The Minnesota Lynx rolled through the regular season a year ago, then kept on cruising through the playoffs to win the club’s first WNBA championship.
The bad news for the rest of the league is they’ve got nearly everyone back and open the new season this weekend as the favorites to win again.
“I do think Minnesota is the team to beat,” Seattle veteran Katie Smith said on a conference call. “They’re the defending champs. They didn’t lose anything, and they still look very good.”
The Lynx lost consecutive games just once while putting up a 27-7 record, and then went 7-1 in the playoffs. With just two new faces, they return with the same starting lineup and most of their key reserves.
Now, Minnesota will be trying to become the first team to win consecutive titles since Los Angeles in 2001-02. Houston won the league’s first four titles from 1997-2000. Detroit (2003, ‘06, ‘08), Seattle (2004, ‘10) and Phoenix (2007, ‘09) have also won multiple titles.
“This is a new season, new challenges that we’re going to have to embrace,” said Minnesota’s reigning rookie of the year, Maya Moore. “One of the advantages we have this year is nine people coming back. … So we have that experience from last year, that familiarity with each other.”
The season tips off Friday night when Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks visit Smith, Sue Bird and the Storm. There’s four more games on Saturday, and Minnesota opens at home against Phoenix on Sunday.
In the Eastern Conference, Atlanta is coming off its second straight trip to the WNBA finals, where it was swept in three games again. The Dream have steadily improved in the regular season every year since entering the league in 2008, going from four wins that season, to 14 the following year, 15 in 2010 and 20 last season.
Atlanta will look to draw from its experience the last two years to return to the finals once again and get the title this time.
“Everybody sort of has a mindset that they can win a championship each year,” said Dream star Angel McCoughtry, who narrowly finished second to Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi for the scoring title. “If you didn’t, then there’s a problem. So of course every year you say ‘this is our year, this is our year.’ Every team should think that way.”
Atlanta’s main competition in the East will likely come from Indiana and Connecticut. The Fever have won at least 21 games in six of the last seven seasons, and do-everything star forward Tamika Catchings is healthy again after being limited by a torn plantar fascia in her right foot during the conference finals against the Dream.
The Sun have been on the rise since a roster turnover two years ago left them as one of the youngest teams in the league. They finished 15-2 at home during the season, but struggled to hold late leads on the road.
“For them to make another step in their progress, they’re going to have to become a much better fourth quarter road team,” Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. “I think that the next level in our maturity is to do that.”
The Lynx’s biggest challenges in the West will likely come from Seattle and Los Angeles, though both will be adjusting to some roster changes.
The Storm were without three-time MVP Lauren Jackson for a 20-game stretch last season while she dealt with a shoulder injury. They still managed to win 21 games and finish second in the West before falling short against Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs.
This year, Seattle won’t have Jackson until after the Olympics while she trains with the Australian national team. However, the Storm — who still have Sue Bird and Tanisha Wright anchoring the backcourt — bolstered their lineup by signing eight-time All-Star Tina Thompson, the only player who has appeared in every season since the league began play in 1997. They also have 6-5 veteran center Ann Wauters.
“We’ve just got to get back to the basics and really hone in on what we’re good at and how we want to play,” Smith said. “And when (Jackson) does get back, that’s just adding another major chunk.”
The Sparks made some more changes as they try to find the right mix around Parker. The first step was hiring former Atlanta assistant Carol Ross as their third coach in less than a year. They then made several roster moves, highlighted by the signing of veteran guard Alana Beard — who missed the last two seasons with Washington due to various injuries — and the selection of No. 1 overall draft pick Nnemkadi Ogwumike.
Phoenix will likely be a playoff contender again, though losing forward Penny Taylor for the season due to an ACL injury will be tough for the team’s high-scoring offense.
For the third straight Olympics, the league will take a monthlong break in mid-July for the Summer Games with many WNBA players representing various countries in London. Play will resume on Aug. 16 for the final 5 1/2 weeks of the season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
NEW YORK LIBERTY
2011: 19-15, 4th; lost to Indiana 2-1 in conference semifinals.
COACH: John Whisenant, 2nd season with team, 114-69 overall.
KEY ADDITIONS: G Kelly Miller (free agent, Washington); F DeMya Walker (free agent, Washington); C Kelley Cain (draft, No. 7, Tennessee).
KEY LOSSES: None.
STRENGTH: Defense. After struggling to adapt at first, the Liberty’s defense steadily improved along the way in the first season under Whisenant. New York finished just seventh in rebounding (32.8), but was fourth in scoring defense (74.8) and third in steals (8.4). Plenette Pierson (12.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Kia Vaughn (10.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg) keyed the defense in their first seasons as starters, and Quanitra Hollingsworth (4.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) was a solid reserve in her third year in the league. However, Hollingsworth will not join the team until after the Olympic break while she trains with the Turkish national team for the London Games. Cappie Pondexter (17.4 ppg, 4.7 apg, 4.1 rpg) continues to be the catalyst on offense, and Essence Carson (11.3 ppg) had some big games last season.
WEAKNESS: Consistency. After an early stretch in which the Liberty won six of seven, they struggled with inconsistency the rest of the way and won six of their last 10. New York, entering its second of three seasons of playing home games at The Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., while Madison Square Garden undergoes renovations during the summers, were seventh in rebounding (32.8), eighth in scoring (76.2) and field-goal shooting (43 percent), and 10th in assists (15.7). Kara Braxton struggled after joining the Liberty in a midseason trade but will need to step up her production. Walker, familiar with Whisenant’s system from their Sacramento days, averaged 6.3 ppg and 4.0 rpg in 20 games with Washington last year after beginning the season in Connecticut.
ATLANTA DREAM
2011: 20-14, 3rd place; beat Connecticut 2-0 in conference semifinals; beat Indiana 2-1 in conference finals; lost to Minnesota 3-0 in WNBA finals.
COACH: Marynell Meadors, 5th season with team, 99-107 overall.
KEY ADDITIONS: F Cathrine Kraayeveld (free agent, Chicago); G Laurie Koehn (free agent); G Ketia Swanier (free agent, Phoenix); G Tiffany Hayes (draft, No. 14, Connecticut).
KEY LOSSES: G Shalee Lehning (retirement); F Iziane Castro Marques (free agent); F Alison Bales (retirement); G Coco Miller (waived).
STRENGTH: Offense. The Dream, coming off their second consecutive appearance in the WNBA finals, have improved every year since entering the league in 2008. Angel McCoughtry (21.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.5 apg) led the team in scoring and Lindsey Harding (10.5 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.2 rpg) returns for her second season with the Dream. Sancho Lyttle (10.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) should be back for a full season after missing time with an injury and while playing for Spain. Armintie Price (8.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.8 apg) is expected to be a starter from the beginning of the season. Atlanta led the league with 317 steals, and was second in scoring (82.5) and rebounding (36.1), and third in shooting (35 percent).
WEAKNESSES: Perimeter shooting, depth. The Dream were last in the WNBA in 3-pointers made (74) and had the second-lowest percentage from beyond the arc (26.1) in league history. Kraayeveld has topped 40 percent on 3s three times in her seven-year career and Koehn — back in the league after a three-year absence — averaged 45 percent in four years with Washington. Erika DeSouza (11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg), a solid starter, will not join Atlanta until after the Olympics while she trains with the Brazilian national team, and Castro Marques (7.0 ppg) was not re-signed. The Dream also lost assistant coach Carol Ross, who was hired as the head coach in Los Angeles.
CHICAGO SKY
2011: 14-20, 5th.
COACH: Pokey Chatman, 2nd season, 14-20.
KEY ADDITIONS: F Swin Cash (trade, Seattle); C Ruth Riley (free agent, San Antonio); F Le’Coe Willingham (trade, Seattle); G Ticha Penicheiro (free agent, Los Angeles).
KEY LOSSES: C Michelle Snow (free agent, Washington); F Cathrine Kraayeveld (free agent, Atlanta); G Erin Thorn (free agent, Minnesota); G Dominique Canty (free agent, Washington); F Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (waived).
STRENGTH: Frontcourt. All-Star center Sylvia Fowles is coming off a season in which she set career highs in scoring (20.0), rebounding (10.2) and minutes (34.6), but the Sky failed again to get the franchise’s first playoff berth. Cash (13.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Riley (5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Willingham (6.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg) were brought on to provide some veteran leadership. Second-year forward Carolyn Swords will need to help fill the void left by Snow (6.3 rpg). Chicago was fifth in the league in rebounding (33.8) and third in blocks (4.7). Fowles was third in scoring and second in rebounding, and Cash was 19th and 11th, respectively.
WEAKNESS: Chemistry. The Sky made big changes for Chatman’s second season. Cash and Riley helped Detroit win championships in 2003 and ‘06, Penicheiro won with Sacramento in 2005 and Willingham with Phoenix in 2009 and Seattle — with Cash — in 2010. Penicheiro, entering her 15th season, will join a backcourt led by youngsters Epiphanny Prince and Courtney Vandersloot. Prince (13.6 ppg, 3.0 apg, 38 percent 3-point shooting) had a breakout second season and Vandersloot (6.6 ppg, 3.7 apg) was a solid rookie. The Sky’s success in the competitive Eastern Conference will depend on how quickly the team blends in with the newcomers.
CONNECTICUT SUN
2011: 21-13, tied for 1st; lost to Atlanta 2-0 in conference semifinals.
COACH: Mike Thibault, 10th season, 181-125.
KEY ADDITIONS: F Mistie Mims (free agent); C Chay Shegog (draft, No. 21, North Carolina).
KEY LOSSES: C Jessica Moore (free agent).
STRENGTH: Chemistry. The Sun overhauled their roster two years ago with a youth movement with Tina Charles the focus, and the young players gained valuable experience playing together in Thibault’s system. Connecticut was a solid team last season, tying Seattle for the league’s best home record (15-2). The Sun were fourth in scoring (80.1) and third in rebounding (35.6). Charles (17.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg) led the way, finishing sixth in the league in scoring, tops in rebounding and second in total blocks (60). She also had 23 double-doubles, eclipsing the WNBA record she set last year. Renee Montgomery (14.6 ppg, 4.9 apg) and Asjha Jones (13.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg) were also solid starters and veteran guard Kara Lawson (10.4 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.6 rpg) was the top reserve. Jones, Charles, Montgomery and reserve guard Kalana Greene all played under coach Geno Auriemma at UConn.
WEAKNESS: Experience. Although the young Sun have jelled playing together, they still have only three returning players — Jones, Lawson and Tan White — with more than four years’ experience in the league. There were three rookies in training camp and Mims and Spencer will look to contribute some minutes as reserves while adjusting to a new system. Connecticut was 10th in field-goal shooting (42 percent) and seventh in 3-point shooting (36 percent). The flipside to the Sun’s strong home record last year, was their struggles on the road — something Thibault attributed to the team giving up leads in the fourth quarter.
INDIANA FEVER
2011: 21-13, tied for 1st; beat New York 2-1 in conference semifinals; lost to Atlanta 2-1 in conference finals.
COACH: Lin Dunn, fourth season with team, 115-117 overall.
KEY ADDITIONS: F Roneeka Hodges (trade, San Antonio); F Erlana Larkins (free agent); C Sasha Goodlett (draft, No. 11, Georgia Tech).
KEY LOSSES: F Tangela Smith (trade, San Antonio); G Shannon Bobbitt (waived); F Shyra Ely (waived).
STRENGTH: Experience. The Fever come off a solid season in which they won at least 21 games for the sixth time in seven seasons. Tamika Catchings (15.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.0 spg) and Katie Douglas (13.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.8 apg) are again the keys to the offense. Catchings, who won her first MVP award, is healthy again after being limited by a torn plantar fascia in her right foot during the conference finals. She’s moved from small forward to power forward this year, with Dunn hoping to use a bigger lineup. Briann January is also back after suffering a season-ending ACL injury last June. Erin Phillips (8.6 ppg, 2.4 apg) was the starter at the point in her absence and the two could be paired in the backcourt. The Fever were fifth in scoring (77.8) and field-goal shooting (44 percent), and second in 3-point shooting (37.9 percent). Defensively, Indiana was second in total steals (299) and allowed the third-fewest points (73.8)
WEAKNESS: Rebounding. The Fever finished 10th in rebounding (31.6) and were outworked by nearly 2.0 boards a game — fourth-worst in the WNBA. Since ranking third in rebounding in 2004, Indiana has finished no higher than seventh. Goodlett averaged 14.8 pints and 7.4 rebounds as a senior at Georgia Tech. Also, Jessica Davenport (10.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg) had a breakout season as a solid reserve, improved her rebounding by about 2.0 per game from the previous year.
WASHINGTON MYSTICS
2010: 6-28, 6th.
COACH: Trudi Lacey, 2nd season with team, 43-83 overall.
KEY ADDITIONS: G Noelle Quinn (trade, Los Angeles); C Michelle Snow (free agent, Chicago); F Ashley Robinson (trade, Seattle); G Dominique Canty (free agent, Chicago); G Natasha Lacy (trade, Los Angeles); F LaToya Pringle (trade, Los Angeles); G Natalie Novosel (draft, No. 8, Notre Dame); F LaSondra Barrett (draft, No. 10, LSU).
KEY LOSSES: G Alana Beard (free agent, Los Angeles); F Marissa Coleman (trade, Los Angeles); F Victoria Dunlap (trade, Seattle); C Nicky Anosike (trade, Los Angeles); G Kelly Miller (free agent, New York); F DeMya Walker (free agent, New York); F Kerri Gardin (waived).
STRENGTH: Interior defense. Despite losing Coleman, Anosike and Walker — the latter two who were in Washington for only one year — the Mystics could be improved in the paint with centers Robinson and Snow joining Langhorne (18.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg). Snow (5.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) had a down year offensively because she didn’t need to be a scorer in Chicago. Harper, Walker, Pringle and Barrett will also need to play valuable minutes. The Mystics were sixth in rebounding (33.1), but third-best in holding opponents to 31.8 per game.
WEAKNESS: Consistency. The Mystics enter the second season under Lacey — the team’s 12th coach in its 15-year history — with another massive roster overhaul. Last year’s changes resulted in a 16-win dropoff following the best regular season in franchise history. Now, for the second straight year Langhorne will be joined by four new starters — though Monique Currie started every game the previous three years before missing the first 30 games last season due to an ACL injury. Washington’s success will hinge on how quickly all the players jell with each other and the newcomers adapt to Lacey’s system.