WNBA season tips off, but will Sky make the playoffs?

Some people said it wouldn't last a year, but the WNBA opens its 14th season Saturday with nearly a full slate of games.

The Chicago Sky plays Saturday afternoon in Connecticut (2:30 p.m., CN100) and will be back at it on Sunday in New York (3 p.m., CN100) before next Saturday's home opener against the Indiana Fever.

As we dig in, let's take a look at the league as a whole: What to expect, who to watch, and how the Sky stacks up against the rest.

High five: The Sky is celebrating its fifth year in the league. However, a much more meaningful celebration would come at the end of the season if a playoff berth is earned. The Sky has come up short each of the last two seasons and wants to break through. If that happens, the Sky would be able to drop its dubious distinction as being the only team in the league to have never made the playoffs.

Old faces, new places: It was an off-season of change for many WNBA players, including some of the biggest names in the league.

Trades and free agency created an unprecedented level of movement, which will give the league some spice and intrigue, especially early on.

One of the most noteworthy deals involved the Sky, which traded its first draft pick in franchise history, all-star forward Candice Dupree, to Phoenix in a three-team deal. Phoenix then sent perennial MVP candidate Cappie Pondexter to New York, which gave up forwards Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld to the Sky.

Other top players also donning new uniforms this season are: Katie Smith (from Detroit/Tulsa to Washington), Lindsay Whalen (from Connecticut to Minnesota) and Renee Montgomery (from Minnesota to Connecticut).

Still at the top: Even though Phoenix lost Pondexter in the three-way trade, the defending champs are in good shape. A survey of league general managers named them as favorites to win the 2010 WNBA title.

Besides the addition of Dupree, the Mercury still features the best player in the league in guard Diana Taurasi, who was named the league most valuable player last season as well as the MVP of the WNBA Finals.

The Connecticut Sun, which made University of Connecticut star Tina Charles the first pick in April's draft, is favored by the GMs to win the Eastern Conference, with Tamika Catchings' Indiana Fever following close behind.

Break-out buddies: Old rivals in college, Sky center Sylvia Fowles (LSU) and Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker (Tennessee) could again be competing head-to-head - this time as the player who has the biggest break-out season in the league.

Both Fowles and Parker are primed to make some noise after a more subdued 2009. Fowles was hurt throughout the season and Parker missed the first month or so, and had to get herself back into shape after giving birth to her first child last May.

Watch out if both stay healthy from start to finish.

Looking for Lisa: How weird will it be to not see iconic star Lisa Leslie running the floor for the Los Angeles Sparks? After 13 years in the WNBA, the all-star center retired at the end of last season.

So long, Sacramento: Also missing this season will be a team in Sacramento. One of the WNBA's eight charter teams in 1997, the Monarchs closed up shop at the end of last season because of financial shortcomings.

The players from Sacramento were dispersed throughout the league, making an already condensed talent pool even more so. There are only 11 players on each WNBA roster and there are now just 12 WNBA teams.

Along with Sacramento, Detroit closed its doors after last season. The Shock, which just two years ago (2008) won its third WNBA title in six seasons, relocated to Tulsa and will keep its nickname in tact.

Former Arkansas men's basketball coach Nolan Richardson is the new team's coach.

Back on track: One of the most intriguing things about Tulsa, besides having Richardson on the sideline, is Marion Jones.

The former disgraced track star, who was stripped of her Olympic gold medals in a steroids scandal, is now a guard for the Shock.

Having served her sentence, Jones was looking for a fresh start that allowed her to take advantage of her athletic ability in some way.

Basketball is not a stretch.

Jones was a speedy, talented and highly regarded point guard in college when she led North Carolina to a national championship as a freshman.

The 34-year-old will probably have a bit of work to do over the course of the season, though. She hasn't played the game on any level since 1997.

Picks to click: Here are my 2010 season predictions, which forecast a rematch in the WNBA Finals, just with the opposite result.

• WNBA champs: Indiana

• Western champs: Phoenix

• Playoffs for the Sky? Yes, but only if 6-foot-6 center Sylvia Fowles stays healthy and plays in every game.

• MVP: Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever

• Rookie of the Year: Epiphanny Prince, Chicago Sky

Patricia Babcock McGraw, a former college basketball player at Northwestern, also works as the color commentator for Sky television broadcasts.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

<p class="factboxheadblack">Chicago Sky at Connecticut Sun</p>

<p class="News"><b>When:</b> 2:30 p.m Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena</p>

<p class="News"><b>TV: </b>Comcast CN100</p>

<p class="News"><b>Skinny:</b> In the season opener for both teams, new faces abound. Both the Sky and the Sun look very different from last season, thanks to trades and a meaningful draft-</p>

<p class="News"><b>Sky view:</b> For the first time in franchise history, the Sky will play without all-star forward Candice Dupree, who was sent to Phoenix in a three-team trade that brought Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld to the Sky from the Liberty. Christon gives the Sky a much-needed scoring threat at small forward and Kraayeveld provides size inside to take pressure off "Big Syl," the 6-foot-6 franchise center who needs to stay healthy from start to finish. In the draft, the Sky picked up guard Epiphanny Prince, who starred at Rutgers before foregoing her senior season to play overseas.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Scouting the Sun</b>: They used the first overall pick on UConn star Tina Charles, a 6-foot-4 center and the national player of the year. She'll team up with former University of Connecticut teammate Renee Montgomery, who was acquired in a trade that sent Lindsay Whalen to Minnesota.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Next:</b> Sky at New York Liberty, 3 p.m., Sunday</p>

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<h1>More Coverage</h1>

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<h2>Stories</h2>

<ul class="links">

<li><a href="/story/?id=380835">Chicago Sky 2010 roster<span class="date"> [5/15/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=380864">WNBA team previews <span class="date"> [5/15/10]</span></a></li>

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