day at work, you come home and no one is there. Of course you can make a phone call, but for you to have that feeling for a three month span, it's just hard not to be around everything you know and everyone you know. You might have a couple of Americans on your team that you do know and you'll be close to them but still there's nothing like being around your family."

Lynx, Sun Complete Homecoming Trade

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Fiery and charismatic with a little streetball flare to her game, Lindsay Whalen was the biggest reason for the revival of women's basketball at the University of Minnesota. Renee Montgomery helped the University of Connecticut to the national championship last season.

Now the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun are hoping Whalen and Montgomery can do the same for the professional teams in their states.

The Lynx sent Montgomery and the No. 1 overall draft pick to the Sun on Tuesday for Whalen and the No. 2 overall selection in a deal that should help both teams at the box office as much as on the court. The Sun are expected to take Huskies center Tina Charles with the top pick.

Both teams said the deal was strictly a basketball decision and did not hinge on generating more interest for a summer league that has struggled mightily to sustain consistent fan support. But Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve's bold challenge to local fans strongly indicated otherwise.

"I'd like to say to all the Minnesota fans out there that it's not just about being aware that Lindsay Whalen is coming to play for the Minnesota Lynx,'' Reeve said. "It's about paying for tickets to come watch Lindsay Whalen. That's really important and that's a challenge to the fans. Yeah, we're all excited, but come watch her play.''

Whalen, a native of Hutchinson, turned a Golden Gophers program that had seven straight losing seasons into a three-time NCAA tournament qualifier and led the team on a stunning run to the Final Four in 2004.

During her time on campus, average attendance went from just under 1,100 fans per game to 9,866 in her senior season. The women had to move from the cozy little Sports Pavilion to Williams Arena, where the men play, to accommodate a suddenly fervent fan base.

"I'm very, very excited,'' said Gophers coach Pam Borton, who coached Whalen for two years in college. "It's about time. It's about time for Lindsay, it's about time for us to get her back home.''

Lynx CEO Roger Griffith tried feverishly to trade up in the 2004 draft to select Whalen.

Six years later, he finally got Whalen home in the prime of her career, turning the Lynx into a favorite in the West. But perhaps more importantly, Whalen's arrival could spur interest in a team that has had monumental difficulties in a flooded Twin Cities sports market.

"To be able to come home and play in Minnesota, I think everyone is pretty excited,'' Whalen said from Prague, where she is playing in the offseason.

The Lynx certainly hope the Whalen Effect translates in the WNBA, which has had a tough offseason. Despite being a perennial championship contender, the Detroit Shock relocated to Tulsa, Okla., in search of better support. The Sacramento Monarchs folded amid lagging attendance, one year after the four-time champion Houston Comets shut down.

The Lynx had an average announced attendance of 7,537 last season, which was ninth out of 13 teams. Anyone at the games will tell you the actual attendance was far lower for most contests.

"We anticipate a growth (in interest),'' Griffith said. "We have not tried to put a number on it. But we anticipate it will have an impact in the arena for a variety of different reasons. Partly it'll be about her. Partly it'll be about winning. Partly it'll be about catching that fever again.''

The Lynx record for single-game attendance is 16,227 in 2004. It just so happens that was Whalen's first game back home as a pro.

"We haven't seen in this league any single player kind of transform attendance,'' Reeve said. "Now, if (Diana) Taurasi were in Connecticut or if Sue Bird were in New York or Connecticut, would that happen? Probably. Is Lindsay Whalen maybe on that same level? That's what we have to find out.''

Could Montgomery and Charles do the same in Connecticut? The Sun sure hope so. After Whalen led them to two straight WNBA Finals appearances in 2004 and '05, they finished 16-18 and missed the playoffs in 2009, drawing an average of just 6,794 fans per game.

Montgomery, the fourth overall pick last year, and Charles should give Huskies fans a reason to make the drive to Uncasville. But Sun coach Mike Thibault said that played no role in the decision to make the deal.

"To say we're doing a trade to get UConn players per se is ludicrous,'' Thibault said. "That's not why you do a trade. You do a trade to become a better team.''

That line of thinking, according to Borton, may be misguided in this day and age.

"I think with the state of the economy, I think it might help get people to the games and for the franchises to break even or make a little more money with homegrown players on their rosters,'' Borton said. "There's a lot more excitement.''

That was the case at Target Center on Tuesday. The press conference was packed, a rare turnout for a team that has garnered little coverage in the Twin Cities.

"I don't usually speak to more than about three or four people in the front row,'' Griffith said with a chuckle. "(The interest) is obviously very high.''

Associated Press Writer Pat Eaton-Robb in Storrs, Conn., contributed to this story.

Tulsa WNBA team moves to Western Conference

TULSA, Okla. (AP) � The WNBA team formerly known as the Detroit Shock is changing conferences along with its offseason move to Tulsa.

The WNBA released its schedule for the 2010 season on Thursday, and the Tulsa franchise announced that it would be moving to the Western Conference. There were only five teams left in the West -- and seven in the East -- after the Sacramento Monarchs went out of business.

Tulsa's team, which will either retain the Shock name or change it to Fire or Tempo, will open the regular season May 15 at home against the Minnesota Lynx. Tulsa will face the Lynx in two of its first three games and five out of its first 11 games.

The finale to the 34-game regular season will be Aug. 21, when Tulsa hosts former Oklahoma All-America center Courtney Paris and the Chicago Sky.

2010 WNBA Season Tips Off May 15

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2009 � The WNBA will tip off its 14th season on Saturday, May 15 with five games that day. Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter and the defending champion Phoenix Mercury will begin the WNBA season when they host Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Tulsa franchise, whose name will be announced in January, will debut at the BOK Center against the Minnesota Lynx the same day at 8 p.m. ET.

For the fifth consecutive year, ESPN2 will feature �WNBA Tuesdays� as the viewing destination for WNBA fans as part of its programming. �WNBA Tuesdays� begin May 25 as the Mercury visits Oklahoma for the first time to play Tulsa, who will compete in the Western Conference. The Indiana Fever, the defending Eastern Conference champion, will make its first national television appearance of the season on Tuesday, June 29 against the Mystics in Washington, D.C. With all televised games available in high definition and on ESPN360.com, ESPN2 will also air several Thursday primetime games and two additional weekend games throughout the summer.

The 2010 WNBA season marks the second year of the league's eight-year deal that allows ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 to televise games through 2016. The agreement provides the WNBA a rights fee, a first in U.S. women's professional sports league history. The deal extends the WNBA's relationship with ESPN, which commenced in 1997, to 20 years. The WNBA wrapped up the 2009 season with an 8 percent increase in viewership.

Combined WNBA coverage on ESPN2 and NBA TV, the league's 24-hour television network, will feature over 70 contests.

Other key television matchups throughout the regular season include:

* Reigning Rookie of the Year Angel McCoughtry, Chamique Holdsclaw and the Atlanta Dream visiting Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird and the Storm in Seattle on June 1 (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m. ET)
* The Storm visiting the Sparks on July 3 in a Western Conference matchup featuring two of the premier front court players in Jackson and Parker (ESPN2, 5:00 p.m. ET)
* The New York Liberty traveling to the Connecticut Sun for an Eastern Conference rivalry game on July 20 (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET)
* Becky Hammon returning to New York when the San Antonio Silver Stars play the Liberty on July 27 (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET)
* The Lynx and former No. 1 overall pick Seimone Augustus, who missed the majority of the 2009 season due to injury, taking on former No. 2 overall pick Sylvia Fowles and the Chicago Sky on Aug. 7 (ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET)

The 2010 WNBA regular season runs from Saturday, May 15 to Sunday, Aug. 22. Click here to see the complete 2010 regular season and game broadcast schedules.

Ten Games You Can't Miss in 2010

With the release of the 2010 WNBA regular season schedule, we've circled 10 games on the calendar that you can't miss. As the WNBA enters its 14th season, the talent and competition has never been better. May 17th can't get here soon enough!

1. Saturday, May 15: Los Angeles at Phoenix (ESPN2)
Two words: Season Opener! You need more than that? Three letters: MVP! The last two players to win the WNBA Most Valuable Player award - Candace Parker in 2008 and Diana Taurasi in 2009 - will be in action. Still need another reason to watch? You'll also see the 2009 championship banner raised to the rafters of the US Airways Center and the Mercury getting their championship rings. Oh yeah, you'll also see two of the top teams in the Western Conference square off in a rematch of the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Enough said.

2. Tuesday, May 25: Phoenix at Tulsa (ESPN2)
The debut of WNBA Tuesdays on ESPN comes to you from the newest home arena in the WNBA, the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. While the team no longer hails from Detroit, this franchise does have three WNBA titles to its credit. In fact, these two teams have combined to win the last four WNBA championships. The setting may be new, but this is no expansion team taking on the defending champs. It will also be the television debut of head coach Nolan Richardson and his �40 Minutes of Hell� style of play.

3. Tuesday, June 1: Phoenix at Minnesota (ESPN2)
The opening game of the season's first ESPN2 Tuesday doubleheader features the top two scoring teams in the Western Conference from 2009. It also marks the national television debut of the first pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft (whoever she may be) as the up-and-coming Lynx host the defending champs. The Lynx have opened the season hot the past two years (5-0 in 2008 and 4-1 in 2009) and will look to keep that trend going in 2010.

4. Tuesday, June 1: Atlanta at Seattle (ESPN2)
The second game of the season's first ESPN2 Tuesday doubleheader features reigning Rookie of the Year Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream on the road in Seattle to face Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson, Swin Cash and the rest of the Storm. After a dismal inaugural season, the Dream rebounded in 2009 to finish second in the East and earn a playoff berth. They won't be able to surprise anybody this year.

5. Tuesday, June 29: Indiana at Washington (ESPN2)
The defending Eastern Conference champions make their national television debut on the road in the nation's capital. The Fever were a thorn in the Mystics side throughout the 2009 season, as Indiana swept both the regular season series (4-0) and their first round playoff series (2-0). This is the second of four meetings the teams will have in the 2010 regular season. Can the Mystics find a way to break the Fever?

6. Saturday, July 3: Seattle at Los Angeles (ESPN2)
Obviously it's way too early to say the words playoff preview, but if history holds up these two teams will meet in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs as they have for the past two seasons and three of the last four. Of course the Storm would like to see a different result as the Sparks have eliminated the Storm in each of those series. A win here won't do much for the playoffs, but in a tough Western Conference it could definitely help a team trying to get homecourt advantage.

7. Tuesday, July 27: San Antonio at New York (ESPN2)
All-Star guard Becky Hammon returns to New York, where she spent the first eight years of her brilliant career. Hammon is sure to get a rousing ovation from the fans at Madison Square Garden when she introduced, but once the game is underway, it will be a different story. We'll also see if the Liberty are able to rebound from their disappointing 2009 season under newly appointed full-time head coach Anne Donovan.

8. Tuesday, August 5: Connecticut at Seattle (ESPN2)
Two of the league's top point guards square off as Lindsay Whalen and the Sun travel to Seattle to face Sue Bird and the Storm. The Sun snapped its streak of six straight playoff appearances last year and will be looking to position themselves to get back to the postseason.

9. Saturday, August 7: Minnesota at Chicago (ESPN2)
This matchup features two teams that have been on the verge of making the playoffs the past few seasons but have been unable to break through. Will this be the year for the Lynx and/or the Sky? Both teams have the talent as they each boast multiple All-Stars on their roster � Sylvia Fowles, Candice Dupree and Jia Perkins in Chicago and Seimone Augustus, Charde Houston, Nicky Anosike and Rebekkah Brunson in Minnesota.

10. Tuesday, August 10: Indiana at Los Angeles (ESPN2)
The second half of ESPN2's final doubleheader of the season showcases two of the league's best all-around players: Tamika Catchings of the Fever and Candace Parker of the Sparks. Both players have flirted with triple-doubles during their careers and are among the league's top defenders as well. Catchings, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, led the league in steals in 2009 (2.9 spg), while Parker led the league in blocks (2.1 bpg) and rebounds (9.8 rpg) a year ago.

Candice Wiggins Hosts the Angelwish Holiday Giving Spree

Minnesota Lynx guard Candice Wiggins teamed up with a group of New York City school children on Tuesday to buy gifts for kids living with HIV/AIDS.

The 2008 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year partnered with the Angelwish organization in the effort. Angelwish is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children living with the disease. Each year, the organization fulfills the holiday wishes of thousands infected or are affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Angelwish Holiday Toy Spree took place at The Scholastic Store at 557 Broadway. Armed with wish lists, Wiggins and 20 school children took to the aisles to find as many of the items as they could.

Wiggins is a strong AIDS advocate. Her father, Alan Wiggins, died from AIDS-Related-Complex when she was just three years old. Since then, Wiggins has been a role model for families living with the disease and has even founded her own AIDS advocacy foundation.

The 22-year-old was the third overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Lynx. Last season, she averaged 13.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game off the bench. Those numbers were good enough to land her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award.

For more information about Angelwish, visit their official Web site: Angelwish.org.

Cheryl Reeve Named Lynx Head Coach

The Minnesota Lynx today announced the hiring of Cheryl Reeve as the team's new head coach. Reeve most recently served an assistant coach and general manager for the WNBA's Detroit Shock. As per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Reeve's coaching resume includes 21 years as both an assistant and a head coach at the collegiate and WNBA levels. In 2009, Reeve served as an assistant coach with the WNBA's Detroit Shock, and was promoted to the team's general manager position just three games into the season. Hired by three-time WNBA champion head coach Bill Laimbeer, Reeve joined the Shock coaching staff in 2006 and helped the franchise reach the WNBA Finals in each of her first three years, winning WNBA titles in 2006 and 2008. During her four years with Detroit, the team held an 87-49 win/loss record and won at least 18 games each season, including 24 in 2007. Reeve also served as the Shock's director of player personnel in 2008.

"We are very excited to have hired Cheryl to lead our team," said Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. "She's been part of two WNBA championships in Detroit, has been in two other WNBA finals, and has been to the playoffs in seven of her nine seasons in the league. She's had the chance to learn from three of the most accomplished and well-respected coaches that have ever coached in the WNBA in Bill Laimbeer, Anne Donovan, and Dan Hughes. Overall, she has 21 years of coaching experience between the WNBA and collegiate levels, including a five-year stint as a head coach at Indiana State, where she led them to their first postseason birth in 20 years. We're very excited about her passion and enthusiasm for the job, her lengthy experience as a coach, and her knowledge of the teams and the players in this league. We also like the confidence and belief she has that our team can be successful immediately. We believe hiring Cheryl puts us in the best position to win right now. We expect with the return to health of Seimone Augustus and Nicky Anosike, coupled with the No. 1 and No. 3 draft picks, the player we acquire via the dispersal draft of former Sacramento Monarchs players and our returning players that, under Cheryl's direction, we'll be a championship caliber team in 2010."

"I'm looking forward to this exciting opportunity to lead the Minnesota Lynx," said Reeve. "I believe that with the rising young talent on this team, the return of Seimone Augustus, and the additions we'll make to the roster this offseason, the time is now for the Lynx to be the best in the West. I have spent the last four WNBA seasons competing for championships and look forward to doing the same with the Lynx."

Reeve got her start in the WNBA with the Charlotte Sting in 2001 when she joined Anne Donovan's staff as an assistant coach. After posting an 8-24 record in 2000, Charlotte turned things around in Reeve's first year, going 18- 14 en route to advancing to the WNBA Finals. Reeve spent the 2002 season again in Charlotte before joining Dan Hughes' coaching staff in Cleveland for the 2003 season. Reeve returned to the Sting in 2004 and 2005 before joining Detroit in 2006. In Reeve's nine years as an assistant in the WNBA, she's compiled a .543 winning percentage (163- 137 W/L), including seven postseason appearances and advancing to the WNBA Finals four times.

�This is great news for the Lynx,� said former Detroit Shock head coach and general manager and current Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Bill Laimbeer. �She really knows the league � the teams and the personnel. I'm confident that Cheryl will be successful. She's worked under numerous coaches who've had success in this league and she's been to the WNBA Finals four times, and has won two WNBA Championships. She has good, sound coaching experience and knows how to get the job done.�

"Cheryl is an outstanding basketball coach with extensive experience in the WNBA,� said San Antonio Silver Stars head coach Dan Hughes. "She's been a pivotal part of so many successful teams in this league. I'm so excited that she has an opportunity to lead her own team and I applaud Minnesota for recognizing this outstanding coach."

Before joining the WNBA coaching ranks, Reeve spent 12 years coaching collegiately, including a five-year stint as head coach at Indiana State from 1995-2000. Reeve guided the Sycamores to the program's first postseason berth in 20 years following the 1998-99 campaign.

Reeve also spent five years as an assistant coach at George Washington. During that time, the Colonials posted five 20-win seasons, captured three Atlantic 10 Conference Championships and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments. Reeve got her start in coaching at her alma matter, La Salle, as an assistant coach for two seasons.

WNBA's Shock Relocating to Tulsa

The Detroit Shock will relocate to Tulsa, Okla., and will be owned by a group of investors led by Oklahoma businessmen Bill Cameron and David Box, WNBA President Donna Orender announced today. The sale and move are pending WNBA Board of Governors approval.

Nolan Richardson will become the team's general manager and head coach.

�We are thrilled to have a team in Tulsa with such a strong championship pedigree, and we look forward to continuing the tradition of success that has been its hallmark,� said Cameron, lead investor and chairman of Tulsa Pro Hoops, LLC. �We are confident this team will make Tulsa proud, both on the court and in the community.�

Cameron is the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of American Fidelity Assurance Co., one of the nation's largest private, family-owned life and health insurance companies. Box is founder of The Box Talent Agency, the largest talent agency in Oklahoma.

�The WNBA congratulates Bill and David,� said Orender. �We are confident that with their business acumen, passion for the game and commitment to the community, the team will achieve great things in Tulsa. At the same time, we are grateful to the Davidson family, the Pistons organization and the great fans in Detroit for helping us grow the game of women's basketball.�

"This decision was one of the toughest we have ever made; it was not reached easily," said Tom Wilson, President, Palace Sports and Entertainment. "The Shock has been a true force in the WNBA, but the fact of the matter is that the economic realities have caused us to make this decision. We deeply appreciate what the Shock have meant to Detroit and want to publicly thank the players, coaches and the entire organization for their class, commitment and championships. They represented Detroit well and we are delighted that they have found a new and exciting home in Tulsa. We are sure the fans in Tulsa will quickly embrace these dedicated players."

During the Shock's tenure in Detroit, the team appeared in four WNBA Finals, capturing three championships (2003, 2006 and 2008). This past season, the team finished 18-16 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Richardson, former head coach of the men's programs at the University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa, guided both schools to championships. At Arkansas, he led the Razorbacks to the NCAA title in 1994 and a national runner-up finish the following season. Prior to that, Richardson took the Tulsa Golden Hurricane to the National Invitation Tournament title in 1981. He won more than 500 games at Tulsa and Arkansas.

Fans can obtain information about tickets and the team by logging onto tickets@wnbatulsa.com or by calling 1-877-90-HOOPS (46677).

Sacramento Monarchs Dispersal Draft Analysis

NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2009 � With today's Sacramento Monarchs Dispersal Draft, the 12 remaining WNBA teams had the opportunity to bolster their respective rosters by selecting a player. Teams made their selections in inverse order of their regular season finish in 2009, which gave the New York Liberty the first pick, followed by Minnesota and Connecticut to round out the top three.

Teams were able to choose any player on the Monarchs roster at the conclusion of the 2009 season, including restricted free agents Kristin Haynie, Chelsea Newton and Scholanda Robinson. Unrestricted free agents Kara Lawson, Ticha Penicheiro and Hamch�tou Ma�ga-Ba were not eligible for selection. Teams also had the option to pass rather than selecting a player.

The Monarchs roster included a mix of veteran players - including many from Sacramento's 2005 WNBA championship team - as well as some young players that are still developing into seasoned pros. The mix presented coaches and GMs from around the league plenty of options, while they also considered the salary cap and the roster cap of 11 players.

1. Nicole Powell, New York Liberty (13-21)
The addition of Powell brings another excellent shooter into the mix for the Liberty. They get a player coming off a career-best season (16.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.3 apg), which garnered Powell her first All-Star nod. Powell scored a career-high 32 points in New York in July, so playing at Madison Square Garden should suit her just fine. Powell will join a talented group of wing players in NYC including fellow All-Star Shameka Christon and up-and-comer Essence Carson.

2. Rebekkah Brunson, Minnesota Lynx (14-20)
The Lynx are full of young talent on their frontline with players like Nicky Anosike, Quanitra Hollingsworth, Tasha Humphrey and Charde Houston. The addition of Brunson will give them a veteran presence as well as a player seasoned with postseason experience, which is the next logical step for the Lynx. Brunson will bring plenty of athleticism and a knack for rebounding to the Twin Cities.

3. DeMya Walker, Connecticut Sun (16-18)
Mike Thibault still remembers Walker's performance in the 2005 WNBA Finals when his Sun fell to the Monarchs. Now rather than watching Walker and Asjha Jones square off, Thibault can find a way for them to work together. With young bigs Chante Black and Sandrine Gruda still developing, Walker can provide a veteran presence for the Sun frontline. However, health is a concern when it comes to Walker, who missed nearly two full seasons due to knee injuries.

4. Courtney Paris, Chicago Sky (16-18)
The Sky adds Paris to a frontcourt that already features All-Stars Candice Dupree and Sylvia Fowles. Paris saw limited time in her rookie season in Sacramento, and having Dupree and Fowles already in place should allow Steven Key to bring her along slowly. If Paris can find a way translate her collegiate dominance to the pro level, this trio could become one of the most formidable frontlines in the league.

5. Laura Harper, San Antonio Silver Stars (15-19)
The Silver Stars were outrebounded by an average of 4.0 boards per game in 2009. Adding a talented young post like Harper (who averaged 3.4 rebounds in less than 14 minutes per game last year) should definitely help fill that void. The combination of Harper and All-Star Sophia Young gives Dan Hughes a pair of athletic bigs to work with. Like Paris, Harper is still on her rookie scale contract, which will also help in terms of the salary cap.

6. Kristin Haynie, Washington Mystics (16-18)
No WNBA player played more minutes last season than Mystics point guard Lindsey Harding so finding additional depth at the point is an important need for the Mystics this offseason. Haynie has served as a reliable back-up point guard throughout her career and should play the same role in Washington.

7. Scholanda Robinson, Tulsa (18-16)
Robinson is a solid backcourt player that should fit in nicely with the talented group of players coming to Tulsa from Detroit. For a team that has been hampered by injuries over the past few years, they could use a reliable player like Robinson to help provide depth at the guard position.

8. Pass, Los Angeles (18-16)

9. Pass, Atlanta (18-16)

10. Chelsea Newton, Seattle Storm (20-14)
The addition of Newton adds backcourt depth for the Storm, which it needs. Seattle was a frontline heavy team a year ago and with the retirement of Shannon Johnson, that leaves the Storm roster thin on guards. Newton, who played the role of defensive specialist for the Monarchs and was rewarded with All-Defensive second team honors back in 2007, is a player Brian Agler and the Storm have long coveted.

11. Pass, Indiana Fever (22-12)

12. Pass, Phoenix Mercury (23-11)

Dispersal Draft of Sacramento Monarchs Players Set for Dec. 14

SACRAMENTO AND NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2009 � A Dispersal Draft involving Sacramento Monarchs players will take place Monday, Dec. 14, WNBA President Donna Orender announced today. Orender also announced the league will seek to add a team to the Bay Area for the 2011 season.

�A number of potential investors have come forward and expressed interest in relocating the Monarchs to the Bay Area, a market that we continue to see as desirable,� said Orender. �Ultimately, we made the judgment that we would not be able to complete a transaction in time for a successful new-market launch in 2010. We will therefore focus our energy on adding a team in the Bay Area for the 2011 campaign.�

Having concluded its 13th season in 2009 with a third consecutive season of increased attendance and a second straight year of increased viewership on ESPN2, the WNBA will play the 2010 season with 12 teams.

Monarchs' season ticket holders will be notified in the near future of a procedure for refunds.

Current Monarchs players, with the exception of unrestricted free agents Kara Lawson, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba and Ticha Penicheiro, are eligible to be selected in the Dispersal Draft. The order of selection, based on the inverse order of 2009 regular season finish, will be as follows:

1) New York
2) Minnesota
3) Connecticut
4) Chicago
5) San Antonio
6) Washington
7) Tulsa
8) Los Angeles
9) Atlanta
10) Seattle
11) Indiana
12) Phoenix

WNBA Announces Rule Changes for 2010 Season

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2009 � The WNBA has expanded the use of instant replay in two instances beginning with the 2010 season, the league announced today. The rule changes, which were recommended by the WNBA Competition Committee and approved by the league's Board of Governors, will allow referees to use instant replay in the following situations:

* To determine at any point during the game whether a 24-second shot clock violation occurred prior to the release of a successful field goal attempt or prior to a foul being committed.

* To determine during the last minute of regulation play and the last minute of any overtime period which player last touched the ball prior to it going out-of-bounds or whether the ball was last touched simultaneously by two opponents.

Diana Taurasi Named 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2009 � Phoenix Mercury guard/forward Diana Taurasi has been named the 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors, the league announced today. Taurasi received 323 total points and 27 first place votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, earning her first career MVP award. Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings ranked second with 163 points (three first place votes) while her teammate Katie Douglas finished third with 128 points (five). Taurasi's teammate, Cappie Pondexter, finished fourth with 99 points (one).

Rounding out the top eight vote getters were San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon with 77 points (three), Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson with 73 points, Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker with 39 points and Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan with 27 points. In all, five different players received first place votes this year. Jackson is a two-time WNBA MVP (2003, 2007) and Parker won the award last year as a rookie (2008).

Taurasi caps a season in which she led the WNBA with 20.4 points per game and captured her third-career Peak Performer Award for scoring (2006, 2008, 2009). She shot a career-best 46.1 percent from the field and tallied 20 or more points in 20 games this season, including a season-high 34 at New York on July 26. She boosted her league-record for 30 point games to 23 with two 30-point performances. On Sept. 5, Taurasi became the fastest player to 4,000 career points doing so in 197 games to break Lauren Jackson's record (209). She led the league in three pointers made with 79 and ranked seventh in the league in three-point shooting percentage (40.7). Taurasi ranks 13th in league history for points scored (4,029) and third in all-time points per game (20.3).

In 2009, Taurasi ranked among the WNBA's top ten leaders in nearly every category, including points per game (first), three point field goals made (first), three-point field goals attempted (fourth), three-point field goal percentage (seventh), free throws made (third), free throws attempted (fifth), free throw percentage (sixth), field goals made (fifth), field goals attempted (10th), blocks per game (eighth) and defensive rebounds per game (sixth).

Taurasi was also named an All-Star, her fourth such appearance, and earned the Player of the Week Award on one occasion (Aug. 17). Her efforts helped propel the Mercury to the best record in the WNBA at 23-11, which also tied a franchise record, and the top overall seed in the 2009 WNBA Playoffs.

In honor of being named the WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors, Taurasi will receive $15,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

For the first time ever, a single WNBA marketing partner will present the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Most Improved Player, and WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, grouped under the banner of �The WNBA Performance Awards presented by Kia Motors.� As a Proud Partner of the WNBA and the official presenter of the awards, Kia Motors will be incorporated into the formal award presentations and will receive prominent branding in the awards coverage on WNBA.com.

Below are the top vote-getters from the 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors voting and a list of past recipients:

2009 WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER PRESENTED BY KIA MOTORS RESULTS
Points Player Team
323 Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury
163 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
128 Katie Douglas Indiana Fever
99 Cappie Pondexter Phoenix Mercury
77 Becky Hammon San Antonio Silver Stars
73 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
39 Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
27 Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock
10 Sue Bird Seattle Storm
9 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
8 Sophia Young San Antonio Silver Stars
7 Sancho Lyttle Atlanta Dream
1 Alana Beard Washington Mystics
1 Candice Dupree Chicago Sky
1 Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky

ALL-TIME WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER PRESENTED BY KIA MOTORS WINNERS
Year Player Team
2009 Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury
2008 Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
2007 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
2006 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
2005 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
2004 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
2003 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
2002 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
2001 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
2000 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
1999 Yolanda Griffith Sacramento Monarchs
1998 Cynthia Cooper Houston Comets
1997 Cynthia Cooper Houston Comets

Fever-Mercury Preview

Update:

PHOENIX (AP) The Phoenix Mercury are all about offense, with All-Stars Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter leading a talented cast of scorers in search of the team's second WNBA title in three years.

The Indiana Fever built their identity on defense, a team that finally ended Detroit's dominance in the East and has the league's defensive player of the year, Tamika Catchings, geared up for a one-on-one showdown with Taurasi.

"Those are two amazing players,'' said Indiana rookie and ex-Arizona State standout Briann January. "Olympians going head-to-head, going hard. They are two of the hardest-working women in this game. They go at it. Their passion for the game is clear when you watch them play.''

The teams open their best-of-5 series Tuesday night at US Airways Center, where Indiana beat the Mercury earlier this season.

To help make certain Phoenix has a loud homecourt advantage, Suns general manager Steve Kerr bought all 7,000 upper-level tickets and planned to give them away. Kerr said he took a cue from Larry Bird, who bought 9,000 upper level seats for Indiana's deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals against defending WNBA champion Detroit.

"Both of us were part of championship teams and understand the importance of a packed house,'' Kerr said. "For anyone who doubts the WNBA level of play, this is an opportunity to see for yourself. I challenge any doubters to come see the talent, skill and intensity on the court.''

While the Mercury have been here before, this is all new for Catchings, who has spent all eight of her pro seasons with Indiana.

"Oh my gosh, it seems like forever,'' Catchings said before the Fever worked out on Monday. "... We've worked so hard and it's finally paying off.''

The Fever defensive standout says she always looks forward to facing Taurasi, who led the WNBA in scoring for the third time and is averaging 23.8 points per game in the playoffs.

"I love playing against the best offensive players,'' Catchings said. "Being a defensive player and priding myself in defense, I definitely love the challenge. We and 'D' go way back. Even when she makes a good move or gets a shot in my face, it's all in love.''

Mercury coach Corey Gaines uses the same ultra up-tempo style that his predecessor, Paul Westhead, installed in guiding Phoenix to the league championship two years ago. Five players remain from the squad that beat Detroit in five games two years ago.

"We take into this our experience from 2007, which is such a positive for us and knowing that we can get it done,'' Pondexter said, "and knowing what it took to get it done in 2007 is so important and gives me a lot of confidence in this team.''

Catchings calls Phoenix "a great running team.''

"They're very quick, move the ball, with 3-point shooters in Penny (Taylor), DT (Taurasi) and Cappie, and Tangela (Smith) has been shooting the ball very well,'' Catchings said. "We're going to have to step up our defensive intensity and try to knock more baskets down.''

Taurasi calls the Mercury's preferred style "chaos''

Phoenix led the WNBA in scoring at 92.8 points per game. The Mercury allowed a league-high 89.1 points per contest. That's for a 40-minute game.

"We're not getting enough shots up, really,'' Gaines said. "We're getting around 85. I want to get like 90 or 95. Really 100, that's my goal. I need 48 minutes. You give me 48 minutes, I'll get 100 shots.''

Indiana allowed 73.6 points per game, third-fewest in the league, but Fever coach Lin Dunn believes that it's more than her team's defense against the Mercury offense.

"I don't know that it's a clash in styles,'' she said. "They may emphasize offense a little bit more than we do, and we may emphasize defense a little bit more. But we both want to push the ball. The night we beat them here was a very up-tempo game.''

That 90-83 victory on Aug. 9 gives Indiana confidence it can win a playoff game in Phoenix, something the Fever has to do to claim the championship.

"You've got to steal one. When you get one on somebody's home court, you've stolen it,'' she said, "because you're supposed to protect serve. That's the way it is.''

Phoenix won at Indiana 106-90 on Sept. 2, one of only three Fever home losses. Indiana's No. 2 scorer, Katie Douglas, missed that game with an ankle injury.

Practice Report: Indiana Fever

Phoenix, AZ, September 28, 2009 -- The Indiana Fever arrived at US Airways Center this afternoon for the first practice of their first appearance in the WNBA Finals, which gets underway Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET.

But not everyone walking into the gym today was in unfamiliar territory. While this is the first time the Fever franchise has advanced to the championship round, a number of Fever players have been on the stage before, with mixed results.

Tully Bevilaqua (2004 with Seattle), Tamecka Dixon (2001, 2002, 2003 with Los Angeles), Katie Douglas (2004, 2005 with Connecticut) and Tammy Sutton-Brown (Charlotte, 2001) have all played for a WNBA title, with Bevilaqua and Dixon (twice) succeeding.

"That's was one of the things we did in the off-season is we secured Tamecka Dixon specifically for her experience,� said Fever coach Lin Dunn prior to today's practice session. �Not only her experience as a shooting guard, but her experience in two Finals and two actual championships.

�Plus we brought in Yolanda Griffith. Unfortunately she got hurt, but we still get texts from her two or three times a day. So she's still on board. And of course we've got Tammy Sutton-Brown and Katie Douglas, who have both played in the Finals, and Tully Bevilaqua has won a championship, so we've got some people that know what it takes to get the prize."

Douglas, who is in her second season with Indiana, appeared in back-to-back Finals with Connecticut and fell short both times. However, she feels the experience that she gained from being in the Finals can benefit the Fever now.

"Maybe I can educate my teammates on what to sort of expect, in terms of media coverage and things like that,� she said. �Everything gets magnified now. And that's the same on the floor. Every possession is magnified, everything means more. The little things are really going to count in these games."

One player that is making her Finals debut is all-everything forward Tamika Catchings, who has been the face of the Fever franchise since her arrival in 2002. After years of knocking on the door and having it slammed in their face, Catchings and the Fever finally broke through last week as they defeated the Detroit Shock in three games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

�It feels like forever,� said Catchings about her wait to get to the Finals, �It's my eighth year in the league and every year we come into the season saying �this is the year, this is the year' and we get denied by Detroit. Getting over that hump and being able to beat them in front of our home crowd, we had an unbelievable crowd, was great. For me it's a blessing to be here because we worked so hard and it's finally playing off.�

As satisfying as it felt to finally knock off their Eastern Conference nemesis, Catchings said she does not expect a letdown from her team after such an emotional high.

"For us, it wasn't a celebration of 'oh yeah, we won the championship,'� she said. �We celebrated in the fashion that we should have after winning the East since we've been shut down so many times. We celebrated, but now it's back to business. Tully [Bevilaqua] and Tamecka [Dixon] told us, 'Just imagine what it feels like to win a championship'."

After having Sunday off, the Fever arrived in Phoenix early Monday morning ready to switch back into game mode and focus on the task at hand, which is trying to find a way to slow down the high-flying Mercury.

This series has been billed as a contrast of styles. The Mercury led the league in scoring once again this year and set a WNBA record by scoring 92.8 points per game. Meanwhile, the Fever ranked among the best in the league in defense, allowing just 76.6 points per game, while being led by Catchings, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

�Everyone talks about how Phoenix likes to run,� said Dunn. �We like to run, too. We like to run, and push the ball, and score early. When we beat them here, that's how we beat them, with an up-tempo game. I think it will be a great matchup. They're very, very good; very offensive-oriented, very talented. They can just knock down shots from anywhere. So, we have to bring our A-plus defense.�

Catchings and Sutton-Brown both mentioned the number 90 as a benchmark for their defense against Phoenix.

�We want to hold them under 90 points," said Catchings. �That's been our strategy all year, to hold the other team way under what they're used to scoring.�

�We have to play Fever basketball, which is about establishing our defensive game,� added Sutton-Brown. �A lot of us are going to be in bed early tonight knowing that we're going to have our running shoes on tomorrow. They are so talented and everyone has the green light so that second line defense, that third line defense has to be on point.

�I think throughout the playoffs we've been getting back to Fever basketball and trusting that the next person is going to be there if you so happen to get beat. Defense is definitely key. We have to try and make them do other things and try to make them uncomfortable for 40 minutes.�

Catchings draws the toughest assignment of all as she will be matched up with Taurasi, the league's leading scorer at 20.4 points per game during the regular season and 23.8 during the playoffs.

�I'm going to be all over Diana,� she said. �I love playing against the best offense players. Being a defensive player and priding myself on defense I definitely love the challenge. Dee and I go way back so even when she makes a good more or makes shot in my face, it's all in love, it's all in fun.

�Dee and I didn't play against each other in college but we have pretty much since she's been in the league. And then with USA Basketball where we've played with each other, that's been a lot of fun times. I love having her on my team rather than going against her. I will say that.�

January Homecoming

Although the Fever open the WNBA Finals on the road, rookie Briann January will have plenty of support in the stands as she returns to the scene of her college playing days at nearby Arizona State University.

The first-year guard, who has played significant minutes in the postseason for the Fever, has to juggle game preparation and focus with possible distractions such as friends, family and time and ticket requests.

"I'm trying to focus on the game,� she said. �This opportunity doesn't come around a lot. My friends and family are going to be there. They are going to be here supporting me and they understand that I have to get this done and they know how much it means to me. I'm going to see them when they come to the game, maybe go eat some time, but they understand what I'm here for and we have to take care of business.

"Everybody that's close to me kind of understands how I am when it comes to basketball. I like to stay on top of it and I like to stay focused. I know what's important and I know how to handle it. They know I love them and don't take it personally. So no distractions."

As she tried to deflect distractions, one thing January has welcomed is the Arizona sun as the temperature reached 106 Monday in Phoenix.

"This morning when I left Indy I had to have a long sleeve jacket on and then when I got here I was sweating. I miss the sun so much. But I'm excited to be here and to see friends and family at all that."

Practice Report: Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix, AZ, September 28, 2009 -- On the eve of Game 1 of the 2009 WNBA Finals the Phoenix Mercury took the practice court at US Airways Center with an aura of confidence about them. Quite a different scene from when the Mercury entered the 2007 WNBA Finals as the wide-eyed team eager to make their mark against the mighty Detroit Shock, a veteran squad which had been there before and won before.

Of course, precocious Phoenix was able to translate that enthusiasm into inspired play on the court and their first WNBA title in 2007. Now this time around though the Mercury come into the 2009 Finals with the edge in experience and, some might say, as the favorites, while it's the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Fever who must now guard against happy-to-be-there syndrome.

Phoenix has plenty of reasons to be confident besides already having one championship in the bank. The Mercury posted the best record in the regular season (23-11), overcame San Antonio and Los Angeles in previous rounds and have home-court advantage in the Finals. And the core of the team that won in '07 -- Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter, Tangela Smith and Penny Taylor -- is also the heart and soul of this group, and they've only grown and gotten better as players since raising the franchise's first trophy.

The most obvious example is Taurasi, who has simply been incredible in 2009, even taking her game up in the notch in playoffs when reaching greater heights didn't seem possible.

"She's playing phenomenally," said Pondexter. "There's no doubt in my mind that she should be MVP."

"I'm probably just the most focused and the most fit I've been," said Taurasi. "It helps when you play on a team that makes you better every day. And that's our biggest advantage."

But besides improvements in players' games, more tangible changes have also taken place since '07 to aid the team's resurgence, with the most obvious being that Phoenix has a new head coach in Corey Gaines, although he was an assistant on Paul Westhead's staff the year they won it all. Things actually didn't go so well in Gaines' first year at the helm, as Phoenix missed out on the playoffs entirely in 2008. But in just his second year as head coach he's gotten Phoenix back in the Finals by seemingly mastering the fast-paced style he learned under Westhead.

And as Gaines pointed out Monday, some roster changes have given the '09 version of the Mercury a slightly different identity. Temeka Johnson and Le'coe Willingham are now starters on this team, and Taylor now mainly plays guard instead of forward and comes off the bench after starting every game in 2007. Willingham has actually been the starting power forward for Phoenix for two years now, having come over from Connecticut prior to 2008, while Johnson and reserve center Nicole Ohlde, a key contributor off the pine, were both acquired during this past off-season in separate trades.

"We're probably a little deeper," said Gaines. "We have more veteran players who can play and are scorers. And they've been in situations like this before. Those types of players really come in handy in these series."

Johnson, a fifth-year veteran formerly of the Mystics and Sparks, has fit in seamlessly in Phoenix's up-tempo offense after taking over the point guard job from Kelly Miller, who was sent to Minnesota in the Ohlde deal, and played a vital and unsung role in the career-years of Taurasi and Pondexter.

"I had to convince Corey a little bit early on (about Temeka)," said Phoenix general manager Ann Meyers Drysdale. "I've known Temeka Johnson a long time, so I've always had a lot of faith in her.

"We loved Kelly Miller a lot, but we just wanted to get a true point guard in that might be able to run things and take the pressure off Cappie and Diana. And we were fortunate enough to get Temeka."

Besides trades, another good way to improve quickly is to find a standout rookie in the draft, although more often than not that method proves to be less reliable. Fortunately for the Mercury, they nailed it when they made Auburn's DeWanna Bonner the fifth overall selection.

Bonner, who recently was named Sixth Woman of the Year and is a candidate for Rookie of the Year, was invaluable off Phoenix's bench all throughout the regular season, averaging 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. And although she struggled a bit against the talented bigs Los Angeles threw at her in the Western Conference Finals, she figures to be a key factor in the Finals.

"DeWanna coming off the bench plays on energy," said Gaines. "She rebounds and plays defense. We don't call plays for her. You've got to love a player that can score 12 points without having a play called for her."

Bonner claimed she is not nervous heading into her first Finals, but rather excited. Although she admitted her approach may be a little different from those of the veteran players on the team.

"Everything's so new to me," said Bonner. "When we won two nights ago, the veteran players were kind of calm and I was kind of excited because I'd never been here before."

"From the outside it may look similar with the core of Penny, Tangela, Cappie and myself," said Taurasi. "But there's a lot of different pieces. Coach Gaines has come in and brought his different twist with the way he game plans. There's Temeka Johnson, Ohlde, Bonner... so the team is very different in a lot of ways."

And there's one other glaring difference between this team and the 2007 squad that Pondexter would like to remind us of.

"The difference is that we haven't won a ring this year," said Pondexter.

Series Preview: Phoenix Mercury vs. Indiana Fever

For most of the season it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury would face off in the 2009 WNBA Finals. After dropping its first two games of the season, Indiana, behind the MVP-caliber play of stars Katie Douglas and Tamika Catchings, ran off a franchise-record 11-game winning streak to take control of the East and from there its status as "team to beat" in the conference was never really threatened. Propelled by their talented tandem of Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, the Mercury posted an 8-2 record in July to stake their claim as the top team in the West and held off all the challengers for the remainder of the regular season while securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

But as the regular season wound down and the playoffs commenced, there were concerns for both sides. For the Fever, they dropped seven of their final 10 games and saw Douglas and Tammy Sutton-Brown miss time due to nagging injuries. And after getting past the Washington Mystics in the Eastern Conference Semis of the postseason, Indiana received a scare in the conference finals when they dropped the opener to a white-hot Detroit team and faced the prospect of being eliminated by the Shock for the fourth straight season.

Meanwhile, the Mercury's issues were less about them and more about the teams chasing them. Seattle made a push for the top seed in the West in the last couple weeks of the regular season and may have come through if it weren't for an untimely injury to Lauren Jackson. Out in L.A., with Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker both healthy and in better playing shape, the Sparks got stronger as the season went along and won 10 of their last 13 games entering the playoffs.

But after falling behind 0-1 to the Shock, the Fever rallied at home in gutsy fashion, winning back-to-back tight games to get the monkey off their backs and reach their first WNBA Finals in franchise history. And after the Sparks forced a decisive third game with a Game 2 victory in Phoenix, the Mercury came out firing in Game 3 and cruised to an 11-point win to make it to the Finals for the second time in three seasons and third time overall.

So that's where we stand, as the Fever and Mercury get set to do battle in the WNBA's championship round, with Game 1 slated for Tuesday at US Airways Center in Phoenix.

Unlike the conference finals in both the West and the East, the 2009 WNBA Finals pits two teams against each other with contrasting styles. The Mercury's trademark is their run-and-gun offense, in which defense and rebounding are less of a priority than putting up shots at high rate. While reliance on high-octane offense typically would draw skepticism, that's not the case with Phoenix, which has proved it can win with this style before by capturing the WNBA 2007 title. It also helps having two of the more prolific scorers in the entire league in Pondexter and Taurasi, not to mention reserves Penny Taylor and rookie DeWanna Bonner, who are plenty capable of filling it up as well.

The case could be made that Taurasi, following perhaps the best regular season of her career, is playing the best basketball of anyone right now, as she is averaging 23.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists through six playoff games, while shooting 52 percent from the floor, including 43 percent from three. The Fever will no doubt make sure Taurasi is checked by Defensive Player of the Year Catchings, who herself has been on a mission in 2009. Unlike Taurasi though, Catchings, who has tasted championship success with Tennessee in college and Team U.S.A. in the Olympics, has yet to capture a WNBA championship trophy.

While Catchings will have her hands full with Taurasi, Douglas will likely draw the assignment of guarding 2007 WNBA Finals MVP Pondexter. Unfortunately for the Fever, their success on offense is highly dependent on Catchings and Douglas, so the amount of energy they have to expend chasing Taurasi and Pondexter and how that affects their play on the other end of the court will likely be a huge factor in this series.

But the Fever's defense isn't all about Catchings and Douglas. Coach Lin Dunn has stressed defense with her entire team all year, and it's a commitment to that philosophy more than anything else that has the Fever still alive this time of year. Tully Bevilaqua is one of the better defensive points guards in the league, as evidenced by her inclusion in the All-Defensive First Team, while Sutton-Brown is a top-notch shot-blocker, currently posting an average of two rejections per game in the postseason.

These teams met two times during the regular season, with each team winning once on the road, and both meetings occurred during the second half of the season. It's questionable how much of a barometer those clashes can be entering the Finals, however, as the last meeting, which occured on September 2 and was won by Phoenix, took place when the Fever had virtually sewn up the top spot in the East and played without Douglas.

That loss though had major ramifications on this series because the Fever, who fell just three times at Conseco Fieldhouse during the regular season, would have had the home-court edge over Phoenix in the Finals had they come out victorious. Instead the Mercury, who owned a 12-5 mark at US Airways Center this season, will have the crucial home-court advantage. On top of that, Phoenix posted the best road record of any team in the regular season at 11-6.

Mercury reach finals by beating Leslie, Sparks

Update:

PHOENIX(AP) Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury are heading to the WNBA finals, and Lisa Leslie is heading off to retirement.

Taurasi scored 15 of her 21 points in the second half and added seven rebounds and three assists to lead the Mercury past the Los Angeles Sparks, 85-74 on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.

"It comes down to just wanting the game sometimes,'' Taurasi said. "Not necessarily defensive schemes, plays, just wanting the game. And unlike last (Friday) night, tonight we wanted the game. We didn't necessarily play great basketball on either end but we went and took the game.''

The West No. 1 seed Mercury will open the best-of-five WNBA finals at home Tuesday against East top seed Indiana, a 72-67 winner over Detroit earlier Saturday.

"It kind of looked like we missed out on a good game,'' outgoing Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. "The Mercury established their game early on us and we never recovered from it.''

Leslie, one of the original WNBA players, had 22 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 1:39 left in the last game of her career.

"I feel great,'' the 12-year veteran said in confirming her retirement after the game. "You know why? Because I have no regrets. Every time I stepped out on that court I played as hard as I could, I've left everything out there.

"Today is my last day of playing professional basketball, but I will stay close to the game because I feel I need to be a part of it.''

Added Taurasi: "You have Lisa, who didn't want to play her last game, and the way she played this series, (she) probably got another 3-4 good years left under her belt.''

Candace Parker, who averaged 26 points in the first two games, was held to six points before fouling out with 3:09 left. She added nine rebounds.

"I think Le'Coe Willingham played exceptional on both ends of the floor,'' Mercury guard Cappie Pondexter said. "She made it difficult for Candace to get any good looks. She ran the floor really well and she was key for us tonight.''

Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor each scored 12 points for the Mercury, who led by as much as 22 in the first half. They will have home-court advantage in the finals.

Phoenix and Indiana split their two games during the season, each winning on the other team's home court.

Parker didn't make a basket until an inside shot with 3:55 left in the first half after she got her third foul less than a minute into the second quarter. However, by halftime, one of the fouls was found to be inadvertently assigned to Parker. She was just 2 of 6 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free throw line.

The Sparks got within 13 early in the third quarter but the Mercury opened a 57-36 lead after Cooper was given a technical foul for arguing a call with 3:43 left in the third. However, Tina Thompson had a three-point play and a 3-point shot to key a 12-4 run to end the period and get Los Angeles within 61-48 going into the fourth quarter.

Phoenix answered with a 9-4 run to start the fourth and never led by less than 14 in the period.

"The Mercury came out tonight and we came out with the intensity and fullcourt style of play that helped us push through to the next round,'' Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said. "And the next round is going to be an interesting contrast of defense-offense.''

Willingham added 17 points and six rebounds for the Mercury. Thompson had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Sparks, and Betty Lennox added 19 points.

Los Angeles missed 13 of its first 15 shots and tied the record for the fewest points in the first quarter of a playoff game, trailing 19-7 after 10 minutes. Phoenix built a 41-19 lead in the second quarter but allowed the Sparks to score the last six points of the half.

Los Angeles finished the night 23 of 65 (35 percent) from the field and committed 16 turnovers, which became 21 Mercury points.

"It's been a joy coaching her,'' Cooper said of Leslie, his voice breaking. "Obviously we wanted her to go out on top and that's not going to happen. But you know what, she had a heck of a career, I thought she did a wonderful job for us this whole entire series.''

Fever top Shock, reach first WNBA finals

Update:

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) The Indiana Fever advanced to the WNBA finals for the first time, beating the defending champion Detroit Shock 72-67 on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Fever, who were eliminated by the Shock the last three seasons, open the finals on Tuesday against Phoenix.

Tammy Sutton-Brown led the Fever with 17 points. Katie Douglas scored 14, and Ebony Hoffman and Tamika Catchings added 10 apiece. Catchings also had eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Deanna Nolan had 16 points for Detroit. Alexis Hornbuckle scored 15 before fouling out with 18 seconds to play. Cheryl Ford finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Fever beat Shock 79-75 to force Game 3

Update:

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) Tamika Catchings went down after being fouled hard in the third quarter, and her teammates and more than 9,000 Indiana Fever fans waited in stunned silence to see if she'd recover.

Two years ago, the Fever were in the decisive Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals - also against the Detroit Shock - when Catchings went down with a torn right Achilles' tendon. A competitive game turned into a blowout, and Detroit cruised into the WNBA finals.

In Game 2 of the East Finals on Friday night, Catchings was sprawled on the ground for several minutes with trainers around her. This time, she got up and made Detroit pay.

Catchings scored 22 points, and the Fever avoided elimination with a 79-75 win, forcing a decisive Game 3 at Conseco Fieldhouse on Saturday night.

Catchings said her neck already was hurting before she was hit with 3:06 left in the third quarter. The foul on the play was charged to Alexis Hornbuckle.

Catchings felt the contact was excessive.

"It is what it is,'' she said. "That's what they do. They come in and play a physical game and you have to be ready for it. You have to deal with it and kind of move on.''

Her teammates who had been with her through the previous injury were worried.

"Not again,'' forward Ebony Hoffman said. "Not again. She's done so good this year being injury free, being in every single game. That was hurting my heart at the second.''

Catchings not only got up, she never left the game. She dusted herself off and made one of two free throws to cut Detroit's lead to 50-49. On Detroit's next possession, Catchings stole a pass, then found an open Briann January for a 3-pointer that gave the Fever a 52-50 lead.

Indiana never trailed again.

"She came back,'' Hoffman said. "Tears in her eyes and all, she came back rolling. You know if 'Mik has a tear in her eye, it must have hurt.''

Indiana outscored Detroit 31-25 after Catchings went down.

"She got up, the crowd erupted,'' Hoffman said. "We were like, 'We've got to get this done.'''

Catchings, who earlier in the day was named the league's defensive player of the year, also had nine rebounds, six steals and five assists.

Now, the Fever will have a chance to play for a spot in the WNBA finals, and an Indiana legend is trying to help them pack the home arena. Pacers Sports and Entertainment president Larry Bird has purchased the entire balcony - 9,000 seats - for Saturday's game. Free tickets will be available for Fever fans starting at 10 a.m., with a maximum of eight per person.

Katie Douglas added 14 points and five steals for the Fever, who will host the decisive Game 3 against the defending champions on Saturday night.

Deanna Nolan led Detroit with 23 points and Shavonte Zellous added 19 points and nine rebounds.

Indiana set a postseason record with 18 steals and scored 28 points off Detroit's 24 turnovers.

"Turnovers hurt us,'' Nolan said. "We live and die by turnovers, and you saw the results. We were not patient enough.''

Indiana's defensive effort made up for Detroit's 48-37 rebounding edge.

Indiana led 39-38 at halftime. The Fever set a league playoff record for steals in a half with 12, and Catchings set a postseason record for steals in a half with five. The Shock made up for it by outrebounding the Fever 27-16 in the first half.

The rebounding disparity nearly cost the top-seeded Fever their season.

"We discussed it every timeout, at halftime, amongst each other at free throws,'' Hoffman said. "That was the major discussion.''

Detroit dominated the boards overall, but Indiana won the rebounding matchup 13-12 in the fourth quarter. Detroit coach Rick Mahorn didn't like the way his team closed the game.

"It doesn't feel good to lose,'' he said. "We're going to watch film and make adjustments.''

Indiana now can change its history. Detroit has eliminated the Fever from the playoffs the past three years, and the Fever have never reached the WNBA finals.

"We've been here before,'' Catchings said. "They've been in this situation before, they've beaten us in this situation before. We have to do what we did tonight tomorrow night.''

Parker, Leslie help Sparks even West finals

PHOENIX(AP) The Los Angeles Sparks played with the desperation of a team on the brink of elimination - and a player facing the end of her career.

Candace Parker had 24 points and 18 rebounds, Lisa Leslie scored 20 points, and the Sparks forced a deciding third game of the Western Conference finals with an 87-76 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night.

"We're very desperate, yes,'' said Leslie, who plans to retire at the end of the season. "I think when your back is to the wall and now they're in that position and they'll have to sleep the way we slept.''

Leslie and Parker combined for 31 first-half points as the Sparks ran out to an early lead and had a 49-34 advantage by halftime. Phoenix pulled within nine in the second half after Leslie picked up her fifth foul with 6:23 left in the third.

The Mercury later cut the deficit to 75-67 with 3:59 left but got no closer.

"They came out like the team that had to win the game and they did that throughout the 40 minutes,'' said Diana Taurasi, who led Phoenix with 25 points. "We played like the team that was up 1-0 and for whatever reason its 1-1 and Game 3 (Saturday) at home, so we can't really ask for anything more.''

Taurasi made 9 of 17 from the field before fouling out in the final minute while fellow all-WNBA first-teamer Cappie Pondexter had 19 to lead Phoenix. Besides Taurasi, the Mercury shot 18 for 51 (35 percent) after leading the league with a 46-percent average during the regular season.

The Mercury, who had the best regular-season record in WNBA at 23-11, beat Los Angeles 103-94 in Wednesday's series opener.

Phoenix finished the night 7 of 20 (35 percent) from beyond the arc after making 14 3-pointers in Wednesday's win.

"We never got into our style of play, didn't rebound the ball and didn't second chance shots. It hurts you,'' Mercury coach Corey Gaines said.

Betty Lennox added 17 points and Tina Thompson had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Sparks, who shot 42 percent (31 for 74) and outrebounded the Mercury 43-28.

The Mercury were held well under the 100-point average in their first four playoff games. Tangela Smith scored 14 points.

Smith hit two jumpers to cut the lead to 56-47 with 4:37 left in the third after Leslie got three fouls in a 2:22 span, forcing her to the bench for the rest of the period.

"And really, probably wasn't to our favor anyway (because) she got to sit down and get some rest,'' Gaines said.

Leslie played the entire fourth quarter without fouling out.

The Sparks slowed down the Mercury's running game at the outset, jumping to a 15-4 lead in the first 5 minutes. Los Angeles made 12 of 25 from the field in the first quarter while Phoenix missed seven of its first 10 shots and were outrebounded 13-2, trailing 31-17 after the first quarter.

"It kind of looks like either team that jumps out on the other one first is probably going to win,'' Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. "But I thought we stuck to our game plan.''

The Mercury were held to 13-of-34 shooting in the first half and outrebounded 24-12 as Los Angeles built a 20-point lead in the first half.

"I thought we did a much better job of setting up our offense and executing and also sticking with our defensive schemes,'' Leslie said. "The first game, they really jumped on us, so for us it's going to be important to start the game out strong and being the aggressors.''

The Mercury won three of four during regular season, the only loss coming at home in the regular season finale in a game Taurasi sat out.

"It's all about will,'' Leslie said. "It's the will to win. For us, we are not ready to go home.''

2009 WNBA All-Defensive Team Selections Announced

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2009 � Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings, a three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2005, 2006 and 2009), headlines the 2009 WNBA All-Defensive Team, the league announced today. Catchings collected 24 points from the league's 13 coaches while Minnesota center/forward Nicky Anosike finished second with 13 points and Seattle Storm forward/center Lauren Jackson, the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, garnered 12 points.

Storm guard Tanisha Wright (10 points) and Fever guard Tully Bevilaqua (nine points) round out the All-Defensive First Team.

Catchings earns her fifth consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive First Team. She is the only player to be named to the First Team every year it has been named (2005-2009). For Anosike, the selection is her first in her two WNBA seasons while Jackson earned a spot on the First Team in 2007 and the Second Team in 2005 and 2008. Like Anosike, Wright was chosen for the All-Defensive Team for the first time in her career. Bevilaqua has been picked to the First Team three other times in her career (2005, 2006 and 2008) and to the Second Team on one occasion (2007).

The WNBA All-Defensive Second Team comprises Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie (10 points), Atlanta Dream forwards Sancho Lyttle and Angel McCoughtry (nine points each), Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan, Washington Mystics guard Alana Beard and Sparks guard/forward Candace Parker (eight points each).

Leslie is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (2004 and 2008) and is a member of the 2006 and 2008 All-Defensive First Team and the 2005 All-Defensive Second Team. Lyttle and McCoughtry, the only rookie on either team, each were named to their first All-Defensive Team. Nolan was named to the All-Defensive Second Team on three previous occasions (2005, 2006 and 2008) and the All-Defensive First Team in 2007. Beard earned a selection to the 2007 All-Defensive First Team and was named to the 2005 and 2006 Second Teams. Parker appears on the team for the first time.

A panel of the WNBA's 13 head coaches voted on the WNBA All-Defensive Team, selecting First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Players earned two points for each First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.

Below are the top finishers in the vote for the 2009 WNBA All-Defensive Teams:

2009 WNBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
Player Team Position Points
Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever Forward 24
Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm Forward/Center 12
Nicky Anosike Minnesota Lynx Center/Forward 13
Tanisha Wright Seattle Storm Guard 10
Tully Bevilaqua Indiana Fever Guard 9

2009 WNBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
Player Team Position Points
Sancho Lyttle Atlanta Dream Forward 9
Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream Forward 9
Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks Center 10
Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks Guard/Forward 8
Alana Beard Washington Mystics Guard 8
Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock Guard 8

Tamika Catchings Named 2009 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2009 � Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings was named the 2009 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors, the league announced today. Catchings received 34 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, beating out the Los Angeles Sparks' Candace Parker and Atlanta Dream's Erika de Souza, each of whom garnered two votes. Catchings previously won the award in 2005 and 2006 and joins Sheryl Swoopes as the only three-time winners of this award.

In honor of being named the Defensive Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Catchings will receive $5,000 and a trophy specially designed by Tiffany & Co.

Catchings led the WNBA in steals per game (2.91) for an unprecedented fifth time (2002-2.94-95; 2005-2.65-90; 2006-2.94-94; 2007-3.14-66) as she helped the Fever finish the regular season with the league's third-ranked defense (73.6 points allowed per game and a league-record 373 steals). She also ranked eighth in total defensive rebounds (159) and tied for 13th in defensive rebounds per game (4.7) while contributing 18 blocked shots.

Now in her eighth season, Catchings' 99 steals were one shy of the WNBA's all-time, single-season record of 100 set by Teresa Weatherspoon of the New York Liberty in 1998 and gave her four of the top five marks in league history. Catchings' 94 steals in 2002 and 2006 are tied for third most and her 90 in 2005 ranks as the fifth best figure in league history. The 99 steals also raised her career total to 631 and moved her into third place on the WNBA's all-time list, one behind Swoopes (632) and 54 fewer than Ticha Penicheiro (the current Sacramento Monarchs player who has tallied 685).

Selected by Indiana with the third overall pick in the 2001 Draft, Catchings has been known throughout her career as arguably one of the most complete players ever to play the game, and she proved as much once again in 2009. Catchings not only paced the 2009 Fever in rebounds (15.1 rpg), assists (3.1 apg), and steals, but ranked second in scoring, including a franchise record 31 consecutive free throws.

While her seven double-doubles tied for sixth in the WNBA this season, Catchings authored another, more impressive double-double. The only WNBA player to rank among the top 15 all-time in career points, rebounds, assists and steals, Catchings cracked the top 15 in each of these same categories in 2009.

One of the most accomplished players in women's basketball history, Catchings is a four-time All-WNBA First Team selection, six-time WNBA All-Star, a member of the WNBA's All-Decade Team, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Her WNBA career totals include 4,047 points, 1,892 rebounds, 897 assists and 631 steals.

Below are the complete results of the 2009 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors votes and a list of past recipients:

2009 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY KIA MOTORS RESULTS
Votes Player Team
34 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2 Erika de Souza Atlanta Dream
2 Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
1 Alana Beard Washington Mystics
1 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm

2009 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY KIA MOTORS RESULTS
Year Player Team
2009 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2008 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
2007 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
2006 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2005 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
2004 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
2003 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
2002 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
2001 Debbie Black Miami Sol
2000 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
1999 Yolanda Griffith Sacramento Monarchs
1998 Teresa Weatherspoon New York Liberty
1997 Teresa Weatherspoon New York Liberty

WNBA Names 2009 adidas All-Rookie Team

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2009 � The 2009 adidas All-Rookie Team was announced today by the WNBA, headlined by Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry and Phoenix Mercury guard/forward DeWanna Bonner. They are joined on the team by Detroit Shock guard Shavonte Zellous, Minnesota Lynx guard Renee Montgomery and Washington Mystics guard Marissa Coleman.

The voting panel consisted of the WNBA's 13 head coaches, who were asked to select five players regardless of position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team.

McCoughtry, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft presented by adidas, topped the charts among all WNBA rookies in points (12.8) and steals (2.2) and ranked fifth in assists (2.1). McCoughtry's 2.2 steals per game led the Dream and placed her in the top five among league leaders. She finished the season with two consecutive adidas Rookie of the Month honors. McCoughtry helped propel a team that finished with only four wins in 2008 to second place in the Eastern Conference this season. The Dream advanced to the 2009 WNBA Playoffs presented by adidas, marking the first postseason appearance in franchise history. The 14-game improvement is the second-best single-season turnaround in WNBA history.

Bonner, selected No. 5 overall in the draft, was recently honored with the 2009 Sixth Woman of the Year Award presented by Kia Motors. Bonner helped propel the Mercury to 23 wins, a seven-game improvement from 2008. She led her team in rebounds (5.8 rpg) and was third in points (11.2 ppg). Her 5.8 rebounds slotted her first and her 11.2 points placed her third among all WNBA rookies. Despite coming off the bench in all 34 games, Bonner averaged over 20 minutes per game and led all rookies in double-doubles (five). Bonner was named the adidas Rookie of the Month for May.

Zellous, selected No. 11 overall in the draft, played a major part in the Shock's late run to secure a spot in the Playoffs. She ranked second among rookies in points (11.9), was second overall in the league in free throws made (155) and averaged 1.8 assists per game. Zellous scored in double-digits in 21 of the 34 games played.

Montgomery, the No. 4 overall draft pick, became a consistent option off the bench in her first season. She averaged 9.0 points and 2.1 assists. Montgomery, who started nine games this season ranked third on the Lynx in assists and ranked in the top five among rookies in assists and points. She tallied a career-high 24 points in a 95-88 win over the Connecticut Sun on Aug. 7.

Coleman, the No. 3 overall draft pick, was sidelined for several games early in the season due to an injury but played a key role coming off the bench in the Mystics' return to the Playoffs. She averaged 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in her first season.

Below are the results for the 2009 adidas All-Rookie Team:

2009 adidas ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Player Team Position Votes
Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream Forward 12
DeWanna Bonner Phoenix Mercury Guard/Forward 12
Shavonte Zellous Detroit Shock Guard 11
Renee Montgomery Minnesota Lynx Guard 11
Marissa Coleman Washington Mystics Guard 6

Zellous, Nolan help Shock beat Fever, 72-56

Update:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.(AP) For 17 minutes, the Indiana Fever looked like the best team in the Eastern Conference.

After that, they regressed back to the group that has been eliminated by the Detroit Shock in each of the last three postseasons.

After leading for the entire first half, the Fever only scored 19 second-half points as Detroit rolled to an easy 72-56 victory Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

"I thought Detroit played like a team that wanted to win the game more than we did,'' Indiana coach Lin Dunn said. "We didn't match their energy or their intensity in the second half, and that's very disappointing.''

Detroit, which has won 12 of its last 14 games after a 9-14 start, is looking for a fourth straight trip to the WNBA finals despite losing Plenette Pierson (shoulder) and Katie Smith (back).

"I thought that early in the game, we looked like a team that hadn't played since Friday,'' Detroit coach Rick Mahorn said. "We started to click in the second quarter, especially on defense.''

The Fever led 35-24 with three minutes left in the second quarter, but Detroit went on a 11-2 run to make it a two-point game at halftime.

"I thought we really missed a big opportunity there,'' said Katie Douglas, who led Indiana with 16 points. "We started off really well, and we had them on their heels, but we let them get some confidence.''

Rookie Shavonte Zellous scored 16 of her game-high 23 points in the first half, including 12 in the second quarter.

"Without Katie, I know that I have to step up my offense, because I'm our second offensive option now,'' Zellous said. "Tonight, I really felt the flow of the game as soon as I came in. I felt like that run at the end of the second quarter really gave us a great boost.''

The Shock kept the momentum after the break, scoring the first six points of the third quarter. They held Indiana to six third-quarter points to take a 52-43 lead into the fourth. The Fever missed 13 of 16 shots in the period and turned the ball over six times.

"I don't think we're worried about the times we've lost to Detroit in the past - I just think that's a great basketball team,'' Dunn said. "They were the world champions a year ago, and they are tough to beat at home. We've just got to do a better job Friday at our place.''

The Fever cut the margin to four, but Deanna Nolan scored the next six points and Zellous added a three-point play to put Detroit ahead 63-50 with 5:09 to play. Nolan, who received a trophy before the game for her All-WNBA second-team berth, finished with 22 points.

"We rely a lot on the play of our guards, and they came through for us again tonight,'' Mahorn said after his team won its eighth straight playoff game. "Nolan has been superb in the last few weeks, and Zellous has been lights out in the playoffs. There were some big possessions down the stretch, and those two hit the shots that we needed.''

Game 2 is on Friday in Indiana. A year ago, the Fever won the second game of the first-round series between the teams, only to fall behind 41-10 at the start of a lopsided Game 3 loss.

"We know exactly what we've got to do now,'' Douglas said. "We've got two games at our building, and we're going to have to play two great games to win this series.''

DeWanna Bonner Named 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors

NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2009 � Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner has been named the 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors, the league announced today. Bonner received 20 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters to earn the award. She becomes the second consecutive rookie to receive the honor, following 2008 winner Candice Wiggins. The top three vote getters for 2009 Sixth Woman of the Year were all rookies as Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry finished second with 10 votes and Detroit Shock guard Shavonte Zellous finished third with four votes.

Bonner made an immediate impact, pushing the Mercury to a 5-1 start after the team missed the 2008 WNBA Playoffs. The Mercury finished the 2009 season with the best record in the league and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Bonner helped propel the Mercury to 23 wins, a seven-game improvement from 2008. She led her team in rebounds (5.8 rpg) and was third in points (11.2 ppg). Despite coming off the bench in all of her 34 games played, Bonner averaged over 20 minutes per game and led all rookies in double-doubles (five).

Her 5.8 rebounds slotted her first and her 11.2 points placed her third among all WNBA rookies. In her professional debut, Bonner posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a 90-79 Mercury win against the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Silver Stars. Bonner's season-high 21 points came in a 104-80 win over the Minnesota Lynx, during which she also collected 10 rebounds.

Bonner's 196 total rebounds were the most ever for a Mercury player as a reserve; the previous mark was 147 by Kelly Schumacher in 2007. Bonner also set a record for the most rebounds in a single season for Mercury rookies.

Bonner was honored with the adidas Rookie of the Month award in June. For the month, she averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 10 games.

A standout at Auburn, Bonner was drafted fifth overall by the Mercury in the 2009 WNBA Draft. As a senior, she was named the SEC Player of the Year and led the SEC in scoring, becoming the first Auburn player to do so. Bonner was a three-time All-SEC First Team member.

In honor of being named the Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Bonner will receive $5,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

Taurasi Embraces the Grand Stage Once Again

PHOENIX, AZ, October 9, 2009 -- It was only fitting that in a WNBA Finals many regarded as the finest in the league's 13-year history, a championship round so entertaining and well-played that it garnered new-found attention and respect for the WNBA, Diana Taurasi would shine brightest in the end.

Since she arrived at the UConn campus and into our consciousness in 2000 as Geno Auriemma's prized recruit, Taurasi has been one of if not the most celebrated players in women's basketball. It's a popularity she has earned by not only being exciting to watch and one of the biggest personalities to ever represent the game. She's validated her reputation as one of the best time and time again by winning at all levels � NCAA, Olympics, WNBA -- and collecting a slew of individual honors along the way, including her first league MVP this season.

Entering Game 5 of the 2009 WNBA Finals Friday night, the feisty Indiana Fever had given the Phoenix Mercury all they could handle in four of the most hard-fought battles the league has ever experienced. But the Fever's mistake was not putting away the Mercury when they had the chance, up 2-1 with Game 4 on their home court. More specifically, what led to Indiana's demise was giving Taurasi an opportunity to beat them in a winner-take-all affair.

But that's not to say there weren't doubts that Taurasi and the Mercury could win their second WNBA title in three seasons.

Leading up to Game 5, Phoenix, which posted the best record in the regular season, had faced adversity throughout the series and Taurasi, who struggled to find her shot, wasn't immune. In fact, she took the most heat as the Mercury fell behind in the Finals 2-1 and faced elimination in Game 4. Stymied by the suffocating defense of the Fever's Tamika Catchings, who herself gained confidence as the series wore on, Taurasi shot just 33 percent through the first three games. More important, outside of a brief burst late in Game 1, she wasn't coming through offensively down the stretch, a time when Phoenix typically relied on her and needed her most.

�You know, it had been a tough series,� said Taurasi. �But you can't get frustrated. You can't always play as well as you want. You can't always make every shot. But the one thing I told myself is there is no reason to get frustrated. You've just got to go out there and put in the effort and play hard and things eventually turn for you.�

Phoenix coach Corey Gaines, always one to take the blame when things don't go well for his team, said it was his fault for taking so long to get Taurasi in better positions to shoot.

�Indiana's defense, the first couple of games was predicated on stopping us from using our pick-and-rolls,� said Gaines. �And it took me a while to figure out trying to be stubborn rather than fight through the situation with my offensive scheme. I took a step back and said use what they are doing against them, use their strength against them. So I took the pick-and-roll to the middle of the floor, and we eliminated their defense. And it helped Diana tremendously.�

Even though Taurasi wasn't able to consistently shoot at a high percentage for most of the Finals, she didn't see it as her overall game being ineffective. She was always contributing in some way.

�I don't feel like I was struggling because I don't base my game on shooting,� said Taurasi. �I felt like I was doing a lot of good things on the court. The shots, you want them to all go in but at the end of the day it's how hard you play and the other things you did. So I was fine with it.�

Taurasi helped out in two key areas outside of scoring � on the boards and on defense. She averaged 6.8 rebounds over the five games, up from her 5.7 rpg clip in the regular season. Her value on defense was manifested in her keen ability to help and recover against an Indiana team that spreads things out on offense to utilize its mix of post players and perimeter shooters.

�She does it all,� said Gaines said of Taurasi. �She rebounds... She doesn't get credit for all that stuff but she does it all.�

Even when getting into early foul trouble, which seemed to occur frequently this series because she mainly had to check Catchings, Taurasi's aggressiveness never waned. Sometimes Taurasi had trouble channeling that intensity, like the instance in Game 3 in which she pick up a questionable technical foul in what turned out to be a one-point loss. But Taurasi's ferocity was essential in getting her teammates to believe they could win, especially in Game 4 � the contest that turned the tide in Phoenix's favor.

�Diana would have been my MVP if she wouldn't have made a shot,� said Phoenix guard Temeka Johnson. �That's just the type of person that she is. That's just the type of player that she is. So much stuff goes unnoticed about Diana.�

By the time the big moment had arrived in Game 5 on Friday, Taurasi was in position to embrace it yet again. She went out and burned the Fever by scoring a game-high 26 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including six straight makes at one point. Taurasi finally found her touch from deep, hitting 4-of-7 three-pointers. And each trey seemed to come at a crucial juncture to stave off a charging Indiana team and make the sold-out US Airways Center crowd erupt. Taurasi also hit all eight of her free throws, blocked three shots, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.

It was Taurasi's best performance of the Finals and it helped the Mercury claim the 2009 WNBA championship with a 94-86 Game 5 win. It also helped Taurasi seal 2009 WNBA Finals MVP honors and perhaps a new legion of admirers.

�Diana is Diana,� said Phoenix guard Cappie Pondexter. �She'll come through no matter what because she's a winner. I never doubted her. I never doubted anybody on this team. We stuck together and made sure she kept her head up.�

�She's the MVP of this league for a reason,� said Phoenix forward Penny Taylor. �She's an amazing player. When you have her on your team you know you have every chance of winning every game. She plays with the team, she plays for the team but at the end of the day she's the person that we go to and she pulled through for us tonight.�

DeWanna Bonner Named 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors

Bonner was honored with the adidas Rookie of the Month award in June. For the month, she averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 10 games.

In honor of being named the Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Bonner will receive $5,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

Phoenix Rises Once Again

PHOENIX, AZ, October 9, 2009 -- The Phoenix Mercury were not going to watch the playoffs again this year.

After winning the 2007 WNBA title, Phoenix became the first defending champion to fail to make the playoffs the following season.

Watching the postseason unfold and not being a part of it provided all the motivation that the Mercury players and coaches needed as they headed their separate ways for the WNBA offseason.

For All-Stars Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, it led to a conversation that took place thousands of miles away from the Arizona desert.

�It started early when we got to Russia,� said Taurasi, who was named Finals MVP. �We were pretty disappointed in how the summer went, especially in ourselves, because we know we affect this team in a lot of ways and I don't think we were in the right mindset ourselves.

�So this summer we came with a completely changed attitude and it started right there in Russia when we talked about it.�

The new attitude culminated in the Mercury winning their second WNBA championship in three years as they defeated the Indiana Fever in five games in what many regard as the greatest WNBA Finals ever played. Phoenix became just the fourth team to win the championship after missing the playoffs the prevoius year, joining Detroit (2003), Seattle (2004) and their own 2007 squad.

The conversation between the Mercury's biggest stars set the tone for the entire Phoenix team in 2009. Reserve guard Kelly Mazzante said she could see a difference from her teammates from the first day of training camp.

�After we got eliminated last season, we sat here and said remember this feeling,� she said. �During the offseason, everyone went their separate ways and we came back with a new mindset and you could tell from day one.�

�Missing the playoffs last year motivated us a lot because we know we have a great team and we knew what we needed to do last year we just didn't get it done,� said center Tangela Smith. �We just made it a point to get it done this year.�

Looking back at the 2008 season, the Mercury had some built in excuses for not defending their 2007 title:

They had a new coach as Corey Gaines took over when his mentor Paul Westhead resigned at the end of the 2007 championship run;

Penny Taylor, the third member of the Big Three (or as Taurasi likes to call it the three-headed monster), did not join the team as she chose to remain in Australia to train with her national team in preparation for the Olympics;

They brought in a number of new faces a year ago, including four rookies.

�I think that every negative was an excuse not to climb as hard up that mountain,� said assistant coach Bridget Pettis. �Everyone just had a fresh renewal this year, thinking anything is possible.�

Mercury GM Ann Meyers Drysdale counts 2008 as a transition year, but she saw positive signs throughout the year that led her to believe another title run was coming.

�I never doubted that Corey, Julie and Bridget would bring this team to a championship again. It was only a matter of time,� she said. "And last year, we coulda, woulda, shoulda, but Corey and I talked a lot about it during the season last year and also in the offseason that that season made us stronger.�

The front office made some significant moves in the offseason to help bolster the lineup and provide additional depth for Gaines to work with. There was the addition of point guard Temeka Johnson as well as reserves Nicole Ohlde and Ketia Swanier through trades and free agency.

In April, the Mercury drafted DeWanna Bonner, a long, lean, athletic and versatile player that seems tailor made to play in this offense. She would go on to win Sixth Woman of the Year honors in her rookie campaign.

But the two biggest changes from 2008 to 2009 were pieces that were a part of the 2007 championship squad and that was the mid-season return of Taylor and the maturation of Gaines, who served as an assistant on the championship team.

Of course, Gaines, as he has done throughout the Finals, wants only to credit his players for this accomplishment. But every player in the locker room mentioned how much he grew from his first to second year.

�As players you want to come back and be better. Well as coaches I think that's the same commitment you should make and I don't think anyone improved more than Corey,� said Taurasi. �He came in with a different mindset, came in with a game plan, he was a rookie coach and he came back the next year a veteran coach and now he has a championship. He's the reason why we're here.�

�I did learn a lot,� said Gaines of his rookie season as a head coach. �I think every coach learns every year and you learn the most from your defeats, your losses, your bad years, so I did learn a lot.�

From Gaines and Drysdale at the top, to Taurasi and Pondexter as the leaders, to every other player in the locker room, the 2009 season began and ended with an added sense of motivation and a search for redemption for their sub-standard season a year ago.

�I remember talking to Diana during the offseason in Russia, like �let's make it happen. We have the opportunity to win another championship,'� said Pondexter. �We talked about just working hard and coming back and getting it done.

�This year we worked hard every single day, people stayed extra and put in more time every single day, and that's why we're here.�

Phoenix beats LA 103-94 in Game 1

LOS ANGELES(AP) Diana Taurasi made herself at home on the road, burying shot after shot against the Los Angeles Sparks and even shaking hands with Magic Johnson in the fourth quarter.

Taurasi scored 28 points before fouling out and the Phoenix Mercury hit 14 3-pointers to win 103-94 Wednesday night in Game 1 of the WNBA Western Conference finals.

Playing the fourth quarter with five fouls, Taurasi made 5 of her 6 free throws over the final 1:09 to win at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on the court named for coach John Wooden and his wife Nell.

The Sparks were forced out of their downtown home arena because of a Britney Spears concert at Staples Center. Game 2 is Friday night in Phoenix.

"It's Britney, baby,'' Taurasi said. "Britney's in town and scoot on over.''

She is from suburban Chino, but Taurasi's college team Connecticut never played at Pauley during her career there.

"I've come to Pauley since I was 12,'' she said. "You walk in and see the (championship) banners. It's a pretty special place. It's the Garden of the West Coast.''

Penny Taylor added 18 points, including four 3-pointers, Cappie Pondexter 15, Le'coe Willingham 12 and Tangela Smith 11 for Phoenix.

"This team has got amazing people in crunch situations to hit those shots,'' Taylor said about the treys. "That's what this team is good at. We play with confidence throughout the game.''

Candace Parker led the Sparks with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Tina Thompson added 25 points and Lisa Leslie 19.

"We still believe we can take care of business in Phoenix and send Smooth out with a ring,'' Parker said, referring to Leslie who will retire at season's end.

Johnson, who won NBA titles with Sparks coach Michael Cooper on the Los Angeles Lakers, shook hands with Taurasi as she walked back upcourt.

"How cool was it to have him in the front row?'' Taurasi said. "I had posters of him growing up in my room.''

The Mercury's 3-pointers eclipsed the nine they made against San Antonio on Saturday in the first round.

Phoenix earned its first-ever playoff victory over the Sparks in the teams' first postseason meeting since the first round in 2000. The Mercury dominated the teams' season series 3-1, losing only the regular season finale on Sept. 13 in a game Taurasi sat out.

"That was a tough-earned win,'' she said. "There were stretches in the game where they imposed their will on us and we didn't have answers. Every time we made a run, they came back with a run. We got a lot of big shots from a lot of people.''

The game was tied twice early in the fourth and the Sparks twice closed within two in the final 1:09. But they were forced to foul and Taurasi and Smith were solid at the line.

"In keeping with this year's theme, we always do things the hard way,'' Parker said. "Losing this game makes it harder, but not impossible. We would make a silly turnover or take an ill-advised 3-pointer. The game is right there, it's not like we were blown out.''

Thompson, Parker and Leslie controlled the Sparks' offense in the third quarter, when they outscored the Mercury 22-19.

Phoenix extended its lead to 69-61 late in the third on five straight points by Taylor.

Thompson was in the midst of her own 8-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer, and Noelle Quinn hit two free throws to get the Sparks within one. Ketia Swanier hit a 3-pointer to keep the Mercury ahead 72-68 heading into the final 10 minutes.

"As Pat Riley says, 'The playoffs begin when one team wins on another team's floor,''' Cooper said. "We can play against this team. I don't think, I know.''

Phoenix led by 10 points early in the second quarter before the Sparks used a 20-10 run to tie the game at 44. Parker had 10 points in the spurt.

But the Mercury regained the lead with a 9-2 run to go into halftime ahead 53-46. Quinn, who played collegiately at UCLA, committed two turnovers and Leslie fouled Taurasi, who completed the three-point play.

"When you let a team like Phoenix get out of our reach, it's kind of hard to play catch up,'' Betty Lennox said. "They are such a good team to where they keep on pounding it down our throat, pounding it down our throat.''

The Mercury raced to a 19-8 lead to start the game, when the Sparks missed seven of their first 10 field goal attempts. They went more than 3 minutes without scoring while Phoenix ran off 12 consecutive points and shot 70 percent from the floor.

The Sparks regrouped and closed the quarter on an 11-7 run to trail 26-19.

DeWanna Bonner Named 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors

Bonner was honored with the adidas Rookie of the Month award in June. For the month, she averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 10 games.

In honor of being named the Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Bonner will receive $5,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

Hoffman's Resurgence Comes at an Opportune Time

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, October 6, 2009 -- Even the best shooters in the world go through slumps. Shots that they routinely knock down continually bounce off the rim. Shooting percentages plummet and frustration rises.

As the WNBA calendar turned to its final month, Ebony Hoffman's shot abandoned her. From Aug. 29 until the Fever's regular-season finale on Sept. 13, Hoffman shot 21 percent from the field (15-of-72) and seven percent from three-point range (1-of-14).

As the Fever were preparing to enter the playoffs with their eyes set on a championship, Hoffman was a mess and she admits that she was rattled by her poor play down the stretch.

�I went through a little slump there where my confidence was shaken because I wasn't hitting my shots like I usually do,� she said. �And when you don't have confidence in your shot everything else slacks; you unknowingly slack in your rebounding, you unknowingly slack in your defense because you're so worried about the other side of the floor.�

As the playoffs got underway, things didn't get much better for Hoffman as she failed to score and committed five fouls in just 16 minutes of play in the Fever's Game 1 win over the Washington Mystics.

Game 2 of the series was an improvement for Hoffman, who scored eight points on 2-of-3 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds as the Fever closed out the Mystics. But the fact that she only shot the ball three times in 29 minutes on the floor showed that she was still gunshy.

�I was hesitating and I don't usually hesitate,� she said. �You miss one and you think you should have made it and it just snowballs into something else, like a domino effect. I let it overtake me in the first series.�

Hoffman's teammates could see the difference in her game and could see the effect it was having on the Fever as a whole.

�I could absolutely see that she was rattled out there,� said Katie Douglas. �It was an Ebony that I had not seen. At the beginning of the season Ebony was the Ebony from last year, the Most Improved Player. But then there was a hesitation, there was like a hitch in every movement and every decision that she would make and when you start playing hesitated other things start trickling down. You miss a box out, you miss a defensive assignment. It's kind of like a tsunami of things that kind of go into it when you start to hesitate.�

Douglas, who said Hoffman is one of her closest friends on the team, tried to offer encouragement while also keeping things light and positive.

�I told her: �Hey just relax and play your game; you've been working so hard, putting in so many hours, and we've worked together as a team to get to this point so just enjoy it. Don't beat yourself up about what happened in the last stretch of games. We have nothing but confidence in you and don't second-guess yourself out there. Just play your game; we're going to be there to help you.'�

As the Fever moved into the Eastern Conference Finals, Hoffman had made up her mind that she was not going to second-guess herself in the biggest playoff series of her life at that point.

�I just had to let go and just say �You know if it happens, it happens; if it doesn't, it doesn't,� said Hoffman. �But I have to take that shot. I have to take the open shots.�

After scoring just six points on 3-of-8 shooting in the Fever's Game 1 loss, Hoffman responded in Game 2. With the Fever's season on the line, Hoffman scored 13 points and did not miss a shot in five attempts from the field as the Fever won Game 2 to force a winner-take-all Game 3 the following day.

It was Game 3 against Detroit that proved to be the tipping point for Hoffman and the Fever. After the Shock had knocked them out of the playoffs for three straight years, this was the Fever's opportunity to expel the demons that haunted them and get past their nemesis. For Hoffman, she was given a chance to knock out her September swoon as the game entered the final minutes with the Fever clinging to a two-point lead.

�I was terrible from the field that day,� said Hoffman. �I was 3-for-15 going into the last two minutes and Catch [Tamika Catchings] kicks it to me in the corner. I had the shot, but I saw Cheryl Ford coming out on me and that's a big girl coming out, so I pump-faked her and shot the ball. I hadn't made a lot of pull-up jumpers from that point but I had enough confidence then to take the shot and make the shot.

�Right then is when I started thinking �I can do it again; I'm back, it's all back together now.' And it's all been great ever since," Hoffman said.

The Fever never trailed after Hoffman's clutch 15-foot jumper as they defeated the Shock to advance to their first-ever WNBA Finals.

All signs of Hoffman's slump have disappeared in the Finals as she is averaging a team-high 20.3 points through the first three games of the series and shooting a blistering 71 percent from the field and 67 percent from three-point range.

She has been able to put her entire offensive repertoire on display against the Phoenix Mercury, who have had no answer for Hoffman's ability to score inside the paint and out on the perimeter.

�I have been trying to create a lot of matchup problems,� Hoffman said. �If I feel like it's someone who I can overpower, I'm going to take them in the post. If I feel like it's somebody that I can get around I'm going to get on the perimeter and try to go around them out her.

�Coach has been putting me in great positions to get the ball and she's been utilizing my strengths and this series has played to my strengths.�

Hoffman scored 27 points in Game 1 on 12-of-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range. Although the Fever lost the game, they had found a third scoring option to counter Phoenix's Big Three.

�She's been vital; without her we wouldn't be in this position,� said Douglas. �You have to have that third scorer, you have to have somebody step up on a consistent basis. You see Phoenix, they have Diana [Taurasi] and Cappie [Pondexter] and then they have Penny [Taylor]. So we definitely have thrived and been at our best when she's at her best and it takes a lot of pressure of off Catch and myself when Ebony is playing the way she has been. She's been playing just phenomenal basketball.�

After scoring 16 points in the Fever's Game 2 win, Hoffman made her biggest impact on this series in the final minutes of Game 3.

With 6:20 to play in the fourth quarter, Hoffman committed her fifth foul against Taylor and instantly clutched her right shoulder. She immediately knew that she had dislocated her shoulder, which is something that she has done in the past due in part to being double-jointed.

�It's never been out that long; that was the scary part,� she said. �It usually just goes out and in and I'll be back in the game in the next 30 seconds. I've never had it out that long and had to push it in myself. It was scary, but I just had to get back out there, regardless of what it was, I wasn't going to get out of that game.�

Hoffman, who also sprained her ankle in the first game of the series, returned to the game at the 3:40 mark and was at the center of the two biggest plays in the game's final minute. With the Mercury up by one, Taurasi missed an open three-pointer from the corner with 1:15 to play that could have been the dagger for Phoenix. On the other end, Hoffman found herself in a similar situation that she saw in Detroit, with the ball being kicked out to her with the game on the line.

�We had the play where Bri [Briann January] was going to take whoever she was going against off the dribble, but they trapped her, my man left me and I just rolled up and was just ready to hit the shot, on my good leg and one good arm,� she said with a laugh.

Once again Hoffman knocked the shot down. After review it was determined to be a two-pointer as her foot was on the three-point line. Either way, it put the Fever ahead with 57 seconds to play.

After the teams traded misses, there was a jumpball between Catchings and Le'coe Willingham with four seconds left. Phoenix won the tip and called time out to set up a final play with 3.7 seconds to play.

While the play was designed to go to Taylor, she was unable to receive the pass and it ended up in the hands of Tangela Smith, who rose up from 18 feet for the potential game-winner. Once again Hoffman came through for the Fever as she partially blocked the shot to preserve the one-point victory and give the Fever a 2-1 series lead.

With the win the Fever now sit one win away from their first WNBA title thanks in large part to Hoffman's resurgence.

�It's perfect timing,� said Catchings. �It could not have happened at a better time than this right here in the Finals. I think every series she's got more and more confident and right now she is playing her best basketball and we expect great things from her. We've always expected big things from her, but right now she's really peaking.�

Fever eliminate Mystics, win 81-74 in overtime

Update:

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) The Indiana Fever have found a winning combination - Tamika Catchings' dominating offense and Tully Bevilaqua's scrappy play.

The two led the Fever to a 81-74 overtime victory over the Washington Mystics on Saturday night to sweep their best-of-three Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Catchings had 24 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocked shots before a noisy Conseco Fieldhouse crowd of 9,655. Point guard Bevilaqua scored six of her 13 points and had three rebounds in overtime to spark the Fever, who travel to Detroit on Wednesday to start the conference finals.

"I call her Mighty Mouse,'' Catchings said of 5-foot-7 Bevilaqua. "Lindsey Harding had five fouls. We wanted to get her out. We didn't get her out, but Tully attacked her, took away some of her offense.''

Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 16 points and Katie Douglas 13 for Indiana, which made five of its first seven shots and then just 18-of-65 the rest of the way to finish at 32.4 percent.

"We did not shoot as well as we have in the past, but we found a way to win,'' Fever coach Lin Dunn. "Tully Bevilaqua sparked us with her defense, had rebounds and showed toughness. Tammy Sutton-Brown was a warrior out there. Tamika Catchings had a magnificent, MVP performance.''

Crystal Langhorne scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half to keep the Mystics in the game. Lindsey Hardin and Alana Beard scored 10 each for Washington, which lost Chastity Melvin and Nakia Sanford to fouls in the game's waning minutes.

"Indiana got some very easy baskets in the paint in the fourth quarter, and that helped them to gain the momentum,'' Washington's Monique Currie said. "Indiana is a veteran team, and they were able to capitalize on our mistakes.''

Catchings, driving the lane, drew a foul and made two free throws to tie it at 69 all, with 2.6 seconds remaining in regulation.

"I'm a competitor,'' Catchings said. "You've got to do what you can do to win the game. The biggest thing for us was we picked up our defensive intensity.''

Beard shot a 10-foot airball from the left side as the fourth quarter expired.

In the overtime, Sutton-Brown scored on a layup with 1:18 to play to break a tie, and the Fever then scored the final five points.

Pondexter, Taurasi lead Mercury to WNBA title

PHOENIX(AP) The core of the dynamic Phoenix Mercury is a trio as talented as any in the game.

No wonder they win WNBA championships.

Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor - who led the team to its 2007 title - did it again in 2009, when the Mercury held off a late rally by the tenacious Indiana Fever for a 94-86 victory in the deciding Game 5 Friday night.

League and finals MVP Taurasi scored 26 points, Pondexter had 24, and Taylor made two crucial free throws with 37.7 seconds left for the Mercury, who won the last two games to take the intense series 3-2.

"This is what we do, we make big plays,'' Taurasi said, holding a towel over her head in the champagne-drenched locker room. "We have people that step up and love to live the moment. It's a great team, great team.''

When it was over, the three hugged in elation, and Taylor - the Australian who joined the team Aug. 1 after reconstructive ankle surgery - broke down in tears.

"I was only here from half the season but it was a long half and it's been a hard half,'' she said. "Just the build up of that emotion of wanting to do so well, and wanting to do well for your teammates, wanting to win every game and it's just a release right now that we have been able to do it,''

Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 22 points, and Jessica Davenport had a career-high 18 for Indiana in its first finals appearance. Tamika Catchings added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Fever.

"I thought we played about as well as we could play,'' Fever coach Lin Dunn said. "I thought there were a couple of times that we missed some shots that maybe could have helped us win a championship, but they didn't fall.''

Sutton-Brown pointed to the crucial home loss in Game 4.

"We had an opportunity to close it out at home, and we let that one slip away,'' she said, "but I think we came out and fought hard tonight. Phoenix is a great team. I think it was a great series. It was great for the WNBA.''

Indiana rallied from 10 down in the second half to tie it at 80 on Sutton-Brown's layup with 4:29 to play, then Tangela Smith made two 3-pointers, her only field goals of the night, to put the Mercury ahead for good.

Her second, after Davenport scored for Indiana, put Phoenix ahead 86-82 with 3:34 to go.

Pondexter's 9-footer made it 88-82 with 2:22 left, but the Fever - who had led the series 2-1 - weren't finished. Davenport's inside basket cut it to 88-84, then Catchings' rebound basket made it 88-86 with 2:07 to play.

On the Mercury's next possession, Taylor took the ball and drove the lane into a crowd of defenders. Davenport was called for the foul, and Taylor's two free throws made it 90-86. Two free throws apiece DeWanna Bonner and Taurasi provided the final margin.

"Indiana's a great team,'' said Pondexter, who kept scoring despite taking an elbow to the right eye in the second quarter. "It just shows our resilience and how bad we really wanted to win.''

Taylor added 14 points and Bonner 13 for Phoenix. Katie Douglas had her second straight rough shooting night. The Indiana star was 4 of 14 for 13 points after going 2 of 14 in Game 4. The Mercury made 10 of 17 3s.

"I don't know. I wasn't worried about it tonight,'' Douglas said. "I got a feel for most of the shots, they just didn't fall.''

Phoenix won it with the super-speed style that then-coach Paul Westhead used in 2007 and Corey Gaines adopted when he took over.

"When I first started coaching in the WNBA coach Westhead, who is my mentor - who we owe this championship to as much as him being here right now - he told me, `We're going to coach the players as players, not women, ball players''' Gaines said. "And it's funny how they embraced it because they enjoyed being treated that way. Instead of being treated as women basketball players, we treat them as ball players.''

After a cold-shooting first quarter, the Mercury turned it on with one of their best 10 minutes of the season, shooting a finals record 76.5 percent (13 of 17) - and they even missed their last two shots - in a second-quarter blitz.

Phoenix also set a finals second-quarter record for points, outscoring Indiana 35-19 to take a 51-42 lead at the break.

Taurasi, after struggling with her shot against Catchings' defense in the first four games, was 5 for 5 in a 13-point second quarter, three of them 3-pointers. Her NBA-length 3 from the top of the key with 6:19 left in the half gave her 10 points already in the quarter and put Phoenix up 33-31.

The Mercury made 13 of their first 15 shots second-quarter shots.

The Mercury led by as many as 10 in the third quarter, but rookie Briann January - from nearby Arizona State - sank a 3-pointer with 36.7 seconds left to cut Phoenix's lead to 70-65 entering the fourth.

January's 3-pointer, followed by Sutton-Brown's inside basket that made it 80-80 with 4:29 to go.

Phoenix Suns captains Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Grant Hill purchased the tickets in the upper bowl of US Airways Center, then gave them away, leading to a sellout crowd of 17,313.

Curse of the MVP?

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, October 6, 2009 -- For four of the first five years of the WNBA the Most Valuable Player of the league won a championship that same season.

In 1997 and 1998 it was Cynthia Cooper winning the award and leading her Houston Comets to the WNBA title each year. Then in 2000, the Comets captured the championship thanks in large part to regular season MVP Sheryl Swoopes. And the following season it was Lisa Leslie claiming her first MVP award before leading the Los Angeles Sparks to their first title.

Oddly enough, it hasn't happened since. In fact, until this season, an MVP winner hadn't even reached the Finals since Leslie did it in 2001. That's seven straight seasons of the league MVP not advancing to the championship round.

That changed when Diana Taurasi, who captured her first MVP honor this season, propelled her Phoenix Mercury into their second WNBA Finals in three years after dominating the '09 regular season and a putting together a pair of fantastic playoff series against San Antonio and Los Angeles.

But with three games in the books in the 2009 WNBA Finals, the league MVP is once again in danger of not capturing the ultimate prize. And it has a lot to do with what the 2009 MVP has not been able to do.

Taurasi's scoring output in the Finals (20.0 ppg) is actually right there with what she produced in the regular season (20.4 ppg), in which she captured the third league scoring title of her career. And her rebounding has actually improved, from 5.7 rpg in the regular season to 7.7 rpg in the Finals.

But Taurasi's shooting numbers are way down. After hitting shots at a career-best clip of .461 this year, the Phoenix guard is connecting on a dismal .327 in three games in the Finals. Her three-point accuracy has also been a lot worse in these games against the Fever, with a percentage of .231 after sinking treys at a rate of .407 in the regular season � also a career-best. She's even turning the ball over at a much higher clip (3.6 tpg).

YEAR MVP CHAMPION CHAMP'S TOP MVP VOTE-GETTER
2009 Diana Taurasi ?????? ??????
2008 Candace Parker Detroit Shock Deanna Nolan -- 8th
2007 Lauren Jackson Phoenix Mercury Diana Taurasi -- 3rd
2006 Lisa Leslie Detroit Shock Cheryl Ford -- 6th
2005 Sheryl Swoopes Sacramento Monarchs Yolanda Griffith -- 4th
2004 Lisa Leslie Seattle Storm Lauren Jackson -- 2nd
2003 Sheryl Swoopes Detroit Shock Swin Cash -- 5th
2002 Lauren Jackson Los Angeles Sparks Lisa Leslie -- 2nd

And what makes her drop in production even more puzzling was just how well she was able to perform in the first two rounds of the playoffs, when she took her game to another level to help the Mercury defeat a couple of imposing challengers. Against San Antonio, the defending West champs, Taurasi averaged 23.0 points, 5.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting .565 from the field, including .421 from beyond the arc. And versus Los Angeles, a team loaded with talent and experience, she put up numbers of 24.7 ppg, 4.0 apg and 4.3 rpg while shooting .480 from the field and .440 from three.

And when you go beyond the numbers, you come across the bigger concern. Taurasi's uncanny ability to make big shots at the most opportune times -- something she did with consistency from the start of June through late September -- has seemingly vanished over the course of the Finals. And while Indiana's defense is so suffocating it can give anybody problems, including the league MVP, Taurasi is also missing wide-open looks, including a three-pointer with just over a minute left in Game 3 that would have put Phoenix up four and in prime position to grab a 2-1 series edge.

Such a drastic change in Taurasi's effectiveness at the worst possible time makes one wonder if there's something to this MVP trend, that it becomes too much of a burden to bear.

But if you look back at what transpired in 2008 and 2007, L.A.'s Candace Parker and Seattle's Lauren Jackson, respectively, were not the reasons for their teams' failure to get to the Finals. In fact, Parker was actually dominant in the '08 Western Conference Finals, averaging 16.3 points and 12.7 boards in three tight games, a series which will be remembered for Sophia Young's last-second game-winner for the Silver Stars in Game 2.

The last player to run into similar misfortunate to that of Taurasi after winning MVP was Leslie, who in the 2006 playoffs saw her numbers drop off significantly. And like Taurasi, what killed Leslie in the series in which she and the Sparks were eliminated was that she shot poorly. In the Monarchs' two-game sweep of the Sparks in the 2006 West Finals, Leslie, frustrated by the stellar post defense of Yolanda Griffith, made only 7-of-28 field goal attempts and totaled just 17 points.

Leslie also had problems scoring against Griffith and the Monarchs in their playoff series in 2004 after she captured her second MVP trophy. This time her struggles occurred in the opening round, scoring just 11.3 points per contest after racking up an average of 17.6 ppg in the regular season.

Outside of what has happened to Taurasi and Leslie though, issues for the MVP in the postseason appear to be rare. More often than not it's the lack of contributions from the supporting cast in an increasingly competitive league that ultimately lead to an MVP's all-too-early exit from the playoffs.

If you look at the list of WNBA champions over the past seven years (see chart above), only two had players that were even runners-up in the MVP voting. And what all this serves to emphasize is that the cliche that coaches and players go to all the time, that winning a championship is a team effort, holds true.

Series Preview: Indiana Fever vs. Detroit Shock

The 2009 Eastern Conference Finals between the top-seeded Indiana Fever and third-seeded Detroit Shock figures to be a grind-it-out battle, as it features two teams that have utilized defense and physicality to reach elite status over the past few years. That you can count on. But the inevitable style of play is just one of the many layers this intriguing series is comprised of.

The Fever had by far the best overall regular season of any team in the East, posting a 22-12 record and three wins in four matchups versus Detroit, and are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2007 after an opening round sweep of the Washington Mystics. In that last trip to the conference finals, however, the Fever fell to the Shock -- the team that has stood in Indiana's way for the past three seasons. That defeat and Indiana's overall playoff series record of 0-3 against Detroit, including an opening-round ouster last year, will be weighing on the minds of Fever players as they attempt to advance to their first WNBA Finals in team history.

This is especially true for Fever stars Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas, who have been thwarted in heart-breaking fashion by Detroit in postseasons past. While Douglas was with the Connecticut Sun, she went 1-2 in series versus the Shock, suffering a pair of Eastern Conference Finals defeats (2003 and 2006) and watching Detroit go on to win the title in each case. In the 2006 series, Douglas missed the opener after suffering a hairline fracture to her right foot in the previous round. She returned for Games 2 and 3, but clearly was not 100 percent. Catchings has gone 0-3 in playoff series against Detroit, but only one of those defeats has come in the conference finals (2007). In that series, Catchings suffered a torn Achilles in the deciding game, which Detroit won 81-65 on its home floor. When Catchings departed the contest Indiana trailed by only three, 33-30, which had to leave her and the Fever pondering what might have been if she had been able to play for the duration.

But while Indiana may have been the class of the East for the majority of '09, and thus owns the crucial home-court advantage in this series, Detroit enters this tilt as arguably the hottest team in the league. The defending champs have won 11 of their last 13 and are fresh off an impressive two-game sweep of the higher-seeded Atlanta Dream in the conference semis. And even though Indiana actually got the better of the Shock during regular season, winning three of their four meetings while holding Rick Mahorn's crew to an average of 63.3 points per game, Detroit captured the last matchup on September 4. The Fever were without Douglas in that contest because of an ankle injury, but the Shock were also without the services of Katie Smith.

Smith is doubtful to play in this series because of an injured back that has sidelined her since August 27, but the Shock will likely have the red-hot Deanna Nolan, despite a scare she received in the Atlanta series. Nolan suffered a concussion in the opening game against the Dream after hitting her head on the floor on a drive to the basket, but returned to score a game-high 22 points in 37 minutes of action in the Game 2 clincher. Nolan will no doubt have Catchings breathing down her neck this entire series though, which means rookie Shavonte Zellous will likely be called upon to maintain the scoring prowess she displayed against Atlanta.

But whether or not the Shock advance past the Fever will likely have less to do with their offense and more to do with how well they defend Douglas and Catchings, who are currently playing the best basketball of their careers.

It may be cliche at this point to say that the Shock are used to playing basketball this time of year, but with this being their fourth straight appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, it really can't be emphasized enough. And Detroit has won all of those prior trips to the conference finals (plus another in 2003), which means a win over Indiana would give the Shock their fourth straight appearance in the WNBA Finals. Only one other team in the history of the WNBA has accomplished that feat (Houston Comets, 1997-2000).

Storm even first-round series with Sparks

SEATTLE(AP) Camille Little felt like everything was going in slow motion. She was fast enough to extend the Seattle Storm's season.

Little stole an inbounds pass, took a return pass from Tanisha Wright, and converted a layup with 5 seconds left Friday night, helping the Storm stun the Los Angeles Sparks 75-74 and even the best-of-3 WNBA Western Conference semifinals.

Game 3 is Sunday in Seattle.

The Sparks were up 74-70 when Sue Bird drained a 3-pointer with 10.7 seconds left, cutting the lead to one. Los Angeles called a timeout and inbounded from the sideline near midcourt. Little stole it, went under the hoop and laid it in one-handed.

"Ashley Walker pressured the ball (on the inbounds pass by L.A.'s Noelle Quinn), and when the ball went in the air, I got a hand on it,'' said Little, who finished with eight points. "You really can't think about it. It should be something we should be able to do. It was all in slow motion.

"Everyone did a good job all around for us to be in that position,'' Little said. "If Sue didn't hit that shot, the score would have been real different.''

Lisa Leslie, whose tip-in with 27.9 seconds left snapped a 70-70 tie, and Delisha Milton-Jones missed shots in the final seconds.

Swin Cash led Seattle with 18 points, while Bird and Wright had 15 apiece.

Reserve Betty Lennox had 17 points to lead the Sparks, while Candace Parker had 15, Tina Thompson 14 and Leslie 12.

Sparks coach Michael Cooper said a better decision on the inbounds pass might have led to a different outcome.

"It's not about getting it inbounds. When a team is pressuring you like they were and switching and denying, sometimes it's difficult to get it in,'' he said. "But you have to make the right decision. Was that the right decision? I'm pretty sure Noelle, if she had to do it over again, would make another one. But you can't second-guess yourself at that time.''

The Storm avoided a fifth straight first-round playoff exit since winning the WNBA title in 2004.

"We've got people out there who aren't going to quit,'' Seattle coach Brian Agler said. "Now did it look good for us for a second? No, it didn't look good. But Camille and Tanisha defensively just made a great play. We got an opportunity to make a layup, and we're playing Sunday.''

Seattle used a 14-2 run over the first 5 minutes of the third quarter to turn a 45-34 deficit into a 48-47 lead. Wright capped the run with a three-point play with 4:55 left in the quarter. Little's basket at the end of the third gave the Storm a 56-55 lead.

The Storm scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take a 63-55 lead. But the Sparks went on a 10-0 run and went up 65-63 on a shot by Thompson with 4:31 to play.

The teams went back and forth after that. Following Leslie's tip-in for a 72-70 Sparks advantage, L.A. extended it to 74-70 on two free throws by Thompson with 15 seconds remaining.

WNBA Finals Continue to Deliver Double-Digit Increases on ESPN2

ESPN2's coverage of the 2009 WNBA Finals continues to deliver double digit growth through the best-of-five series. Through Game 3, ESPN2's telecasts are averaging 476,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 51 percent when compared to last year's 316,000 viewers. In addition, the corresponding household impressions are up 50 percent (386,000 vs. 258,000) and the 0.4 rating is an increase of 33 percent over last year's 0.3 rating.

ESPN2's exclusive coverage of the WNBA Finals presented by adidas will continue with Game 4 on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from Indianapolis at 7:30 p.m. The Indiana Fever lead the series over the Phoenix Mercury 2-1. Terry Gannon will call the remainder of the Finals with analyst Carolyn Peck and reporters Heather Cox and Rebecca Lobo. Prior to each tip, ESPN2 will televise WNBA Shootaround, a pre-game show with host Pam Ward and analyst Nancy Lieberman. The Finals are also available in high definition on ESPN2 HD and on ESPN360.com, ESPN's signature broadband service.

Crystal Langhorne Named 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2009 � Washington Mystics forward/center Crystal Langhorne has been named the 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Kia Motors, the league announced today. Langhorne received 19 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Atlanta Dream forward Sancho Lyttle finished second with six votes and Dream center Erika de Souza and Seattle Storm guard Tanisha Wright tied for third with four votes apiece.

In her second season, Langhorne improved her scoring by over seven points a game from 4.8 ppg to 12.0 ppg while upping her rebounding average from 4.0 to 7.9. Langhorne posted higher numbers than a year ago in nearly every statistical category. She tied for third among WNBA leaders in rebounds and ranked second in offensive rebounding average (3.0 rpg) and totals (101). She worked her way into the starting lineup by the middle of the season and nearly doubled her playing time (29.8 minutes per game) from a year ago (15.6 mpg).

Selected with the sixth pick of the 2008 WNBA Draft, Langhorne was the third leading scorer on Washington this season after placing sixth on the team in 2008. She led Washington in rebounding this season after ranking third on the team for the full 2008 season. She also posted nine double-doubles this season, which tied for third among WNBA leaders.

Against Chicago on Sept. 4, she totaled a career-high 23 points on seven field goals and seven free throws. She made 10 field goals and pulled in 11 defensive rebounds and 16 total rebounds against Connecticut on Aug. 14 to set career highs in those categories as well.

She helped Washington to its first WNBA Playoffs appearance since 2006 by leading the Mystics in rebounding 20 times and scoring six times. Langhorne scored in double figures 24 times, including two 20-or-more-point performances, and collected double figures in rebounds on 11 occasions.

A native of Willingboro, N.J., Langhorne played her college basketball at Maryland where she was a three-time Associated Press All-America selection and the 2008 ACC Player of the Year. She led Maryland to the NCAA Championship in 2006.

As the WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Langhorne will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

Leslie, Johnson winding down their WNBA careers

Sometime in the coming days or perhaps weeks, Lisa Leslie and Vickie Johnson will each play her last game in the WNBA.

When their teams are eliminated or win the playoffs that began earlier this week and they walk off the court, the two will be ending careers that have been associated with the league since its inception in 1997.

"It doesn't really feel like that long,'' Leslie said. "I've been real happy with my longevity and also my consistency. ... I've always tried to play at the same level, really bring my 'A' game every time I step out on the floor.''

Although Leslie missed 10 games due to right knee and hip injuries, neither she nor Johnson is leaving because of an inability to play at a high level. Leslie was 14th in the league - and tops on the Los Angeles Sparks - in scoring at 15.4 points per game and 15th in rebounding at a career-low 6.6. Johnson averaged a career-low 6.4 points for the San Antonio Silver Stars, but was above her lows in rebounding (3.4) and assists (2.4).

"We're still being productive out there on the court,'' Johnson said. "We're stepping away from the game on our own terms. It's not that we still can't play the game, but we all want to do something different with our lives.''

Though Leslie is hanging up her jersey, she is not walking away from the sport. She plans to work with Los Angeles area youth at a basketball academy she is starting and hopes to get into broadcasting games, both men's and women's.

She just didn't want to keep playing until she wasn't a dominant player anymore.

"I don't want to be out there when my skills have diminished to just being a pick-setter or just figure who kinda to box out,'' the 37-year-old Leslie said.

Penny Toler, who played with Leslie on the Sparks the first three years of the league and is now the team's general manger, would love for Leslie to stay but understands her decision.

"I think Lisa's got a couple of more years in her, but an athlete knows when they want to retire and when they don't,'' Toler said. "Certainly if she were to change her mind, I'd definitely throw a contract in front of her face.''

Johnson, however, isn't done playing - she's only retiring from the WNBA. Like most players in the league, she plays in Europe - where the salaries are much higher - during the winter. Johnson, who previously played in leagues in France, Israel, Italy, Hungary and Turkey, sat out last winter to take a break from the grind of playing year-round every year.

She will resume her European career this year - heading overseas shortly after she is finished with the WNBA playoffs - but isn't sure beyond that, saying she'll decide about next year once she sees how she feels after resting next summer.

"You kind of want to do something else,'' said Johnson, also 37. "I want to coach a little bit. I want to spend a little time with my family and stuff like that. It's just so hard to play in the WNBA and also go overseas, and if I had the choice I would continue my career overseas.''

Both players reached big milestones this season. Leslie became the league's first player to reach 6,000 career points, finishing the season with 6,263, and Johnson's 410 career regular-season games make her the only player to top 400.

Their departures will leave just two players - Tina Thompson and Tamecka Dixon - from the league's first season still playing.

Thompson spent her first 12 seasons with the Houston Comets. However, after the Comets, who won the league's first four championships, folded in the offseason, she joined Leslie - her former high school and college teammate - on the Sparks.

"It feels like I've been around a long time, probably too long,'' Thompson said with a laugh. "For us to be the last four standing is awesome, but it definitely means we've been around for a very long time.''

Both Thompson, who will turn 35 in February, and Dixon, who will be 34 in December, aren't sure how much longer they want to play.

"I told Penny when I signed with the Sparks I'm going to take it year by year, and I wasn't going to make any commitments beyond the year I was playing in,'' Thompson said. "Just so I could be fair to them as well as to myself. I'm just going to see how my body feels at the end of the season. It's still kind of holding itself together.''

Dixon began her career playing with Leslie and Toler on the Sparks and spent nine years in Los Angeles, winning championships in 2001-02, before joining Thompson in Houston for three seasons starting in 2006. She signed with Indiana before the start of this season and helped the Fever finish first in the Eastern Conference in the regular season.

"Before this year, I said this was it,'' Dixon said. "I'll think about it a little bit more after the season, talk it over with my friends, my family, my father and come up with a decision after that. I'm not going to say this is my last year yet, but there's definitely ... I'm talking about it.

"I think realistically I got a good two more years left in me, but we'll see how it goes.''

Leslie believes their "youth'' and skills keep Thompson and Dixon going.

"Tamecka, she can still cross somebody over and hit a jump shot,'' Leslie said. "Tina, when you shoot the ball the way she can, that'll buy you some time out there. Overall, you just want to be happy when you're playing, and as long as they're happy they'll continue to play.''

Tamika Whitmore, an 11th year veteran who played with Johnson for five seasons on the New York Liberty and then with Leslie and Dixon for two on the Sparks, credited the four longtime stars for their contributions to the sport.

"They're definitely pioneers of the league,'' Whitmore said. "They've been through it all, from the first collective bargaining agreement to this one, and they've paved the way for myself, for the generation that's here now that just came in, for generations to come.''

WNBA Finals Game 5 Preview

PHOENIX(AP) There is no homecourt advantage in these WNBA playoffs.

Each team can claim a victory in the other's arena, and that should be some comfort to the Indiana Fever when they face the Phoenix Mercury in the deciding Game 5 on Friday night.

In fact, Indiana has won two of three in Phoenix, once in the regular season then again in Game 2. The most important road victory, though, came when Phoenix got back in its fast-paced groove for a 90-77 victory Wednesday night in Indianapolis.

That sent the series back to Arizona, where Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter, Penny Taylor and the rest of the Mercury can claim the franchise's second title in three years.

"Our strength all year has been our confidence in our attack and I felt like we got that back,'' Taylor said after Wednesday's win. "We were playing with confidence and attacking every single time down the floor and that's hard to defend for 40 minutes.''

There was no player or coach availability as the teams traveled on Thursday.

The teams have traded wins since the Mercury opened the series with a wild 120-116 overtime win in the highest-scoring game in WNBA history.

In winning its fifth consecutive elimination game, Phoenix simplified its sometimes complex offense to what coach Corey Gaines said was "one play, over and over again.''

That might be a stretch, but the Mercury did move the ball with more ease than at any other time in the series. Time and again, a Phoenix player would drive to the basket, draw a double-team and toss the ball out to a wide-open shooter.

"The plan was to space the floor,'' said the Mercury's Tangela Smith, who made 4 of 6 3-pointers. "When we looked at the film, we realized we didn't have good spacing. We wanted to keep everyone spaced out. It worked. That's what we need to continue to do in Game 5.''

The Mercury made 10 of 24 3-pointers, compared with 2 of 18 for the Fever. Indiana's best shooter, Katie Douglas, was 2 of 14 overall, 1 of 7 on 3s.

"Katie Douglas, you've seen her shoot, she doesn't shoot 2 of 14,'' Fever coach Lin Dunn said. "I thought Tamika Catchings was scoring well, she was aggressive. But they had five people in double figures, we had three. There is the difference in the ball game.''

Gaines has repeatedly said he didn't think it was the Indiana defense, just poor play by Phoenix, that had shut down the potent Mercury attack. He said the same thing when asked about what his team's defense did to slow down the Fever in Game 4.

"Truthfully, nothing, they just missed shots,'' Gaines said, "and then in the fourth quarter, like most teams, if you're behind those shots are tougher to take. The shots are easier to take when you're up by 10, 12, 11 points.''

Catchings, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds in Game 4, said Indiana won't go down without a fight, not after she waited eight years in the league to finally reach this moment.

"I mean, it's an awesome feeling to think about winning a championship,'' she said, "and it's kinda like I don't want to get too excited because I want to make sure it happens first.''

Identity Crisis Puts Mercury on the Brink

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, October 4, 2009 -- Three games have been played so far in the 2009 WNBA Finals and three different Phoenix Mercury teams have shown up.

In the opener of the series, it was essentially the Mercury that we're used to, the team that scores a lot of points, gives up a lot of points and hits crucial buckets late when it needs to. In Game 2, it was the Phoenix squad that failed to climb out of a hole because of breakdowns on defense and an inability to make outside shots, which is a team that we get a glimpse of from time to time.

But in Game 3, we got a Mercury team that was aggressive on offense, held its own against Indiana on the boards, made some critical stops, was physical down low, yet still lost to the Fever, 86-85, mainly because of its failure to stay focused and make shots in crunch time.

�It's a hard game to lose,� said Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi. �You play hard the whole game and had opportunities down the stretch. They made the most of them and we didn't.�

Suffice it to say, this Mercury team did not look very familiar Sunday. Phoenix, known for its cavalcade of veteran shooters and deficiencies in the post, actually outrebounded Indiana (36-31) and nearly doubled up the Fever in terms of points in the paint (52-28), with Le'coe Willingham chipping in a strong 17. On the flip side, the Mercury attempted and made less three-pointers (3-of-17) than Indiana (10-of-21) and didn't get as much point production from their bench (25-18). Penny Taylor led the way for the Mercury reserves with 10 points, while normally reliable rookie DeWanna Bonner was hardly a factor, scoring two in nine minutes.

Granted, in a series teams can appear different from game to game for the simple reason that when you are matched up against the same competitor for a string of games in a row every detail is constantly being scouted, scrutinized and dissected. Teams basically have to change in order to keep the opponent guessing and maintain an edge. It's a chess match that is being played out of the court, in which the players and coaches attempt to think one move ahead of the opposing side. And as a result, each contest feels more like a season than just one game.

But if the Mercury, now down 2-1 in the best-of-five series, don't impose their brand of basketball and play up to their full potential soon, these Finals could be over Wednesday.

Following the deflating 93-84 loss to the Fever in Game 2, the Mercury knew they needed to attack more on offense from the get-go. More specifically, Cappie Pondexter and Taurasi knew they had to utilize their superior talents on offense and put the pressure on the Fever to stop them.

It was evident early on that Pondexter not only wanted to look for her offense, but to penetrate the Indiana defense and attack the basket. As the first half came to a close, it was working. After scoring just four points in the opening half of the Game 2 defeat on three shot attempts, Pondexter had a game-high 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting at the break, as well as a team-high five assists.

Her approach was contagious. Phoenix had bounced back from an early burst by the Fever for a three-point lead at half, 47-44.

�That was working, so when something's working you stick with it,� said Taylor. �We were attacking with penetration really well and I think they were having problems defending it.�

With 3:19 remaining in the game, Pondexter had upped her total to 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting and the Mercury held a one-point lead, 81-80. However, Pondexter, who has made a habit of taking over games late for Phoenix through her top-notch ability to create her own shot, would not score again. She missed her final four shots, including one on the break in which she seemed more concerned about drawing a foul and another in which she appeared to hesitate in mid-air. But the shot from the left wing that didn't fall with 6.9 seconds remaining and the Mercury down one will likely be the one that sticks with her.

�I got a couple good looks toward the end of the game,� said Pondxeter. �You know, sometimes I hit, sometimes I don't. It happens. But we had a lot of chances to make the shot, but it didn't happen.�

Despite Pondexter's misses late, the Mercury kept things close as Willingham and Taylor hit a pair of shots and Phoenix made some big stops on D.

And with 3.4 seconds left, the Mercury, down one, had the ball and one final chance to pull out the win.

�The play was for Penny Taylor to get a down pick from Tangela (Smith),� said Phoenix head coach Corey Gaines. �Cappie takes the ball out of bounds, Kelly Mazzante is in the corner, (Diana Taurasi) is in the corner to draw the defense. As Penny is coming up to get the ball she is mysteriously bumped off her line to get the ball. She goes up to get the ball, she can't get it. The ball by the grace of God falls into Tangela's hands, and the play was set for Penny to get the ball, turn and face and go to the basket.�

For most of the night, Gaines had drawn up well-designed plays out of timeouts that had gotten the job done, but as he outlined, things didn't go as well as he had hoped at the most crucial moment. As the last play broke down, Smith's shot right before the buzzer was blocked by Ebony Hoffman. Gaines didn't elaborate further on the �mysteriously bumped� comment, only adding that he has to see the tape.

Another controversial situation which Gaines declined comment on for now was the incident midway through the fourth quarter when Taurasi, making her way back down court after hitting a layup, collided with Indiana's Katie Douglas and received a technical foul.

�I was laying on the floor, I got up to run down the court, and my head, as I was coming up, she was coming this way, and, you know, we collided,� said Taurasi. �(The official) said I elbowed her, which if you clearly watched the replay, I don't think there was an elbow thrown.�

Indiana's Tamika Catchings shot the technical free throw and sank it. Five minutes later the Mercury had lost the game by a point.

�Lose by a head butt, check that out,� said Taurasi.

All one-liners aside, Taurasi did say after the game that the Fever deserved to the win game and what really hurt the Mercury was their failure to execute down the stretch.

Following the technical, which occurred with 5:10 left in the game, Taurasi didn't score again, perhaps signaling that she let the disputed play affect her, although Taurasi has played in big game after big game throughout her career, so it's hard to believe something like that would get to her.

While the technical may garner the most attention when looking back on Game 3, Taurasi's most pivotal missed opportunity actually came with 1:15 remaining when she failed to convert on a rare open three-pointer from the corner that would have put Phoenix up four. Instead, it bounced off the rim and at the other end Hoffman was able to drain a wide-open jumper of her own to give the Fever a lead that would hold up.

Taurasi, shooting 31 percent for the series entering the contest, actually made five of her first 12 field-goal attempts through three quarters, but went cold in the fourth, connecting on just 1-of-4 with the only make being the infamous layup. She finished with 18 points � her lowest scoring output of the series and third straight game in which she failed to shoot over 40 percent.

Suddenly, the league MVP is not playing like the league MVP, a trend that no doubt has to disturb Phoenix, along with the fact that with Sunday's loss, the Mercury have dropped consecutive games for only the second time all year.

With all of the uncharacteristic things going on with the Mercury, one has to wonder if they have been successfully rattled by Indiana, which is now just one victory away from their first-ever WNBA title.

�Game 3 is probably the hardest we fought out of this whole series and it's tough when you lose like that,� said Pondexter. �So I think now it's mental more than anything. Game 4, I think we have to be stronger mentally. And I think the rest will take care of itself.�

Series Preview: Los Angeles Sparks vs. Phoenix Mercury

All good things came in threes for the Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks.

The number-one seeded Mercury found themselves in a deciding Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night. Their meeting with the San Antonio Silver Stars was knotted up 72-72 with just over eight minutes to go when the ball got into the hands of Mercury All-Star Diana Taurasi. The WNBA scoring champ pulled up and drained a three; Phoenix never looked back.

Just one day earlier, in Los Angeles, the Sparks also found themselves in a Game 3 scenario, with their season on the line against the number-two seeded Seattle Storm. The Sparks, who came into the playoffs as the three seed, took the series opener, but lost by just one point in Game 2. When guard Tina Thompson knocked down a three-pointer just seconds into the deciding game, the Sparks went up for good.

And in keeping with our theme of threes, it should be noted that the team's biggest stars - Taurasi of the Mercury and Candace Parker of the Sparks both wear jersey No. 3.

The Western Conference Finals meeting between the Mercury and Sparks is one featuring both the league's best and one of the hottest teams. The Mercury (23-11) finished the regular season with the most wins, while Los Angeles' 12-5 record in the season's second half was best among all teams.

Taurasi, the WNBA scoring champion, continued her impressive season, averaging 23 points over the three-game series against San Antonio. Guard Cappie Pondexter (16.7 ppg) was also a key contributor for the Mercury. Off the bench, forward Penny Taylor and guard DeWanna Bonner dropped over 14 points a game each. Bonner also plucked down about eight rebounds a night.

For the Sparks, Lisa Leslie's career is extended a few more games. The WNBA great has announced her retirement, but has hopes for a third title. She's been more than helpful in that quest, averaging a double-double (13 ppg, 10.7 rpg) in the first round. Last season's MVP Parker (16.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg) and Thompson (14 ppg) also played important parts, as did guard Betty Lennox, who provided a boost off the bench with 11.3 points per night.

Los Angeles also made a swap in their starting lineup heading into Game 3. Out was guard Kristi Harrower, who averaged just three points in the series. She was replaced on the floor by Noelle Quinn (6.3 ppg, 3.7 reb.). Despite Harrower's 26 starts this season, Sparks head coach Michael Cooper may stick with Quinn's hotter hand.

Phoenix owns the season series against the Sparks, 3-1; however, both teams were missing key players in each of the matchups. Parker was out two games, while Leslie was sidelined for one. Phoenix was without Taurasi for their final meeting against Los Angeles, a game which resulted in a 81-78 loss for the Mercury. Pondexter averaged 20 points in the four meetings for Phoenix, while Lennox had 16.2 throughout the series.

The Mercury won the WNBA Finals back in 2007, but missed the postseason with a 16-18 record last year. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has two championships, both coming in back-to-back years in 2001 and 2002. Leslie picked up the Finals MVP award in both of those series. You can bet she'll play as hard as she ever has to get that last trophy, her third.

Sparks beat Storm 70-63 in WNBA playoff opener

LOS ANGELES(AP) Even without All-Star Lauren Jackson and Katie Gearlds, the Seattle Storm were no pushover.

Tina Thompson hit a key 3-pointer with 5:44 remaining and the Los Angeles Sparks went on to a 70-63 victory in Game 1 of the teams' Western Conference playoff series Wednesday night.

"Although they didn't have Jackson and Gearlds, it doesn't make them a bad team,'' Thompson said. "(Swin) Cash was very aggressive and that had a lot to do with Jackson not being there.''

Thompson led the third-seeded Sparks with 16 points. Lisa Leslie added 14 points and 10 rebounds in what might have been the final home game of her storied career before she retires at season's end. Candace Parker had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"It's like, `Don't have any regrets, don't leave the court feeling like you could've done better,'' Leslie said.

That's what she was thinking in the first half, though.

"I just (stunk),'' she said. "I was being really soft and not finishing on my shots inside. They weren't really double-teaming me that hard. There were times we didn't play smart basketball.''

Cash led the second-seeded Storm with 24 points after missing the final two games of the regular season because of her grandmother's death. Suzy Batkovic-Brown added 16 points and Tanisha Wright 13.

Sue Bird was held to four points after missing the final three games of the regular season because of a sore neck.

"My neck feels OK. I was able to get some rest and recover. It is what it is; you've got to play through it,'' she said.

The Storm were without Jackson, who is out indefinitely because of a stress fracture in her lower back. Gearlds sat out with an injured left knee.

Storm coach Brian Agler said Jackson would not play when the best-of-3 series moves to Seattle for Game 2 Friday night. He said her back has improved, but she is still "multiple weeks'' away from returning.

"This team is a little more dangerous without Lauren because with her you know what offensive schemes are going to be,'' Leslie said.

Since winning the WNBA championship in 2002, the Storm has never advanced past the first round, losing the last four years, including to the Sparks in three games last year. The teams split their four regular season meetings, with each winning on their home courts.

"I feel really good about going to Seattle. We're definitely going to have to play on top of our game but it's doable,'' Parker said. "The game is going to be a lot more physical up in Seattle.''

A 3-pointer by Wright left Seattle trailing 58-54 with 6:12 remaining. Thompson was called for an offensive foul - her fourth - but things quickly turned around for Los Angeles.

The Sparks outscored the Storm 10-2 to take a 68-56 lead with 3:04 left. Thompson launched the spurt with the 3-pointer and had a three-point play before Parker's 3-pointer ended it.

"There were quite a few big plays,'' Thompson said. "It was a little bit of all of us. The three-point play I had definitely got us excited.''

Cash scored Seattle's final five points. They now must win two games at home to advance.

The Storm closed the third on a 9-4 run to trail 52-47, helped by 10 points from Cash in the quarter.

Seattle recovered from an 18-point deficit in the first quarter to trail 34-28 at halftime. The Sparks didn't score their first basket until 6 1/2 minutes into the second period, and were outscored 22-12 in the quarter.

Getting balanced scoring, the Sparks raced to a 22-6 lead in the opening quarter, when the Storm shot 11 percent from the floor and committed seven turnovers.

"We had a lot of turnovers that led them to get out in transition and get some easy buckets,'' Bird said. "Along with that, we fouled them entirely too much. We put them on the free-throw line 30 times. You can't give up 25 points to this team just on free throws. If you eliminate half of that, it's a different game.''

The Sparks were favored to win the WNBA championship at the start of the season, then Leslie and Parker missed 19 games combined and the team staggered through the early going before going 10-3 to close the regular season.

Besides Leslie, Sparks coach Michael Cooper is leaving at season's end to coach the women's team at Southern California.

Leslie's husband, Michael Lockwood, and their 2-year-old daughter, Lauren, wearing a gold top in the Sparks' colors, sat courtside. Derek Fisher and Josh Powell, along with new teammate Ron Artest, of the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers were there, sitting near Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, the team the Lakers defeated for their 15th title in June.

Shock advance with 94-79 win over Dream

Update:

DULUTH, Ga.(AP) Detroit coach Rick Mahorn knew leading scorer Deanna Nolan was going to come back strong after sustaining a concussion in the Shock's last game.

"She's tough,'' Mahorn said. "She got knocked pretty hard last game and took a good shot in this one as well. But she's very tough and wanted to get this game so we can move on.''

Nolan scored 22 points and Shavonte Zellous added 21 to help the Shock advance to the WNBA's Eastern Conference finals for the fourth straight year with a 94-79 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night.

Alexis Hornbuckle had 15 points for the defending champion Shock, who swept the best-of-3 series and will face either Indiana or Washington in the next round.

Zellous, a rookie, expected the Dream to be tough to beat in the second-year franchise's first playoff series. She said the Shock just had to keep pace with Atlanta early and make a strong move in the second half.

"We knew coming into this game it was going to be a battle,'' Zellous said. "We weathered the storm in the first half when we were in foul trouble. In the second half, we controlled things and played to our level.''

Ivory Latta and Angel McCoughtry had 21 points each for the Dream, who made their first playoff appearance after going 4-30 in 2008.

Erika DeSouza finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and a game-high eight turnovers for Atlanta.

Latta said the playoff experience will make the Dream better for next season. She doesn't feel too bad since Atlanta made the second-best season turnaround in league history, winning 18 games this season, 14 more than its inaugural season.

"We have to regroup, come back and stay focused.'' said Latta, who was 8 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. "We know what the playoffs are like. We got a taste of the playoffs. For next year, we will be able to do a lot more.''

For the Shock, they're going for consecutive titles and Mahorn knows it will be tough with nine active players. Detroit was without key players Katie Smith and Plenette Pierson.

"We are playing good basketball,'' he said. "We ended the season playing well and now we are in the playoffs doing things we are supposed to do. We just have to keep it going.''

Michelle Snow's two free throws put Atlanta up 58-57 with 1:48 left in the third quarter. The Dream would not lead again as Detroit went on a 9-0 run, capped by Olayinka Sanni's layup that made it 70-61 with just over 8 minutes remaining.

Detroit, which lost the regular season series against the Dream 3-1, increased its lead to 16 points in the fourth on Kara Braxton's layup. The Shock shot 57.1 percent from the field, while holding Atlanta to 33.3 percent.

The game was played at the Gwinnett Arena after the Dream had been forced out of their home arena, Philips Arena, for the first round of the playoffs because of "Sesame Street.''

Mercury even WNBA finals with 90-77 win over Fever

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) The high-scoring Phoenix Mercury saved their season with defense.

The Indiana Fever led the WNBA finals series 2-1 and had a chance to clinch their first title in front of an active sellout crowd that included local celebrities such as Indianapolis Colts players Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne. None of that mattered as the Mercury beat the Fever 90-77 on Wednesday night to tie the series and force Game 5 Friday in Phoenix.

Indiana shot 2-for 13 in the fourth quarter, stifling any chance it had of overcoming the 72-65 deficit it faced going into the period. The Fever scored 12 points in the quarter, the third-lowest total in a fourth quarter in finals history.

While Phoenix defended well, Indiana's stagnant offense helped.

"In the fourth quarter, nobody wanted to take the shot for them, so they were just passing it around,'' Phoenix center Tangela Smith said. "That's what we wanted.''

Tamika Catchings, who led Indiana with 24 points and 12 rebounds, agreed that her teammates became hesitant. She said this is the wrong time for that.

"Hopefully, that's out of our system and we'll get to Phoenix Friday and we'll be ready to play,'' she said.

Catchings shot 11-for-17 and Ebony Hoffman scored 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting. The rest of the team shot 11-for-44.

All-Star Katie Douglas, who was hoping to celebrate a clinching win in her hometown, scored seven points on 2-for-14 shooting.

"I thought Katie got some great looks, looks she had been knocking down from the 3-point line to the rim,'' Indiana coach Lin Dunn said. "Maybe toward the end, she passed up some shots because she had missed them.''

Indiana's bench, which both coaches had said was the reason the Fever were leading the series, struggled on Wednesday. The Fever bench shot a combined 2-for-16 from the field.

Indiana rookie reserve Briann January, whose quickness had been a matchup nightmare for the Mercury, shot 1-for-9 and finished with eight points. Phoenix's Diana Taurasi said stopping January was a key.

"In these games, we've struggled when everyone has gotten their points, especially Briann when she comes in and changes the game,'' Taurasi said. "Sometimes you focus on certain things and you get them done.''

Phoenix's offense was in tune as usual. Cappie Pondexter scored 22 points, Penny Taylor added 17 points and Taurasi and Smith each scored 16.

The Mercury shot 10-for-24 from 3-point range. Phoenix felt Indiana controlled the tempo and slowed it down the past two games, but the Mercury felt they regained control on Wednesday.

"Our strength all year has been in our confidence in our attack, and I felt we got that back,'' Taylor said. "We were playing with confidence and attacking every single time down floor, and that's hard to defend for 40 minutes.''

Phoenix shot 72 percent from the field in the first quarter to jump out to a 33-22 lead. The Fever held the Mercury to 16 points in the second quarter and cut their deficit to 49-47 at the half.

Indiana tied the score at 59 on a layup by Catchings with 4:30 left in the third quarter, but Phoenix went on a quick 6-0 run to force a timeout and put the fans, who had been standing in anticipation of a Fever lead, back in their seats. The Mercury extended their lead to 72-65 at the end of the third quarter.

Indiana trimmed its deficit to 72-68 on a steal and layup by Catchings, but the Fever went cold and the Mercury pulled away with a 12-2 spurt. A 3-pointer by Taylor made it 84-70 with 2:33 to go.

Dunn was disappointed to lose at home, but focused on the fact that her team still could win the championship.

"They had to win,'' Dunn said of the Mercury. "They had to do it the hard way. Now, we've got to go out there and do it the hard way, too. The only situation we've got here is that we're tied.''

Taurasi was glad to earn another chance, but she wouldn't promise a victory on Friday.

"I'm going to guarantee that we're going to come out and leave it all on the floor,'' she said. "I'm going to guarantee that the minute the game ends, we're going to be spent physically and emotionally - and hopefully we're holding the trophy.''

With Their Backs Against The Wall, Mercury Band Together

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, October 7, 2009 -- The tone for Game 4 of the 2009 WNBA Finals was set by the Phoenix Mercury in the first six minutes.

The Mercury, facing elimination on the road in front of a rowdy Conseco Fieldhouse crowd, raced out to a 23-12 advantage over the Indiana Fever, and it wasn't so much about the size of the lead as it was how they built it. Contributions came from everyone and everywhere on the court. Temeka Johnson scored five of the team's first eight points, Tangela Smith hit a pair of three-pointers, Le'coe Willingham gave Indiana's bigs all they could handle on the boards, Cappie Pondexter scored six points on perfect shooting from the field and Diana Taurasi made three of her first four shots for six points of her own.

�The plan was to keep our spacing,� said Smith. �We looked at the film (of Game 3) and we didn't have great spacing. We wanted to keep everybody spaced out and it worked.�

�We definitely got off to a great start,� said Taurasi. �That was huge. It's been huge for us all year, to come out and set the tone early. We're a team that feeds off of that.�

The Mercury, who had been outscored in the first quarter of each of their two Finals losses, were efficient and balanced out of the gate and Indiana, eager to win its first WNBA title on its home court, had to be hoping it wasn't a sign of things to come.

It was.

The Mercury rolled to a 90-77 victory Wednesday to put Indiana's championship plans on hold and set up a decisive Game 5 Friday back in Phoenix, the team's second winner-take-all contest in three years.

�This is the game where we got back to what we do well,� said Taurasi. �That is a lot of people touching the ball, a lot of people creating, a lot of people getting stops and turning them into something. So it was kind of nice to see us do that again.�

According to Phoenix coach Corey Gaines, the Mercury got back to what they do best by simplifying things. When asked just how much he simplified his game plan, Gaines said he had reduced it to one play.

�Learned a valuable lesson tonight,� said Gaines. �Sometimes less is more.�

Gaines also shrunk his rotation. While he used eight players in total, only six played significant minutes, with Penny Taylor being the main weapon Gaines used off the bench.

Game 4 wasn't supposed to play out this way. Coming in, it was billed as the contest in which Taurasi � the league MVP -- needed to redeem herself in order for Phoenix to have a chance to overcome the red-hot Fever and extend the series. Hounded by Defensive Player of the Year Tamika Catchings all Finals, Taurasi had shot just 33 percent from the floor over the first three games and the Mercury found themselves in a precarious position down 2-1.

Taurasi fared much better shooting the ball on this night, hitting 7-of-16 field goals for the game, but actually turned in her lowest scoring output of the series with 16 points and failed to score in the fourth quarter. Part of it had to do with her early foul trouble (three in the first half), part of it had to with her continued struggles from three (2-of-8) and part of it had to do with her inability to get to the free throw line (zero attempts).

But because of the way the rest of her team played, Taurasi didn't need to score a lot of points and be the savior in Game 4. And actually Taurasi might have been most effective as the leader in the Mercury's rover defense, which held the Fever to a series-low 77 points on 41 percent shooting from the field, including just 12 points in the fourth quarter. Even after picking up her third foul with 1:47 left in the first half, Taurasi never relented on D. Midway through the fourth quarter she made the signature defensive play of the night -- an emphatic block on Indiana's Katie Douglas in the paint before throwing the ball off her and out of bounds to get possession.

On the offensive side, Taurasi had help from Pondexter, the other half of Phoenix's dynamic duo, who finished with team-highs of 22 points and seven assists along with five rebounds. Perhaps more important, after failing to reach the charity stripe in Game 3, Pondexter made eight free-throw attempts Wednesday, hitting seven.

�When we are attacking and aggressive like that, honestly I don't think any team can beat us,� said Pondexter. �I think we showed that tonight. We came out fighting. We knew nothing else but to win.�

Pondexter's biggest shot was arguably the most crucial bucket in all of Game 4. With 22.1 seconds remaining in the third, Pondexter received the ball on the wing off a drive-and-kick from Johnson and drained a three-pointer. Just prior to that Indiana had seemingly gained momentum with four straight points that cut the Phoenix lead to 69-65. But Pondexter's trey gave the Mercury a 72-65 edge and breathing room heading into the final quarter.

Pondexter would only score three points the rest of the way, and one might assume that with such a lack of point production from Taurasi and Pondexter in the final 12 minutes that Phoenix would have had a tough time closing it out. But Taylor took over in the fourth, scoring eights points in the frame to help the Mercury seal the victory. The dagger came with the Mercury up 11 with 2:36 remaining when Taylor nailed a three-pointer in transition that pushed the lead to 14. Indiana never recovered.

Taylor finished with 17 points to raise her average in the series to 16.0 ppg. With the way she's been able to pose so many problems for the Fever, one has to wonder if this series would have been over by now if Taylor hadn't been forced to exit Game 2 early with a freak injury.

And Taylor was just one of five Mercury players to score in double figures. Smith ended with a series-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a blistering 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and Johnson chipped in 10 to go along with five assists.

�It was great for Penny to come off the bench and do what she does,� said Johnson. �Tangela stepped up tonight. Le'coe came up with some big rebounds. I could go on and on, it was a total team effort. I'm glad to be a part of it.�

When all was said and done, Phoenix had showed Indiana just how dangerous it can be when it plays to its full potential, something it wasn't able to do in the first three games of this series.

�We were playing with confidence and attacking every single time down the floor and that's hard to defend for 40 minutes,� said Taylor.

If the Mercury can keep it up for 40 more minutes, they'll be celebrating their second WNBA title in three seasons Friday night in Phoenix.

Eleven WNBA Players Added to USA Women's National Team Training Camp Roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 22, 2009) -- Fourteen athletes who have been members of prior USA Basketball teams have accepted invitations to attend the 2009 USA Basketball Women's National Team's fall training camp as the U.S. begins preparations for the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

The 14 athletes will join the previously announced eight members of the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team at the squad's fall training camp, scheduled for Sept. 30 � Oct. 5 at American University in Washington, D.C., in hopes of being added to the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team roster. Invitations to attend the USA training camp were made by the five member USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee. The eventual 12-member team that will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship is expected to be selected from the 2009-12 USA National Team.

Added to the USA training camp roster were: Jayne Appel (Stanford / Pleasant Hill, Calif.); Alana Beard (Washington Mystics); Swin Cash (Seattle Storm); Tina Charles (Connecticut / Jamaica, N.Y.); Shameka Christon (New York Liberty); Candice Dupree (Chicago Sky); Lindsey Harding (Washington Mystics); Ebony Hoffman (Indiana Fever); Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun); Crystal Langhorne (Washington Mystics); Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream); Maya Moore (Connecticut / Lawrenceville, Ga.); Lindsay Whalen (Connecticut Sun); and Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx).

The 14 USA National Team hopefuls includes a total of 12 who have previously aided U.S. teams to gold medals and six of whom were members of the 2007-08 USA Women's National Team, including Beard, Cash, Jones, Harding, Whalen and Wiggins.

�I haven't been as excited about anything I've done as I am excited about what I'm going to do in a couple of weeks,� said 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. �I think the players who have been invited that have accepted an invitation and are going to be there gives us an opportunity to see the best players in the world compete against each other. Not necessarily just to impress me or to try to make the team, but more importantly, the fact that they're going to be there, that they want to be there, shows that they have a tremendous love for USA Basketball and how much it means for them to be on this team. In those five days that we're together, they're going to get to know me, I'm going to get to know them. This actually starts the process of putting the team together.�

Two-time Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); as well as '08 gold medalists Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury) were named to the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team on Aug. 17.

Appel, Augustus, Lawson and Whalen are injured, however, they are expected to attend the training camp. Players involved in the WNBA Finals will not attend training camp.

The USA's training camp will be highlighted by the 2009 USA Basketball Women's National Team Fall Showcase at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, Oct. 4. The USA Fall Showcase will include team drills, an intrasquad scrimmage, a question and answer session with Auriemma and a post-practice autograph session with selected players.

Tickets for the USA Basketball Women's National Team 2009 Fall Showcase are $5.00 and available by calling 202-885-TIXX or online at www.AUeagles.com. Children six and under will be admitted free of charge.

�The fans coming to the USA Fall Showcase can expect to see some of the best players in the world, playing the game hopefully the way it's always been meant to be played,� said Auriemma. �I think anyone who comes out there will be amazed at the intensity level that these women play at, the skill level that they have. I would say that if anyone has not seen these players play, they're going to be amazed at the level of competition that's going to be at the USA Basketball Fall Showcase.�

The U.S. will hold practices at 10:00 a.m. (EDT) at Bender Arena on Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2 and 5, and will practice at 10:00 a.m. (EDT) on Oct. 3 at a site TBD. USA team practices are open to credentialed personnel only.

Following the six-day domestic training camp, selected players will travel to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where the USA will compete in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational. In addition to the Russian professional team UMMC Ekaterinburg, also competing in the tournament will be Euroleague professional teams MKB Euroleasing Sopron from Hungary and USK Praha from the Czech Republic.

Auriemma will be assisted through the 2010 FIBA World Championship by DePaul University head coach Doug Bruno and Minnesota Lynx head coach Jennifer Gillom.

As was the case over the last quadrennium, the USA team will be fluid and athletes will be added progressively to the 2009-12 USA National Team. It is expected that the official 12-member 2010 USA World Championship and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, should the USA qualify for the Olympics, will be comprised of players from the 2009-12 USA National Team.

In the past dozen years, the highly successful USA Basketball Women's National Team program, ranked No. 1 in the world by FIBA, has posted a 63-1 slate in major international competitions, winning four consecutive Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008), two FIBA World Championship golds (1998, 2002), one FIBA World Championship bronze medal (2006) and one FIBA Americas Championship gold medal (2007).

The USA Basketball Women's National Team will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship (Sept. 23 � Oct. 3 in the Czech Republic); if necessary the 2011 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD); and if the USA qualifies, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games (July 26-Aug. 12 in London, England), as well as additional USA training camps and exhibition games.

The U.S. will first look to capture the title at the 16th FIBA World Championship, with an automatic berth to the 2012 Olympic Games being awarded to the gold medalist. Should the U.S. not finish with the gold medal in �10, it would have two additional chances to qualify for the Olympics: the 2011 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament and 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD).

The USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee is comprised of WNBA representatives Rene� Brown, Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations; Dan Hughes, head coach and General Manager of the San Antonio Silver Stars; and Chief Operating Officer/General Manager of the Indiana Fever Kelly Krauskopf; athlete representative and five-time Olympian Teresa Edwards; and USA Basketball Women's National Team Director Carol Callan.

Atlanta Meadors Named 2009 WNBA Coach of the Year

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2009 � The Atlanta Dream's Marynell Meadors was named the recipient of the 2009 WNBA Coach of the Year Award, the WNBA announced today. Meadors received 30 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Indiana's Lin Dunn finished second with six votes while Phoenix's Corey Gaines placed third with four votes.

Meadors becomes the first coach to win the award within the franchise's first two years (excluding Houston) after she engineered a 14-win improvement in 2009 over the Dream's inaugural season record. The 2008 Dream won four games, the second lowest win total in WNBA history. One year later, Meadors steered Atlanta to an 18-16 record, a second place finish in the Eastern Conference and the franchise's first playoff berth. The 14-win improvement marks the second largest one-season turnaround in league history (2003 Detroit Shock, 9-23 to 25-9).

Under Meadors, the Dream ranked second in the league in scoring (84.1 ppg), field goal percentage (44.9 percent), steals (9.7 spg) and turnovers forced (17.7 pg) and first in rebounding (37.0 rpg) offensive rebounding (11.9 orpg). A year ago, Atlanta ranked 10th in scoring (74.5 ppg) among WNBA teams and allowed 84.7 points, the second most total in the league. The Dream's -10.1 point differential ranked last in the league; however, the team boasted a +1.9 point differential this year. Further, Atlanta was the only team to shoot below 40.0 percent in 2008.

Atlanta matched its win total from 2008 during a franchise-best four-game win streak from July 22-Aug. 6. The win streak was part of a stretch when Meadors led the team to a 7-1 record, vaulting the Dream into playoff contention.

With Meadors' tutelage, Sancho Lyttle and Erika de Souza were both named to their first WNBA All-Star Game. De Souza finished second among league leaders in rebounding (9.1 rpg) while Lyttle ranked fifth (7.5 rpg), making Atlanta the only team with two players among the top five. Lyttle was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Aug. 17 and rookie Angel McCoughtry was twice named the adidas Rookie of the Month and was named to the adidas All-Rookie Team. The pair was also selected to the 2009 WNBA All-Defensive Team. McCoughtry finished fourth among league leaders in steals (2.2 spg) and led all rookies in steals and scoring (12.8 ppg).

As the Dream head coach and general manager, Meadors overhauled the team's roster for 2009. Only four players remain from the last year's opening day roster, including Ivory Latta who was waived and brought back midseason. In the offseason, Meadors traded for the negotiating rights to Chamique Holdsclaw and then convinced her to return to the WNBA. She also signed Michelle Snow, selected Lyttle in the Dispersal Draft and drafted McCoughtry and Shalee Lehning to form a new team core.

Meadors came to Atlanta in 2007 after three years as an assistant with the Washington Mystics where she helped guide the team to a playoff appearance in 2006. Meadors has also been the head coach and general manager of the Charlotte Sting and the director of scouting for the Miami Sol. Prior to her experience in the WNBA, the Tennessee native coached for a combined 26 years at Florida State and Tennessee Tech.

Below are the voting results for 2009 WNBA Coach of the Year Award as well as a list of past recipients:

2009 COACH OF THE YEAR RESULTS
30 Marynell Meadors Atlanta Dream
6 Lin Dunn Indiana Fever
4 Corey Gaines Phoenix Mercury
1 Jen Gillom Minnesota Lynx

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2009 Marynell Meadors Atlanta Dream
2008 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun
2007 Dan Hughes San Antonio Silver Stars
2006 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun
2005 John Whisenant Sacramento Monarchs
2004 Suzie McConnell Serio Minnesota Lynx
2003 Bill Laimbeer Detroit Shock
2002 Marianne Stanley Washington Mystics
2001 Dan Hughes Cleveland Rockers
2000 Michael Cooper Los Angeles Sparks
1999 Van Chancellor Houston Comets
1998 Van Chancellor Houston Comets
1997 Van Chancellor Houston Comets

DeWanna Bonner Named 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors

Bonner was honored with the adidas Rookie of the Month award in June. For the month, she averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 10 games.

In honor of being named the Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Bonner will receive $5,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

2010 WNBA Draft Lottery To Be Held This Week

NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2009 � The lottery to determine the top five picks in the 2010 WNBA Draft will be held Thursday, Nov. 5.

The Sacramento Monarchs, who posted a record of 12-22 this past season and missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years, have the best opportunity to secure one of the top three picks in the draft.

The Minnesota Lynx have the next best odds of winning the lottery. The team has the second-highest odds because it holds New York's combinations due to the trade involving Sidney Spencer, Noelle Quinn and Rafaella Masciadri on May 5, 2009. New York finished the 2009 season with a 13-21 record.

In addition, the Lynx own the third-highest odds after ending the season with a record of 14-20. Because Minnesota's own lottery combinations are treated separately from the combinations received from New York, they could win two of the top three selections.

The Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky each posted a record of 16-18 this past season and round out the lottery-eligible teams.

WNBA officials and a representative from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young will conduct the Draft Lottery in New York City. The lottery will establish the first five picks of the draft. The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third round is determined by inverse order of the teams' respective regular-season records.

Fourteen balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will then be drawn to the top to determine a four-digit combination. The team that has been assigned that four-ball combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into the machine and the process will be repeated to determine the second and third picks.

There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. One thousand of those combinations will be assigned to the five non-playoff teams based on their order of finish in the 2009 regular season. The remaining combination will be unassigned. If the one unassigned combination is drawn, the balls will be placed back into the machine and the process will be repeated until an assigned combination is drawn.

Following are the number of chances for teams in the WNBA Draft Lottery:

Team Record Chances (out of 1,000)
1. Sacramento 12-22 420
2. Minnesota (from New York) 13-21 261
3. Minnesota 14-20 167
4. Connecticut 16-18 76
5. Chicago 16-18 76

Following is the remaining order for the first round as determined by overall records from 2009:

6. San Antonio 15-19
7. Washington 16-18
8. Tulsa 18-16
9. Los Angeles 18-16
10. Atlanta 18-16
11. Seattle 20-14
12. Indiana 22-12
13. Los Angeles (from Phoenix) 23-11

Catchings' Amazing Performance Flirts With WNBA History

PHOENIX, AZ, October 1, 2009 -- It took Tamika Catchings eight years to make it to her first WNBA Finals and her first experience on the championship stage left her with a sour taste.

In Game 1, the Defensive Player of the Year was plagued by foul trouble and looked frustrated and out of rhythm for the majority of the game. Having to guard the league's Most Valuable Player and scoring champ, Diana Taurasi, can sometimes have that effect. Catchings finished with just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting in 31 minutes.

However, despite her struggles, the Fever still had a great opportunity to steal the game and home-court advantage from the Mercury. The game needed overtime to determine which team would claim the early advantage and Catchings spent the final 2:42 of the extra session on the bench after picking up her sixth foul. When she left the floor, the Fever held a 112-111 lead, but Phoenix went on to close the game by outscoring Indiana 9-4.

After the game, Catchings stepped up and put full blame for the loss on herself.

�I'm really upset with myself; I let my team down tonight, and it won't happen again,� she said.

She sure didn't let her team down in Game 2. Catchings led the way on both ends of the court as the Fever evened the best-of-five series at one game apiece with a 93-84 win on Thursday night in Phoenix.

Two days after scoring just eight points in an overtime game, Catchings finished Game 2 with 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, coming just one rebound shy of recording the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history. There has been only one triple-double achieved in WNBA playoff history when Sheryl Swoopes of the Houston Comets tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 3 of a first-round matchup with Seattle in 2005.

It took Catchings just over eight minutes to better her Game 1 offensive output as she completed a three-point play with 1:41 to play in the opening quarter to score her 11th point of the game.

�My mindset tonight was to be aggressive,� she said after the game. �In Game 1, I was definitely not playing my game. Being in foul trouble kind of played around with me a little bit and I was not being as aggressive as I should have been. Tonight it was about coming out, being aggressive, taking the ball straight to the basket and defensively just trying to be all up on Diana as early as I could and just be there. It was definitely a great start for our team.�

�I think Catch did a great job coming out right from the beginning and being aggressive and setting the tone for the game,� said Fever center Tammy Sutton-Brown.

Fever coach Lin Dunn made a concerted effort to get her star player going early and was not surprised at all with the result.

�I expect that every night; she had a super game,� Dunn said. �Early on she was attacking off the dribble, she didn't get into any foul trouble so she was able to get into an offensive rhythm. We were running sets for her to get going, so when she can stay in the game and not get into foul trouble she is a totally different ballplayer.�

Staying out of foul trouble while still finding a way to contain Taurasi is a difficult task, but on Thursday Catchings was able to accomplish the feat. While Taurasi did score a game-high 20 points, she did it on 7-of-22 shooting from the field and 2-of-10 shooting from three-point range, where she is so dangerous.

How important was staying out of foul trouble for Catchings?

After the game, Catchings was surrounded by reporters and asked how she felt about coming so close to posting a triple-double. Her response was very tempered as she said, �Wow, really? That's awesome. I didn't know that.�

About a minute later, when it was mentioned that she only committed three fouls during the game, it elicited a much different response.

�Whooooo! And I only two in the first half,� she said emphatically. �Just staying on the court was so important. I have to be on the court. Good things happen when I'm on the court regardless if I'm scoring or not.�

After her 11-point opening quarter, Catchings' offensive production slowed as she was held to eight points the rest of the way. But in this game the Fever didn't need her to score. Indiana had six players score in double figures on the night, including a pair of important performances off the bench from rookie Briann January and the seldom used Jessica Davenport, who came to Indiana midseason to replace Yolanda Griffith.

January, who Catchings said is playing more like a seasoned veteran than a rookie, scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting (3-of-4 from three-point range). Meanwhile, Davenport came in and scored 10 points and blocked three shots in just under 12 minutes of play.

With her teammates picking up the scoring load after the opening quarter, Catchings was able to do what she does best: defend and fill up the stat sheet. And she nearly made WNBA history in the process as she flirted with the triple-double for the entire fourth quarter.

�She sets the tone on the defensive end and on the offensive end,� said Sutton-Brown. �That's testimony to how great a player she is. She's just been so wonderful to play with.�

In Game 1 Catchings was a shell of herself, while in Game 2 she exuded the passion, tenacity, determination and skill that havs made her a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. Two more performances from the Game 2 Catchings could have the Fever hoisting a championship trophy.

"Meek was all over the place, she was doing her thing tonight and that's what I love to see.� said Ebony Hoffman. �She was disappointed in the first game but she came out today like a mad woman. That mad woman is going to stay. I'm going to keep on her and make sure she stays that tigress that she is.�

January Jumpstarts the Fever

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, October 4, 2009 -- Briann January is a rookie. She just isn't playing like one.

Throughout the season and especially in these WNBA Finals, January has provided a spark off of the Fever bench as she splits time running the point with veteran Tully Bevilaqua.

That spark turned into a fire on Sunday, as January got red hot at just the right time for the Fever.

With her team trailing by five points near the end of the third quarter, January had the biggest scoring burst of her young basketball life, as she scored 10 points in just 76 seconds to turn a five-point Indiana deficit into a three-point lead heading into the final quarter of play.

January's run began with a wide-open three-pointer off a feed from Katie Douglas. After Diana Taurasi answered the shot with a fast-break layup, January went on to score the final seven points of the period, hitting a pair of free throws, another open three-pointer and finally a fadeaway jumper with Taurasi in her face with 2.7 seconds left.

�I honestly can say I've never been a part of something like that,� January said of her quick scoring explosion. �I've never have experienced it before, but I have to say it came at a good time.�

Not only did January give the Fever the lead, but she woke up the 18,000 fans in attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse that had been kept quiet throughout the third quarter as the Mercury kept the Fever at bay.

�I felt it; I honestly felt it in my chest they were screaming so loud,� January said of the crowd noise. �That pumps you up more than anything.�

Perhaps she has to play the humble card since she's a rookie, but January was quick to deflect the praise about her efforts and instead focus it on her teammates.

�My teammates did a great job of finding me,� she said. �They drove, they did the hard part, I just stood there and spotted up and tried to hit the open shot for them. I've been putting up extra shots and trying to be confident and they want me to shoot those open shots when I get the chance.�

And with good reason. During the Finals January is averaging 14.7 points on 56 percent shooting from the field and 58 percent from three-point range, which are drastic improvements from her regular season numbers of 6.9 points, 33 percent and 29 percent, respectively. She finished with 17 points on Sunday, which matched her career high.

�You just have to be confident in the playoffs,� January said. �I've worked all season and my teammates have been behind me the whole season just saying �put up your shots' because they trust in me and their confidence in me allows me to go out there and put them up when I get the chance.�

�Bri's just learned so much this season and that learning period is now just paying off,� said Bevilaqua of her pupil in their mentoring relationship. �Her confidence as a rookie is unbelievable.�

Bevilaqua is the only one in the Fever locker room still willing to call January a rookie. Coach Lin Dunn said that January stopped being a rookie in her mind after the All-Star break.

�Bri has been amazing,� said Tamika Catchings. �We talked about how much she's grown from the beginning of the season, going through the regular season into the playoffs; we talked about how unbelievable she was in the Washington series and the things she did in the Detroit series, and now we're here in the Phoenix series and she is doing even more than she did before.

�It's definitely great to see her progress. She's a rookie but she definitely doesn't play like a rookie and it's exciting for us to see that.�

The greatest bode of confidence that a player can get is being on the floor during crunch time, and Dunn has repeatedly called on January to close out games for the Fever this season and playoffs.

�Bri is in during clutch situations and it's not like the ball is in Catch's hand or KT's hand all the time in clutch situations; it's in Bri's hand,� said Bevilaqua. �That says a lot to Bri that the coaches are putting her in that position at the end of the games; that's a compliment to her.�

The Fever players have no concerns with the ball in the hands of a 22-year-old in the closing minutes of games with a championship on the line.

�I don't care how old she is, the girl can play,� said Ebony Hoffman. �Like LeBron playing in the NBA at 18, some people can just play.�

When the Fever drafted January with the sixth overall pick in this year's WNBA Draft, they did so with a plan in place to make her the point guard of the future and to take the reigns from Bevilaqua.

Credit must be given to Bevilaqua, who still has a year remaining on her contract, for not only accepting the transition but embracing it. In talking about January's efforts following Game 3, Bevilaqua lit up like a proud teacher that sees their student go on to achieve greatness.

�This year was always going to be about evolving the future of the club and evolving a potential starting point guard for the future and I'm expecting to take that secondary role next year,� said Bevilaqua. �This year it was about having her learn the ropes and giving her quality playing minutes for her to learn how to handle situations. From the beginning of the season until now, she's playing like she's been in the league for a couple of years.�

Another benefit that January has yielded from Bevilaqua is how opposing teams scheme against her. Throughout the playoffs Bevilaqua has struggled with her shot (32 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range) which has led to her being the player that team's leave open to double team players like Catchings and Douglas.

By replacing Bevilaqua with a more capable shooter, the defense must rotate off of another player, or else they end up leaving January wide open on the outside.

�Sometimes they forget that I've subbed in for her and they are playing the same defense doubling off me and that's how I get some of my open shots and I'm not too mad about that,� January said. �I try to make them pay for it and make them respect me and in turn that will open up things for everyone else.�

Spoken like a true veteran.

Fever-Mercury Game 2 Preview

PHOENIX (AP) The Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever have a tough act to follow in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

Phoenix's record-shattering 120-116 overtime victory in Game 1 Tuesday night still had the Mercury's Diana Taurasi shaking her head on Wednesday.

"It was huge shot after shot,'' she said. "It was exciting to be in. It was really exciting to be in. I haven't gotten a chance to see it and I don't want to see it. I always say with games like that, I don't want to go back and watch them.''

Instead, Taurasi and the rest of the Mercury will try to look ahead to Game 2 of the best-of-5 series on Thursday night, when they will look to avoid a letdown.

Phoenix coach Corey Gaines tried to paint his team as one "with a chip on our shoulder.''

"We're still the team people don't care for the way we play,'' he said. "It's not traditional play. There are still people who say you don't win playing that way.''

It's hard to believe anyone didn't care for the way the teams played in Monday night's opener, the highest-scoring game in WNBA history.

Everyone expected Phoenix to play at breakneck speed, but the Fever matched that tempo.

"They kind of hurt us with our own medicine at some points of the game,'' Taurasi said.

Indiana coach Lin Dunn would like to see a bit more defense, and maybe not quite so much speed, from a team that ranked third in fewest points allowed in the regular season.

"I graded our defense a C-plus,'' she said. "I didn't think we did well some of the things we usually do well. I didn't think our transition defense was as good as it could be, our two-man defense was as good as it could be. I didn't think we defended the dribble drive as well as we can, and we certainly didn't box out as well as we can.''

Still, the Fever tied it on Katie Douglas' 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds to go to send the game into overtime.

Indiana obviously is not intimidated by the ultra-up-tempo Phoenix offense installed by Paul Westhead, coach when the Mercury won the WNBA title two seasons ago.

"I think that we showed we can play with this team,'' said Douglas, who scored 30 in the game. They have tremendous firepower but we have some firepower as well.''

Douglas traced the Fever's defensive problems to being accustomed to the slower play in the Eastern Conference.

"Because they (the Mercury) move at such a fast pace, we weren't able to set it up, where in the Eastern Conference it's a little more stagnant, set it up, grind it out power game,'' Douglas said.

The Fever like the up-tempo game, too, she said.

"But we need now to recognize when to pull it back and make them work defensively as well,'' Douglas said.

Phoenix improved to 10-0 in games this season when the Mercury scored at least 100 points. The Mercury are 22-2 overall in such games. On the other hand, it was only the second time Indiana had topped 100.

"Coach Dunn is an excellent coach, and I'm sure she'll make some changes defensively against us, try to slow us down,'' Phoenix point guard Cappie Pondexter said, "probably see a little more pressing on their end, kind of slow the point guard down and I'm sure we'll see a lot of trapping. But we'll make adjustments as well.''

Besides, Gaines said, the Mercury can only be slowed down so much.

"I don't want to see 75-72,'' he said. "That's not our style.''

Indiana's Tamika Catchings had just eight points, 10 below her average this season, but harassed Taurasi, the league's MVP and leading scorer, into a 5-for-17 shooting night before fouling out in the overtime.

"I think Catch will play smarter tomorrow night,'' Dunn said. "I thought she was a little overaggressive and maybe didn't play as smart on defense as she can. I thought she should have driven to the basket more. I think you will see her do that tomorrow night.''

Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry was providing free tickets for the upper bowl at US Airways Center after their general manager Steve Kerr did the same for the opener.

While the place was loud, there still were many empty seats.

Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Sue Bird Capture 2009 WNBA Peak Performer Honors

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2009 � Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm won the 2009 WNBA Peak Performer Awards for scoring, rebounding and assists, respectively, the WNBA announced today.

The WNBA Peak Performer awards are given annually to the players who lead the league in scoring, rebounding and assists during the regular season. Each player will receive a Tiffany trophy in honor of their accomplishments.

Taurasi earns her second consecutive and third overall Peak Performer award for scoring after averaging 20.4 points per game in 2009. She also won the scoring title in 2006 (25.3 ppg) and 2008 (24.1 ppg). The sixth-year veteran outpaced San Antonio guard Becky Hammon (19.5 ppg), Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson (19.2) and Phoenix guard Cappie Pondexter (19.1 ppg).

With 9.8 rebounds per game, Parker bested Erika de Souza (9.1 rpg), Candice Dupree (7.9 rpg) and Crystal Langhorne (7.9 rpg) to earn her second consecutive rebounding award. She won the Peak Performer award for rebounding last year as a rookie with 9.5 rpg.

Bird recorded 5.8 assists per game to edge out Sacramento guard Ticha Penicheiro (5.2 apg), the league's all-time assists leader, Hammon (5.0 apg) and Pondexter (5.0 apg) for the assists crown. She previously won the top assist award in 2005 with 5.9 assists.

Taurasi averaged over 20 points for the third time in her career (2006, 2008) and shot a career-best 46.1 percent from the field. She scored 20 or more points in 20 games this season, including a season-high 34 at New York on July 26. She boosted her league-record for 30 point games to 23 with two 30-point performances. On Sept. 5, Taurasi became the fastest player to 4,000 career points doing so in 197 games to break Jackson's record (209). She led the league in three pointers made with 79 and ranked seventh in the league in three-point shooting percentage (40.7). Taurasi ranks 13th in league history for points scored (4,029) and third in all-time points per game (20.3).

Parker, a two-time Player of the Week in 2009, totaled 15 double-doubles in 25 games this season. The second-year player closed her season with six straight games of double figures in rebounds. In her final 21 games, she recorded 10 or more rebounds 17 times and corralled a season-high 14 rebounds twice. In her final game of the season, she tied the 2009 WNBA single-game high with eight offensive rebounds. She narrowly missed averaging a double-double (13.1 ppg) for the second year in a row, while leading the league in blocks (2.1).

Bird, who similarly won two Player of the Week awards in 2009, is second all-time among WNBA leaders both in total assists (1,425) and assists per game (5.5). She is one of four players in league history to record over 3,000 career points and 1,000 career assists. Bird, an eight-year veteran, twice posted double figures in assists this year, setting her season high (12) on Aug. 15. She handed out five or more assists in a game 22 times and led the Storm in assists in 23 games. Bird was voted as a starter to the WNBA All-Star Game for the sixth time in her career and she was named to the Storm's All-Decade Team. She averaged 12.8 points while leading the league in minutes per game (35.5).

Best of the Opening Round

Best Individual Performance � Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever

So here's the stat line put together by Catchings in the Fever's OT win in Game 2 of the series against the Washington Mystics: 24 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, four steals, four blocks, 6-11 FGs, 11-12 FTs. Do you really need an explanation beyond that? A close second to Catchings' Game 2 performance was Catchings' Game 1 performance: 26 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, 9-15 FGs, 6-7 FTs. Quite simply, Catchings was the reason why the Mystics were unable to get a game from the Fever, despite a valiant effort. Catchings just refused to let her team lose.

Best Coaching Job � Rick Mahorn, Detroit Shock

We all know the Detroit Shock are loaded with experience and talent, but it's about time we recognize the outstanding job Mahorn is currently doing in his first year as head coach of Detroit. And there's no better time than following the Shock's two-game sweep of the Atlanta Dream, who some viewed as a dangerous squad that had the potential to win it all. After Atlanta built an 18-point lead early in the first half of Game 1 of their series, Mahorn didn't panic by changing his team's style of play to match the Dream, who were running all over the Shock. Instead, Mahorn had faith that Detroit's brand of basketball -- half-court execution on offense and aggressiveness on defense � would eventually win out, even if it had to be executed without the services of leader Katie Smith (injured back). After gaining some ground late in the first half, the Shock really took over in the third quarter, dictating the tempo, which frustrated a suddenly stagnant Atlanta team, and letting their defense lead to great looks on offense. Detroit ended the third with a 17-0 run that put it up for good and put the momentum of the series in its favor. Perhaps more important, following one of the most remarkable comebacks in playoff history Mahorn did not let his team fall victim to a letdown on the road. In Game 2, Detroit kept up the heat on Atlanta and cruised to a 94-79 victory to close out the series.

Best Finish � Seattle Storm vs. Los Angeles Sparks, Game 2

With 14.3 seconds left in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinal between the Sparks and the Storm, veteran Tina Thompson sank two free throws to put L.A. up four and on the verge of eliminating Seattle. Following Thompson's free throws, the Storm's Sue Bird sank an off-balance three-pointer around a defender, which pulled Seattle within one at 74-73 with 10.7 seconds to go. Still, the Sparks were in the driver's seat and only needed to get the ball inbounds and hit their free throws after drawing the inevitable foul. That first task proved to be easier said than done, however, as Noelle Quinn's pass went astray and frenzy followed. The Storm's Camille Little deflected the pass, teammate Tanisha Wright came up with the loose ball and then gave it back to Little for a layup that put the Storm up one at 75-74 with only five seconds to play. On the ensuing possession, Lisa Leslie managed to get a good look at a jumper from the wing, but missed and the Storm managed to stay alive. Fortunately for the Sparks, it wasn't a repeat of the 2008 West Finals, when a Sophia Young game-winner in Game 2 triggered a series victory for San Antonio. L.A. finished the job this time, closing out the series with a Game 3 win on the road.

Best Comeback � Detroit Shock vs. Atlanta Dream, Game 1

The Dream entered their series with the Shock as the higher seed and looked like the more confident team early on in Game 1, building an 18-point lead on the road in the first quarter. But the Shock began chipping away at the deficit in the second quarter, cutting the lead to nine at the half. Then in the third quarter Detroit, behind the stellar play of Deanna Nolan, Kara Braxton and Shavonte Zellous, completed the comeback in improbably quick fashion, grabbing a 62-61 edge on a layup by Braxton with 1:14 left in the frame. The bucket was part of a 19-0 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters and gave the Shock a lead they would never relinquish. After that, Detroit not only had a 1-0 series lead, but the mental edge over a team making its first-ever appearance in the playoffs. At that point it seemed like a formality that Detroit would eliminate Atlanta, which it did the next game.

Best Farewell Performance � Vickie Johnson, San Antonio Silver Stars

In the deciding Game 3 of the Silver Stars' opening round series with the Phoenix Mercury, Johnson, who had previously announced she was retiring from the WNBA at year's end after 13 seasons, did all she could to keep San Antonio's season alive. Johnson poured in 24 points on a blistering 9-of-12 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, while also collecting six rebounds and three steals. And nearly all of Johnson's 24 points � her second-highest total of the season -- came at pivotal times for the Stars, keeping them in the game when it seemed Phoenix was threatening to pull away. Unfortunately, the Mercury proved to have too much firepower for the Silver Stars, who lost by eight and were eliminated from the postseason. Still, it's fitting the way Johnson went out: giving it everything she had.

Best Performance By A Rookie � Shavonte Zellous, Detroit Shock

All year Zellous was the overlooked rookie phenom, as Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry and Phoenix's DeWanna Bonner garnered the bulk of the attention (and rightly so). But it was the Detroit guard who turned in the best individual showing by a first-year player in the Shock's Game 2 clincher versus Atlanta. Zellous came off the bench to provide Detroit with a weapon that Atlanta had no answer for. She scored 21 points � second only to Nolan's 22 -- on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 shooting from the free throw line, while collecting six rebounds, dishing out four assists and totaling three steals. We should mention though that Bonner came up big in Game 2 of the Phoenix series with San Antonio, compiling 16 points and 13 rebounds. But Zellous' contributions were more instrumental to Detroit's win than Bonner's were to the Mercury's.

Best Closer � Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

Taurasi consistently came through for the Mercury during the regular season and now she's doing it when it matters most -- in the playoffs. Facing elimination on its home court in a win-or-go-home Game 3 against San Antonio Monday, Phoenix put itself in a dangerous position by letting the Silver Stars hang around deep into the game. But Taurasi made sure the Mercury avoided a colossal upset by scoring 10 of her game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter, which helped Phoenix outscore the Silver Stars 34-23 in the frame and pull out a hard-fought 100-92 victory. Taurasi's most crucial basket was probably the three-pointer she hit to tie the game at 72-72 early on the fourth that came just minutes after San Antonio had opened a six-point bulge. After a San Antonio free throw, Taurasi drained another trey that gave Phoenix the lead for good at 75-73. The dagger then came with 5:38 to play when Taurasi hit a floater in the lane that put Phoenix up eight, a margin that proved too difficult for San Antonio to overcome.

Parker leads Sparks over Storm in decisive Game 3

Update:

SEATTLE(AP) Retirement will have to wait for another day for Lisa Leslie - or at least for another two games.

Leslie had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Candace Parker scored 22 points and keyed a second-quarter run that led the Los Angeles Sparks over the Seattle Storm 75-64 Sunday in the deciding third game of the WNBA Western Conference semifinals.

It was the second straight year the Sparks eliminated the Storm in the opening round by winning Game 3 at Seattle. Los Angeles bounced back from Friday night's 75-74 loss in Game 2, in which the Storm scored five points in the final 14 seconds.

"I woke up this morning and I just knew I didn't want to end my career here,'' said Leslie, the three-time MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist who said prior to the season that this would her last year. "I just said, 'This can't be my last game.'''

It won't be.

The Sparks advanced to face the Phoenix-San Antonio winner for the conference championship. The Mercury and Silver Stars play Game 3 Monday night in Phoenix.

Parker scored six points during an early 13-0 burst that gave the Sparks a big cushion. Tina Thompson had 12 points for the Sparks, who were just as effective at the defensive end. Los Angeles limited Seattle to 32.8 percent shooting (21 of 64).

"Our help defense was much better tonight,'' Leslie said. "Overall, I think just knowing personnel and having to play a team three times, you kind of figure out what everyone's tendencies are, more than anything else.''

Added Sparks coach Michael Cooper, "In the first quarter, I thought we came out real focused on defense and what we wanted to accomplish. We forced them to take some tough shots and kept them on the perimeter, took away the inside game.''

Seattle coach Brian Agler agreed. The Storm missed their first seven shots of the game, shot just 6 of 30 (20 percent) during the first half and were bounced in the first round for the fifth straight time since winning the league championship in 2004.

"I thought LA did a good job of congesting the lane on us,'' Agler said. "They challenged a lot of shots without fouling, and for whatever reason, those shots that went down before didn't go down tonight.''

Swin Cash led Seattle with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Sue Bird had 15 points for the Storm, who trimmed a 20-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter down to nine inside the final minute.

Just as they did in last Wednesday's series-opening 70-63 victory in Los Angeles, the Sparks led from start to finish, by as many as 18 during the first half and 21 during the second.

"We didn't stop fighting,'' said Bird, who played a big role in Friday's comeback victory with a 3-pointer in the final seconds. "We knew we had cut it to nine or 10, and we had a chance.''

The loss ended the career of Seattle guard Shannon Johnson, who announced her retirement last Friday after 10 WNBA seasons and a spot on the 2004 U.S. gold medal Olympic team.

Fever heat up for 88-79 playoff win over Mystics

Update:

COLLEGE PARK, Md.(AP) Tamika Catchings said the Indiana Fever had a simple mantra as they walked off the court trailing after three quarters in their playoff opener: "Pick It Up.''

From their offensive pace to their defensive intensity, the top-seeded Fever did exactly that as they opened the fourth quarter with a 17-3 run on the way to an 88-79 victory over the Washington Mystics on Thursday night in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

"We have 10 more minutes, its all or nothing,'' Catchings, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds, said in recapping the talk before the fourth quarter. "Everybody came out and right off the bat we got like four layups in a row. Our tempo went up and we have to keep feeding off of that.''

Katie Douglas added 19 points and Briann January was a spark off the bench with 16 - all in the second half - for the Fever, who entered the fourth quarter down 58-56.

Indiana came into the playoffs having lost seven of its last 10 games, but the Fever turned up their noted defensive pressure late and improved to 5-0 against the Mystics this season and 17-4 in their last 21 meetings.

"I think everybody came out real focused tonight,'' Catchings said. "As a team, one of the things we talked about coming into the locker room right before the game was coming out having fun, playing together, sticking together no matter what.''

Game 2 of the best-of-3 series is Saturday at Indiana.

Trailing by 12 points midway through the fourth quarter, the Mystics rallied behind two 3-pointers from Marissa Coleman and a three-point play by Chasity Melvin to pull within 79-76.

On the Fever's next possession, Catchings converted a three-point play after being fouled while hitting a running floater. January, the sixth pick in the 2009 WNBA draft, was perfect on eight free throws, including four in the final 42 seconds to seal the win.

"In the second half we started taking better care of the basketball, made some defensive adjustments, made some adjustments with our substitution pattern,'' Fever coach Lin Dunn said. "I also thought a key to the game was we needed a third scorer and I thought that was what got out of Briann January,''

For the Mystics, which sports the youngest roster among the playoff teams, the second-half collapse has been an unwanted but common theme this season overall and specifically against the Fever, who outscored them 134-91 in the final quarter of their five meetings this season.

"This isn't the only game we have done this,'' said Lindsey Harding, who scored 11 points. "We have to be physically and mentally strong to fight in the fourth quarter because it's almost as if (Indiana is) playing hard, but then they turn it on another level.''

Crystal Langhorne led Washington with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Coleman finished with 16 points and Matee Ajavon had 10 for the Mystics, who were making their first playoff appearance since 2006, but are now one loss from bowing out.

"We are not going down easy,'' said Alana Beard, the Mystics' leading scorer who was held to nine points after missing four of the previous six games with an ankle injury. "It's all about pride right now. No way, no how you are going to let a team beat you six times in a row.''

The game was played in front of a sparse but energetic crowd at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center, hours after President Obama spoke about the ongoing health care debate at a campaign-style rally in front of about 15,000 students. The game was moved from the Verizon Center, where the Mystics play their home games, due to a scheduling conflict.

It was a homecoming game for Langhorne, who was named the 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player earlier Thursday, and Coleman, both members of Maryland's 2005-06 NCAA championship team.

"We knew this game was really important and me and Marissa are just used to this gym,'' said Langhorne, who had 13 points in the first half. "We played well.''

Tammy Sutton-Brown added 12 points for the Fever, who are making their fifth consecutive playoff appearance.

Series Preview: Phoenix Mercury vs. San Antonio Silver Stars

The Western Conference Semifinal matchup between the top-seeded Mercury and the fourth-seeded Silver Stars marks a battle between the past two conference champions, as Phoenix won the West in 2007 and San Antonio advanced to the WNBA Finals last year. The Mercury, who won it all in 2007, enter the 2009 postseason oozing confidence, having climbed their way back to elite status after missing out on the postseason in 2008. And like 2007, Phoenix heads into the West playoffs with home-court advantage throughout following a regular season in which they posted a 23-11 record and were the highest-scoring team in the league (92.8 ppg). The difference this year is that the Mercury would also own the home-court edge in the WNBA Finals should they advance that far by virtue of owning the league's best mark. For the most part Phoenix has been dominant all year thanks to its dynamic duo of Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter. Taurasi led the league in scoring at 20.4 ppg and also averaged a career-best 5.7 rpg and 3.5 apg while shooting 46 percent from the floor. Meanwhile, Pondexter, who like Taurasi is a strong candidate for league MVP, finished fourth in the league in scoring (19.1 ppg) and assists (5.0 apg). But there's more to the Mercury than just Taurasi and Pondexter in 2009. Second-year head coach Corey Gaines has seemingly mastered the ferocious uptempo style he inherited from former head coach Paul Westhead, an approach Gaines has thriving at home and on the road, as evidenced by the Mercury's league-best 11-6 road record. On top of that, Temeka Johnson has been a nice fit at the point guard position, versatile rookie DeWanna Bonner has been an invaluable asset off the bench and Penny Taylor is back contributing after taking a year-and-a-half hiatus from the league. Things haven't been as smooth for the Silver Stars, who finished below .500 (15-19) a year after posting the league's best mark and didn't wrap up their postseason berth until the final days of the regular season. Sure, the tandem of Becky Hammon and Sophia Young has been reliable all season, but coach Dan Hughes has struggled to find production elsewhere to lessen the burden on his two stars, and that has to be the major worry as San Antonio gets set to face a high-octane Phoenix team. Center Ann Wauters, who rejoined the team in early August, has been a welcome late-season addition and should be a matchup problem for the Mercury. However, if the Silver Stars don't have players step up beyond their Big Three, this could be a short series. That will put pressure on players like Vickie Johnson, Ruth Riley and Belinda Snell to be bigger factors against Phoenix. Johnson has added incentive to help the team extend its season, as she has announced this will be her final WNBA season. The Silver Stars can find comfort in having taken two games from the Mercury during the regular season. They were one of only two teams to do so this season along with Minnesota.

Series Preview: Seattle Storm vs. Los Angeles Sparks

Lisa Leslie's farewell tour will continue at least two more games. Leslie's Los Angeles Sparks will square off against the Seattle Storm in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. This battle between the two-seeded Storm and three-seeded Sparks is a repeat of last season's West Semifinals. The Sparks got the best of the Seattle in that series, but lost to San Antonio Silver Stars in the Western Conference Finals. The Sparks (18-16) are in the playoffs after spending a portion of the season in last place. Their surge up the standings was due in part to the return of Leslie (knee) and Candace Parker (pregnancy), both of whom missed a combined 19 games total. The two have played outstanding since hitting the floor again, with Parker (13.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg) averaging nearly a double-double each night, while Leslie (15.4 ppg) leads the Sparks in scoring. In their absence, the Sparks received strong contributions from forward Tina Thompson (13 ppg, 5.9 rpg), forward DeLisha Milton-Jones (10.2 ppg) and guard Betty Lennox (10.2 ppg). Los Angeles has won three straight and are 10-3 in their last 13 games, including a 4-1 record on the road during that span. That bodes well considering the Storm have home-court advantage in this series. What works in Seattle's favor, however, is their 13-4 record at KeyArena, second best among all WNBA teams at home this season. Seattle (20-14) is struggling coming into Wednesday's game, having lost three of their last four contests. The biggest problem facing Seattle is that All-Stars Sue Bird (sore neck), Lauren Jackson (back) and Swin Cash (funeral) have all been sidelined as of late. Jackson, who leads the team with 19 points and seven rebounds per game, appears least likely to hit the floor this series. Bird (12.8 ppg, 5.8 apg) and Cash (12.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) have also been key to the Storm's success this season, as have guard Tanisha Wright (12.2 ppg) and forward Camille Little (10.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg). Center Janell Burse (6.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg) will fill in for Jackson should she be unable to go. Seattle has been to five straight playoffs, including capturing the first and only championship in franchise history back in 2004. Since then, the Storm have not been able to get out of the first round. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has been to the postseason nine of the last 10 years, three of which resulted in trips to the Finals (2-1). There is no clear-cut winner in the season series between these two clubs. Both have won two games apiece, and they haven't faced each other since Aug. 6. The Sparks, however, have the edge offensively averaging 78.8 points over the four games, while the Storm have come close with 74.3. This is Seattle's chance for not only revenge from last season's loss, but also an opportunity to avoid a historical stretch of struggles in the playoffs. On the other hand, Leslie and the Sparks hope her great career can be capped off with another title.

Series Preview: Phoenix Mercury vs. San Antonio Silver Stars

WNBA Posts Increases in Attendance and TV Viewership

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2009 � The WNBA concluded the 2009 regular season with its third consecutive year of increased attendance and second consecutive year of increased viewership on ESPN2. Additional 2009 highlights include: WNBA Attendance: This year's average attendance of 8,039 fans per game was an increase (1%) over last season's 7,952. Five teams including the Chicago Sky, Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, and Washington Mystics saw increases of more than 8%. WNBA on TV: The WNBA regular season on ESPN2 concluded with an average of 269,000 viewers, up 8% versus last season (248,000 viewers). Regular season games on ESPN2 saw increases in key demographics including men 18-34 (+9%), men 18-49 (+14%), men 23-54 (+23%). WNBA.com: Viewing of live games on WNBA.com has more than tripled this season through the league's new WNBA Live Access, which provided fans with free access to more than 200 live game webcasts throughout the 2009 WNBA Season. WNBA on Facebook: The WNBA has the second largest Facebook fan base among sports leagues with 255,000 fans. On Facebook (www.Facebook.com/wnba), the WNBA has seen the number of fans more than triple since the start of the season. The 2009 WNBA Playoffs presented by adidas will tip off tonight with a doubleheader on ESPN2. The Atlanta Dream makes their playoff debut against the defending WNBA Champion Detroit Shock at 8 p.m. EST followed by the Seattle Storm against the Los Angeles Sparks at 10 p.m. EST.

Shock Sign Three Contract Extensions

Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith and Plenette Pierson were signed to extensions on Monday.

Perkins Signs Extension with Sky

Chicago signs 2009 All-Star Jia Perkins to a multi-year contract extension.

Liberty Selects Nicole Powell First in Sacramento Monarchs Dispersal Draft

NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2009 � The New York Liberty selected Nicole Powell with the first pick in the WNBA's Dispersal Draft of Sacramento Monarchs players held via conference call today. Teams drafted in inverse order of their regular season finish in 2009.

The Minnesota Lynx chose Rebekkah Brunson with the second pick while the Connecticut Sun took DeMya Walker with the third selection. The Chicago Sky selected Courtney Paris and the San Antonio Silver Stars took Laura Harper to round out the top five picks.

Any player on the Monarchs roster at the conclusion of the 2009 season was eligible for selection, including restricted free agents Kristin Haynie, Chelsea Newton and Scholanda Robinson. Unrestricted free agents Kara Lawson, Ticha Penicheiro and Hamch�tou Ma�ga-Ba were not eligible for selection. These players, along with anyone not selected in today's dispersal draft, may begin negotiating with any team once the free agency period begins on Jan. 15. Teams not wishing to select a player had the option of passing.

The complete results of the 2009 Dispersal Draft are as follows:

1. New York Liberty (13-21) - Nicole Powell, F, 6'2
2. Minnesota Lynx (14-20) - Rebekkah Brunson, F, 6'3
3. Connecticut Sun (16-18) - DeMya Walker, F/C, 6'3
4. Chicago Sky (16-18) - Courtney Paris, C, 6'3
5. San Antonio Silver Stars (15-19) - Laura Harper, F/C, 6'4
6. Washington Mystics (16-18) - Kristin Haynie, G, 5'8
7. Tulsa (18-16) - Scholanda Robinson, G, 5'11
8. Los Angeles (18-16) - Pass
9. Atlanta (18-16) - Pass
10. Seattle Storm (20-14) - Chelsea Newton, G, 5'11
11. Indiana Fever (22-12) - Pass
12. Phoenix Mercury (23-11) - Pass

Overseas Connection: Sophia Young

With Thanksgiving week upon us, what better time to check in with one of our favorite WNBA stars currently playing in Turkey, San Antonio's Sophia Young.

Young, coming off another outstanding season with the Silver Stars, is playing for Galatasaray in Instanbul for the third straight season. After helping the team win last year's EuroCup, Young and Galatasaray are competing in the EuroLeague this year.

Between playing in the Turkish League and the EuroLeague, Sophia is keeping herself busy, but took some time to answer our questions via email to give us an update on how she is doing.

WNBA.com: You're back in Turkey playing for Galatasaray once again. How has this season been for you so far?
Young: "The season is going great so far. We are 3-1 in the EuroLeague and 4-1 in the Turkish League. We have some new players on our team this year and so far things are working out positively."

WNBA.com: This is your third year playing in Turkey, has that become like a second home for you?
Young: "Yes, I feel like I live here more so the USA because I spend most of my time here in this country. It's a great place to be though."

WNBA.com: How much have you delved into the Turkish culture? Can you speak the language? Do you eat the local cuisine? Do you listen to the music? If so, what are some of the things you like best?
Young: "I think that since I've been here for three years now that it's time for me to learn the language so I am working on that. The food is wonderful. I would not go as far as to listen to the music though, that might be a little bit much to ask from me. LOL"

WNBA.com: Between the Turkish League and the EuroLeague, do you have much down time to relax and have some fun? If so, what kind of things have you done?
Young: "With the two leagues, things can be a little stressful and challenging especially when you have to travel for both games in one week. I try to find some down time though. I go shopping and hang at some local pubs here."

WNBA.com: I know some of the road trips in Europe are long. What do you do to pass the time? Movies? TV Shows? Music? Sleep?
Young: "I mostly read."

WNBA.com: After playing in the EuroCup the past two years, Galatasaray is in EuroLeague competition this year. What is the biggest difference between the two competitions?
Young: "I would have to say that the EuroLeague is more competitive, the players are much better and the competition is more intense."

WNBA.com: Your team features two fellow WNBA players (Katie Douglas and Jia Perkins). How much of an advantage is it to have fellow WNBA players with you while you're playing overseas?
Young: "I think it's really great to have other WNBA players on your team. You can relate to a lot of things and you can also talk with each other about the other girls and the coaches. LOL JK. Katie and Jia are both great people and I think I will have a great time getting to know them."

WNBA.com: What are some of your fondest memories from playing overseas throughout your career?
Young: "Obviously winning the EuroCup, traveling to different countries especially Italy (the food there is wonderful), and getting to meet and know new people."

WNBA.com: What do you miss most about home while you are overseas?
Young: "I miss the atmosphere back home. The fact that I can go everywhere and people speak the same language and don't look at you like you have three heads."

WNBA.com: When you left to go to Turkey did you take anything with you to remind you of home?
Young: "I took my two dogs with me... but since this is like my second home, I'm used to things here."

WNBA.com: Is there anything specific that you want to work on while you are overseas to add to your game for next WNBA season?
Young: "There's always ways you can improve you game, I want to improve on my ball handling."

WNBA.com: What is the biggest difference between the European game and the WNBA?
Young: "Well, when we have an away game in the WNBA the referees try their best to be fair. Over here, that is not the case. It's blatantly obvious that agreements were made."

WNBA.com: Talk to me about this past season with the Silver Stars. How would you evaluate the year both individually and as a team?
Young: "I would say that we had an okay year. I mean personally, I would have hoped and expected us to do better, but things happen. You just have to learn and move on from them."

WNBA.com: With VJ and Erin retiring after the season, as well as free agency and the draft coming up, the Silver Stars will look a little different next year. How curious are you to see what Coach Hughes and the front office do to get the team ready for next year?
Young: "I'm confident that they will make some great decision for the betterment of our team."

WNBA in Discussions to Move Monarchs to Bay Area

NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2009 - The WNBA is in active discussions with potential investors to relocate the Sacramento Monarchs to the Bay Area in time for the start of the 2010 WNBA season, league President Donna Orender announced today. Going forward, Maloof Sports & Entertainment will no longer operate the Monarchs.

�The Bay Area has been a desirable market for the WNBA and the availability of the Monarchs provides an opportunity to move a well-known franchise and broaden its fan base within Northern California,� said Orender. �Maloof Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Monarchs, has deemed it essential to focus all of its resources on the Sacramento Kings at this time. We understand this decision was a difficult one for them and appreciate the vision, leadership, and support of the Maloof family over the past 10 years.

�The Maloofs have shown a passion for women's basketball and seen the WNBA as great entertainment that has a positive impact on the way society views women and sports. They take great pride in the Monarchs' players, both for their contributions on the court and in the Sacramento community.�

One of the league's original eight teams in 1997, the Monarchs won the WNBA championship in 2005 and the Western Conference crown in 2006. Featuring former Stanford player and WNBA All-Star Nicole Powell, Olympic gold-medalist and WNBA All-Star Kara Lawson, and Piedmont, Calif. standout Courtney Paris, the team also holds the second pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft.

�We enjoyed our time with the WNBA and the Monarchs,� said co-owner Joe Maloof. �We are extremely proud of an amazing run that included six straight playoff appearances and the 2005 WNBA Championship. All of our resources are now dedicated to bringing the Sacramento Kings back to championship caliber form.�