Previewing the WNBA’s Western Conference
Here is a team-by-team look at the WNBA Western Conference teams:
<b>LOS ANGELES SPARKS</b>
2011: 15-19, 5th place.
COACH: Carol Ross, 1st season.
KEY ADDITIONS: G Alana Beard (free agent, Washington); F Marissa Coleman (trade, Washington); C Nicky Anosike (trade, Washington); G Sharnee Zoll (free agent); F Nnemkadi Ogwumike (draft, No. 1, Stanford); F April Sykes (draft, No. 28, Rutgers).
KEY LOSSES: G Noelle Quinn (trade, Washington); G Ticha Penicheiro (free agent, Chicago); G Natasha Lacy (trade, Washington); F LaToya Pringle (trade, Washington); F Tina Thompson (free agent, Seattle).
STRENGTH: Frontcourt. Candace Parker (18.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.8 apg) and DeLisha Milton-Jones (11.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) are they key cogs to a formidable rotation up front. With Parker limited to just 17 games, the Sparks were outrebounded by 3.1 boards per game — the second-worst differential in the league ahead of only San Antonio. Los Angeles was eighth in rebounding (31.7) and 10th in blocks (3.38). Those numbers should be much improved this season with Parker — limited to 27 games the last two seasons due to injuries — healthy again and with the additions of Anosike (7.2 rpg), Coleman (4.8 rpg) and Ogwumike (22.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg as a senior at Stanford).
WEAKNESS: Perimeter play. As strong as the Sparks’ frontcourt can be, the inconsistency in the backcourt has been a big impediment to the team’s success the last few years. Los Angeles improved from ninth in 3-point shooting to tops in the league at 39.6 percent last year, led by Kristi Toliver (43 percent), Ebony Hoffman (43 percent) and Jenna O’Hea (44 percent). However, Thompson, Penicheiro, Quinn and Lacy combined to shoot 36 percent and accounting for more than one-third of the Sparks’ 3s made. Beard missed the last two WNBA seasons due to injuries, but new coach Ross said she looks completely healthy.
<b>MINNESOTA LYNX</b>
2011: 27-7, 1st; beat San Antonio 2-1 in conference semifinals; beat Phoenix 2-0 in conference finals; beat Atlanta 3-0 in WNBA finals.
COACH: Cheryl Reeve, 3rd season, 40-28.
KEY ADDITIONS: G Erin Thorn (free agent, Chicago); F Devereaux Peters (draft, No. 3, Notre Dame).
KEY LOSSES: F Charde Houston (trade, Phoenix); G Alexis Hornbuckle (trade, Phoenix).
STRENGTH: Familiarity. After winning its first championship, the Lynx return with just two new faces this season. Seimone Augustus (16.2 ppg), Lindsay Whalen (13.6 ppg, 5.9 apg) and reigning Rookie of the Year Maya Moore (13.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.6 apg) lead the way. Rebekkah Brunson (10.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and Taj McWilliams-Franklin (8.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg) round out Minnesota’s formidable starting rotation. Candice Wiggins and Monica Wright are the top reserves, and Peters could be the future replacement at center for 41-year-old McWilliams-Franklin. The Lynx lost consecutive games just once — in the first month of the season — and finished with their best record, topping the previous high for wins by nine. Minnesota was the best road team in the league at 13-4. Minnesota was third in scoring (81.5) while allowing the second-fewest points (73.1), tops in rebounding (36.5) and second in field-goal shooting (46 percent).
WEAKNESS: Injuries. Losing key players for big chunks of the season was a big problem holding the Lynx back in the few years before last season. Augustus missed big chunks of the previous two seasons and Wiggins played only eight games in 2010. Avoiding injuries was a big factor in their dominating run to the title and they’ll need to keep everyone healthy again to have a chance to become the first team in 10 years to win consecutive championships.
<b>PHOENIX MERCURY</b>
2011: 19-15, 3rd; beat Seattle 2-1 in conference semifinals; lost to Minnesota 2-0 in conference finals.
COACH: Corey Gaines, 4th season, 73-63.
KEY ADDITIONS: G Alexis Hornbuckle (trade, Minnesota); F Charde Houston (trade, Minnesota); G Samantha Prahalis (draft, No. 6, Ohio State).
KEY LOSSES: G Temeka Johnson (trade, Tulsa); F Sidney Spencer (free agent, Connecticut); G Ketia Swanier (free agent, Atlanta); F Penny Taylor (torn ACL injury).
STRENGTH: Offense. With their frenetic offense, the Mercury led the league in scoring (88.9) for the sixth straight season with Diana Taurasi (21.6 ppg) winning her fifth scoring title — fourth straight — in that stretch. Taylor (16.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.7 apg), who was eighth in the league in scoring, will miss the entire season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in her left knee. Candice Dupree (14.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg) was solid in her second year with the Mercury and led the team in rebounding. DeWanna Bonner (10.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg) won the league’s Sixth Woman award for the third straight year. Prahalis will likely take over at point for Johnson. Phoenix was also tops in field-goal shooting (46.1) and assists (19.2), and third in 3-point shooting (37.3 percent).
WEAKNESSES: Defense, depth. The unsurprising byproduct of the Mercury’s fast-paced style had them last in scoring defense (93.8) again. Phoenix was fourth in rebounding (35.1) but eighth in rebounds allowed (34.2) and was also last in steals (6.6). The Mercury have had a high roster turnover the last two years with Taurasi, Taylor and Bonner the only remaining players from the franchise’s 2009 championship team — which won the title for the second time in three seasons. Taylor will remain on the active roster the entire season, leaving just 10 players available to play.
<b>SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS</b>
2011: 18-16, 4th; lost to Minnesota 2-1 in conference semifinals.
COACH: Dan Hughes, 7th season with team, 173-181 overall.
KEY ADDITIONS: F Shameka Christon (free agent, Chicago); F Tangela Smith (trade, Indiana); G Shenise Johnson (draft, No. 5, Miami).
KEY LOSSES: C Ruth Riley (free agent, Chicago); F Roneeka Hodges (trade, Indiana); G Scholanda Robinson (free agent, Tulsa).
STRENGTH: Perimeter play. Becky Hammon (15.9 ppg, 5.8 apg) leads San Antonio’s backcourt unit coming off one of her best seasons as she set a career high for assists. Jia Perkins (12.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg) is a valuable veteran reserve and Danielle Robinson (8.2 ppg, 3.9 apg, 2.3 rpg) was a solid rookie. Johnson (17.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.2 apg in four years at Miami) will get a chance to show her versatility. The Silver Stars should be improved after finishing sixth in scoring (77.6), fifth in scoring defense (75.5), and ninth in field-goal shooting (43.0 percent) and 3-point shooting (35.6 percent).
WEAKNESS: Frontcourt. Sophia Young (13.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg) was the Silver Stars’ top rebounder and Danielle Adams (12.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg) had a solid rookie season despite missing 11 games with a foot injury. Jayne Appel (3.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) will need to step up her production with Riley, who started every game and averaged 3.8 rebounds, gone from a squad that finished 11th in rebounding (31.3) and was outworked on the boards by league-worst margin of 5.7 per game. Christon missed all of last season with a right knee injury after missing the final 24 games of 2010 due to an eye injury. Smith, a 14-year veteran, had career lows with 11.2 ppg and 3.1 rpg for Indiana last season.
<b>SEATTLE STORM</b>
2011: 21-13, 2nd; lost to Phoenix 2-1 in conference semifinals.
COACH: Brian Agler, 5th season with team, 139-112 overall.
KEY ADDITIONS: C Ann Wauters (free agent); F Tina Thompson (free agent, Los Angeles); F Victoria Dunlap (trade, Washington); F Alysha Clark (free agent); G Shekinna Stricklen (draft, No. 2, Tennessee).
KEY LOSSES: F Swin Cash (trade, Chicago); F Le’Coe Willingham (trade, Chicago); F Ashley Robinson (trade, Washington).
STRENGTH: Backcourt. Sue Bird (14.7 ppg, 4.9 apg) led the offense last year, hitting clutch shots, while three-time MVP Lauren Jackson missed a 20-game stretch due to a hip injury. Tanisha Wright (10.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.9 apg) is also a solid starter and Katie Smith provides veteran leadership. The backcourt rotation will be bolstered by Stricklen (15.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg as a senior at Tennessee), who was selected with the pick acquired in the Cash trade. The Storm finished 10th in scoring (71.7) and ninth in rebounding (31.7). However, they were tops in scoring defense (69.9) and third in field-goal shooting defense (41.8 percent). Seattle was 32-2 at home the last two seasons.
WEAKNESS: Depth. The Storm won 21 games last year despite playing without Jackson for more than half the season. They’ll have to do without her for a similar stretch this season, as she won’t join the team until after the Olympics while she trains with the Australian national team. With Cash (13.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg) now in Chicago, Seattle is down two key starters from their 2010 championship team. Thompson, the only player to appear in every WNBA season since its debut in 1997, will need to continue to be productive as well as provide leadership. Wauters, a former All-Star with New York in 2005, sat out the last two seasons.
<b>TULSA SHOCK</b>
2011: 3-31, 6th.
COACH: Gary Kloppenburg, 1st season.
KEY ADDITIONS: G Temeka Johnson (trade, Phoenix); F Glory Johnson (draft, No. 4, Tennessee); G Riquna Williams (draft, No. 17, Miami); C Lynetta Kizer (draft, No. 29, Maryland); G Scholanda Robinson (free agent, San Antonio).
KEY LOSSES: G Andrea Riley (trade, Phoenix); F Tiffany Jones (pregnancy); C Amber Holt (waived); F Sheryl Swoopes (free agent); G Betty Lennox (free agent); C Abi Olajuwon (waived).
STRENGTH: Upside. Things can’t get much worse after two disastrous two seasons since moving to Tulsa from Detroit. The Shock are a combined 9-59 mark the last two years, including a WNBA-record 31-loss campaign last season. Kloppenburg is the team’s third coach since the start of last season, but spent the previous four years as an assistant with the Fever, a perennial playoff team. Tulsa will have to make its turnaround without some of their best players from a year ago. Jones, the leading scorer (12.4) and rebounder (8.4), will miss the entire season, and Liz Cambage will not join the team until after the Olympic break while she trains for the London Games with the Australian national team. The 20-year-old Cambage, selected No. 2 overall in last year’s draft, averaged 11.5 ppg and 4.7 rpg as a rookie. In their absence, the Shock will be led by veteran point guard Temeka Johnson and rookies Glory Johnson and Williams.
WEAKNESS: Experience. With the lack of a veteran core and coming off their disastrous season, the Shock are a long way from developing into serious playoff contenders and, as Kloppenburg put it, “just want to be competitive.” Unsurprisingly, the Shock were last in scoring (69.2) and were outscored by a league-worst margin of 12.8 per game — only Phoenix gave up more points than the Shock’s 82.1. They were also last in field-goal shooting (39.6 percent) and 11th in assists (14.4). Defensively, the Shock were last in rebounding (30.7), blocks (3.1), and 11th in scoring defense (89.8).