With the NBA season near its end, the females gear up to put on a show in the WNBA's eleventh season. Here's a snapshot of what to watch for this season as the Detroit Shock battle to defend its title.
The Top Five
- Detroit Shock - The Shock won last year's crown with grit, toughness and depth. Led by Deanna Nolan's 17.8 points per game and Cheryl Ford's double-doubles (13.4 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game), the Shock are poised to repeat this season.
- Sacramento Monarchs - The Monarchs have shown they can compete, having played in the championships the past two seasons. Their defensive toughness is hard to combat and Yolanda Griffith's leadership will be tough to beat.
- Indiana Fever - Led by Tamika Catchings 16.3 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game in 2006, the Fever are geared to do great things this season, as they return all five starters from last year.
- Connecticut Sun - Despite trading away Taj McWilliams-Franklin, this team is loaded. Drafting 6-7 Alison Bales should help their post game. Expect them to do some damage this season.
- Seattle Storm - In what could be the team's final season in Seattle, the Storm are set to put on a show this year. They don't have the depth they had a few years ago when they won their first WNBA title, but they're still a strong team led by Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird and Betty Lennox.
There are some significant changes from last season. First, the Charlotte Sting franchise folded in January, which led to a dispersal draft of all its players to active WNBA teams. The Chicago Sky selected Monique Curry with the first pick of the dispersal draft, which was held this April. Tangela Smith went to the Minnesota Lynx with the second pick of that draft. Smith was eventually traded to the Phoenix Mercury for the number one pick of the main draft, whom the Lynx used to select Duke University point guard Lindsay Harding. The Mercury needed size and felt the five-time All-Star could provide a boost.
Here's a look at the top five picks of the 2007 WNBA Main Draft:
- Lindsay Harding, Minnesota Lynx (from Phoenix Mercury)
- Jessica Davenport, New York Liberty (from San Antonio Silver Stars)
- Armintie Price, Chicago Sky
- Noelle Quinn, Minnesota Lynx
- Tiffany Jackson, New York Liberty
The season begins Saturday, May 19th. Check out other key dates to mark on your calender. Also, check out Suite101's Mark Fontes' 2007 WNBA forecast.
