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Race to the MVP: Preseason Edition

The MVP is somewhere in between the most important individual award a player can attain ... and absolutely meaningless. Receiving - rather, earning - the award is a testament to a player's colossal contributions to her team. It signifies that her presence meant more to her team's win total than anyone else in the league. And yes, along with jaw-dropping stat lines and signature moments, team wins will play a critical factor in who climbs the MVP ladder this year.

That said, if you talk to any of the players that appear on this list throughout the year, which we will, I would not be going out on a limb by saying that none of them -- team players that they are -- will admit to focusing on or caring about the award in the first place. But, at the end of the year, somebody has to win it - even if just by sheer accident.

So, who will be the inadvertent winner of the league's most coveted individual award be in 2012?

Last year it was Indiana's Tamika Catchings. A seven-time All-Star and two-time MVP runner-up, Catchings finally received the elusive award -- not that she was aiming for it, of course. Her individual stats -- 15.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game -- meant less to her than the fact that the Fever won an East-best 21 games (tied with Connecticut) in the regular season, even with their starting point guard on the shelf with an ACL tear.

Will Catchings repeat? History says no. Only in the league's first two seasons -- 1997 and 1998 with Cynthia Cooper -- did a player record back-to-back MVPs. But it will take a campaign as statistically stellar as Catchings' in 2011 for a candidate to be awarded the highly sought-after trophy (that nobody admits to actively wanting) this season.

This season WNBA.com will keep you updated on the MVP race in a weekly series titled Race to the MVP. While games don't tip off until Friday when the Los Angeles Sparks take on the Seattle Storm, here is a list outlining the top contenders for the MVP.

#1 CANDACE PARKER, LOS ANGELES SPARKS

If healthy, there may be no more productive (and exciting) player in the WNBA. Her versatility and skill level is virtually unmatched - at Tennessee, the 6-foot-4 Parker was listed as a guard, forward and center. That said, Parker has been unable to stay on the court the past two seasons, only playing a combined 27 games in 2010 and 2011. With a talented and deep front line this year, including newcomers Nicky Anosike and No. 1 overall pick Nneka Ogwumike, the Sparks have the flexibility to limit Parker's minutes and hopefully keep her healthy.

In 17 games last season, Parker averaged 18.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 32.6 minutes - all team highs. If she can put up those kind of numbers, which she can presumably do in her sleep, for a Sparks team that figures to compete near the top of the West, Parker could very well win her second MVP award. Parker's immense potential is why she leads this list. One misstep, however, and Parker's MVP hopes would be finished. 2011 Stats: Pts: 18.5 | Rebs: 8.6 | Blocks: 1.6 | Asts: 2.8

#2 SUE BIRD, SEATTLE STORM

For a decade, Bird has done it all for the Storm. She will be asked to do even more this year, which could only enhance her MVP credentials. With three-time MVP Lauren Jackson missing the first half of the season to be with her Olympic National Team and Swin Cash now in Chicago, the bulk of Seattle's scoring will have to come from Bird, who the majority of GMs around the league view as the league's top point guard.

Bird, who was hampered by lingering injury issues last year, still finished fourth in MVP voting in 2011 after averaging a career-high 14.7 points and shooting 44.9 percent from the floor last season. At full strength, she may be able to (and may have to) improve on those career-highs. 2011 Stats: Pts: 14.7 | Asts: 4.9 | Rebs: 2.9 | Stls: 1.4

#3 DIANA TAURASI, PHOENIX MERCURY

Phoenix is going to go as far as Diana Taurasi takes it this year. With Penny Taylor out for the season with a torn ACL and Temeka Johnson now running the offense in Tulsa, Phoenix is without two of its top offensive weapons from a year ago. Taurasi, a fixture on the All-WNBA team, led the league in scoring last year with 21.6 points (.07 points above Angel McCoughtry) but, like Bird, may be called upon to do even more this season.

Taurasi, the 2009 MVP, will almost without a doubt post MVP-caliber numbers. She is the early favorite to win the scoring title, but her candidacy is going to come down to how many games a shorthanded Phoenix squad can win in a stacked Western Conference. Boatloads of points for a losing team will not win this award, but if the Mercury make the Playoffs, it will likely be on the back of a monster year by Taurasi. 2011 Stats: Pts: 21.6 | Asts: 3.6 | Rebs: 3.2 | Stls: 0.8

#4 TAMIKA CATCHINGS, INDIANA FEVER

Death. Taxes. And Catchings being in the running for MVP. Consistent as it gets, Catchings finished among the top five MVP vote-getters in eight of her 10 seasons. This season, however, Catchings is adjusting to a new position as coach Fever coach Lin Dunn intends to use her at the power forward position as opposed to her natural small forward position. Catchings, who will be 33 in July, led the Fever in rebounding last year (7.1 rpg) and the switch will have her in position to grab even more this year.

Offensively, the reigning MVP will likely be featured in a lot of pick-and-rolls and also be afforded scoring opportunities closer to the basket. How the veteran handles the position switch -- which everyone expects to be like a true professional -- will go a long way in determining if she can repeat. 2011 Stats: Pts: 15.5 | Rebs: 7.1 | Asts: 3.5 | Stls: 2.0

#5 TINA CHARLES, CONNECTICUT SUN

After winning Rookie of the Year in 2010 and finishing second in MVP voting last season, Charles is on the cusp of her first-ever MVP trophy. One of the truly dominant post presences in the league, Charles led the league in rebounding with 11.0 per game last season and was second in blocks with 1.8 per game. On the offensive end, Charles added 17.6 points a night, making way for her to break her own WNBA record with 23 double-doubles.

Connecticut should be a contender in the East and the 6-foot-4 Charles will be the biggest reason for that. Charles will not have to improve on her statistics significantly in order to win the award. 2011 Stats: Pts: 17.6 | Rebs: 11.0 | Blocks: 1.8 | Asts: 1.9

#6 MAYA MOORE, MINNESOTA LYNX

It's rare that a rookie could run away with the Rookie of the Year award, like Moore did last season, and feel like she wasn't at her best. With Moore, however, that is precisely the case. The former UConn standout and No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft was slowed by sore knees her rookie campaign - not that you could tell with her 13.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on a team that steamrolled to a championship. Therefore, maybe more so than anyone in the league, Moore is a prime candidate for a breakout season in 2012, which is why she sits at No. 6 on this list.

In 2012, with another year of experience under her belt and healthy knees under her 6-foot frame, Moore could become the focal point in what is a stacked Minnesota lineup. It's not easy to win an MVP on a team with as much talent like the Lynx, but Moore will likely take that next step into elite company this year. 2011 Stats: Pts: 13.2 | Rebs: 4.6 | Asts: 2.6 | Stls: 1.4

#7 ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY, ATLANTA DREAM

Of all the players on this list, individual awards may be furthest from McCoughtry's mind because of the fact that her Atlanta team got swept in the Finals the previous two seasons. But, if the Dream are to make a push for that elusive championship, much of the responsibility will fall on McCoughtry - and by default, she may need to produce MVP numbers for her ultimate goals to become a reality.

McCoughtry, who was voted by league GMs as the league's most athletic player, averaged a career-high 21.6 points (tied for first in the WNBA with Diana Taurasi) and 5.2 rebounds in 2011. If she can improve on those numbers slightly - she finished sixth in MVP voting last year - and she guides Atlanta to one of the top seeds in the East, she could be a logical MVP choice. 2011 Stats: Pts: 21.6 | Rebs: 5.2 | Asts: 2.5 | Stls: 2.2

#8 SEIMONE AUGUSTUS, MINNESOTA LYNX

If Augustus carries over the momentum she generated from the WNBA Playoffs , especially the Finals, then she could very well hoist the MVP trophy at year's end. In the WNBA Finals, Augustus averaged 24.7 points, including a 36-point effort in Game Two. She averaged 22.0 points during the entire Playoffs, nearly six more than her season average of 16.2, and she shined brightest amongst a team full of stars.

Last year, the Lynx had two of the top eight players in MVP voting - Augustus and Lindsay Whalen - as well as two others (Rebekkah Brunson and Maya Moore) that received a vote. While Augustus may be the most accomplished player on the league's best team, playing with a group of All-Star caliber players may actually impede her chances of winning this award, especially if Maya Moore (No. 6 on this list) breaks out like many, including this prognosticator, expect. 2011 Stats: Pts: 16.2 | Rebs: 3.5 | Asts: 2.2 | Stls: 0.9

#9 SYLVIA FOWLES, CHICAGO SKY

Much like Tina Charles, Fowles is an immovable object in the paint. At 6-foot-6, she led the league in blocks (2.0), was second in rebounds (10.2) and was third in the league in scoring (20.0). While she makes scoring in the paint a nightmare for other teams, she converted 59.1 percent of her field goal attempts last year - the next best in the league was Candice Dupree of Phoenix with a 54.8 shooting percentage.

There are few, if any, players in the world with Fowles' abilities and if Chicago becomes a contender in the East, then Fowles is as strong an MVP candidate as anyone in the league, much higher than No. 9 on this list. Despite Chicago finishing 14-20 last year, Fowles was third in MVP voting. 2011 Stats: Pts: 20.0 | Rebs: 10.2 | Blocks: 2.0 | Stls: 1.2

#10 CAPPIE PONDEXTER, NEW YORK LIBERTY

Pondexter makes the Liberty go. While her efficiency was down last year, she still led the Liberty in points (14.7) and assists (4.7). In 2010, when the 5-foot-9 guard shot over 48 percent from the field, 43.0 percent from 3-point range and averaged 21.4 points, she finished third in the MVP voting. If Pondexter can return to those bench marks -- and there's no reason to think she won't be able too -- she could re-position herself in the MVP mix.

Pondexter is also the only member of this top-10 list that is not on the U.S. National Team. This will give Pondexter a valuable rest in the middle of the season and the ability to be fresh in the second half as the Liberty likely make a push for the Playoffs. 2011 Stats: Pts: 17.4 | Asts: 4.7 | Rebs: 4.1 | Stls: 1.3

OTHERS TO WATCH

11 Crystal Langhorne, Washington Mystics

12 Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx

13 Asjha Jones, Connecticut Sun

14 Sophia Young, San Antonio Silver Stars

15 Becky Hammon, San Antonio Silver Stars

GM Survey: Lynx Favored to Repeat

NEW YORK, May 16, 2012 - The results of the 10th annual WNBA.com GM Survey are in, with the league's 12 general managers making predictions for the 2012 season. While 83 percent of GMs selected the defending champion Minnesota Lynx as the team most likely to win the WNBA Finals, it was the Phoenix Mercury that GMs picked for the third straight year as the team most fun to watch (55 percent).

Minnesota, led by four members of the 2011 Western Conference All-Star Team, earned its first WNBA title in franchise history last season. Each of those players returns, with three of them - Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, and Lindsay Whalen - also slated to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games in London as part of the United States' women's squad.

The complete results of the exclusive survey are posted on WNBA.com in advance of WNBA Tip-Off presented by Boost Mobile, when the Seattle Storm hosts the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, May 18, on NBA TV (10 pm ET). Among the other key contests set for the opening weekend is a nationally-televised game on Sunday, May 20, when the Lynx, led by 2011 Finals MVP Augustus and Rookie of the Year Moore, host the Mercury and five-time scoring leader Diana Taurasi on ABC (12:30 pm ET).

While the GMs believe Minnesota will repeat as champion, the group eyed Indiana (42 percent) and Connecticut (25 percent) as the favorites in the Eastern Conference over the two-time defending conference champ, the Atlanta Dream.

The Chicago Sky and newly acquired forward Swin Cash (obtained in a January 2 trade with Seattle), figured prominently in three categories. While Cash herself was selected as the one acquisition who will make the biggest impact (58 percent), the trade that brought her to the Windy City was voted as the most surprising move of the offseason (67 percent). That deal, coupled with the signing of veteran free agents Ticha Penicheiro and Ruth Riley, also led to Chicago being voted as the club that made the best off-season moves (45 percent).

Two players tied for the lead as the likely MVP - Minnesota's Seimone Augustus and the Los Angeles Sparks' Candace Parker - with each receiving 25 percent of the votes. Ten players received votes as the player to be tapped first when starting a franchise (Moore's two votes edged the one each received by Augustus, Parker, Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry, Chicago's Sylvia Fowles, Indiana's Tamika Catchings, Phoenix's Diana Taurasi, Seattle's Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson, and Washington's Crystal Langhorne.

For the fourth straight year, Taurasi was named the best shooting guard (58 percent) and Catchings (50 percent) the best small forward. The vote for the best center, however, resulted in a tie between Fowles and Connecticut's Tina Charles (42 percent apiece).

Taurasi also was voted the player who forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments (42 percent), the best pure shooter (55 percent), and the player they'd want taking a shot with a game on the line (36 percent).

The New York Liberty's Cappie Pondexter was deemed the best at creating her own shot (45 percent) and her crossover dribble was voted as the most effective individual offensive move (27 percent), just ahead of Augustus' dribble, step-back jumper and Fowles' low post move (18 percent each).

The Los Angeles Sparks' Nneka Ogwumike, the top selection in the 2012 Draft, was the favorite to earn Rookie of the Year accolades - receiving 92 percent of the votes - as well as the rookie who GMs anticipate will become the best player five years from now, with 75 percent of the votes. Others to receive votes in this latter category were Indiana center Sasha Goodlett and a pair of guards, Phoenix's Samantha Prahalis and San Antonio's Shenise Johnson. The Tulsa Shock's Riquna Williams (36 percent), selected in the second round of the recent Draft, was voted as the "sleeper" rookie most likely to be a success.

The Seattle Storm came out on top in a variety of categories including the team with the best home court advantage (82 percent), best head coach in the last two minutes of a close game (Brian Agler, 44 percent), and best power forward (Lauren Jackson, 45 percent). Storm guard Sue Bird was voted number one at making her teammates better (55 percent) as well as the active player who would make the best head coach (45 percent) and the top point guard (75 percent). Not surprisingly, Bird also was selected - for the fifth consecutive season - as the best leader (45 percent).

A trio of veterans shared the title of most underrated player, with Minnesota's Whalen, Washington's Langhorne, and the San Antonio Silver Stars' Sophia Young each receiving 17 percent of the votes.

Additional leaders in the WNBA.com GM survey included:

Tulsa Shock - team that will be most improved (73 percent)

Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever - player with the greatest hunger to win a championship (50 percent) and defensive player of the year (42 percent)

Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Sky - best interior defender (58 percent)

Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream - most athletic player (36 percent) and best perimeter defender (25 percent)

Rebekkah Brunson, Minnesota Lynx - best rebounder (45 percent)

Danielle Robinson, San Antonio Silver Stars - player that is fastest with the ball (36 percent)

Lin Dunn, Indiana Fever - head coach with the best defensive schemes (50 percent)

The Sweet 16

We spent 2011 -- the WNBA's 15th year -- honoring the past. Celebrating the steps, the people and the moments that took the 'W' from a fledgling league in 1997 to the world's premier destination for women's basketball in just 15 years.

But that doesn't mean the 2011 season didn't leave us with some new memories, too. From the rising crescendo of the Maya Moore Era to the history-obliterating run of the Minnesota Lynx to the scoring race between Angel McCoughtry and Diana Taurasi that basically came down to a single field goal across the season (Taurasi won by .07 points per game), 2011 didn't disappoint.

And it wasn't even an Olympic year.

So what's ahead in 2012, a season that'll see the London Games press pause on the action from mid-July to mid-August? Find out here.

Birth of a Dynasty

Heading into the 2011 season, the Minnesota Lynx didn't have a whole lot to show from a dozen years of existence. They'd made the Playoffs twice, but picked up exactly one Playoff win and a grand total of 235 losses (along with 165 total wins). Then came 2012. And with a healthy Seimone Augustus back in the lineup every day for the first time since 2008, Lindsay Whalen turning out the best season of her career, Rebekkah Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin anchoring the middle and Maya Moore entering the fray - along with a second unit that'd start on some teams - the Lynx broke new bounds at every point in the season. Minnesota set a team record for wins, finished six games better than anyone else in the WNBA during the regular season, then picked up its first Playoff series win two rounds before taking home the WNBA title. Now, after some maneuvering that landed them Devereaux Peters at No. 3 in April's Draft, they're even better. And that all means that 2012 could be just a race for second.

London 2012

Not only will the Olympics plant a monthlong hiatus in the middle of this season (July 14-Aug. 15), they'll also steal away some of the WNBA's premier talent, as players like Seattle's Lauren Jackson (Australia, along with Tulsa Shock center Liz Cambage) and Atlanta's Erika de Souza (Brazil) won't join their WNBA teams until after the Games. San Antonio's Becky Hammon will play for Russia again, according to the national team, and will join the club in June. As for the US National Team, the usual suspects will head to London, with Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi leading the Americans' effort to capture their fifth straight gold.

Penny Taylor's Injury

Taylor would've missed the first half of the Phoenix Mercury season to work with the Australian National Team, but her return would have given Corey Gaines' team a boost as potent as any during the Playoff chase. But an ACL injury suffered while playing in Turkey ended Taylor's WNBA (and international) season before it began, forcing the Mercury to go without one of the league's best all-around players.

Freshman Rush

The talk surrounding this year's WNBA Draft held that it was - at best - a carousel of questions, with virtually no locks beyond No. 1 pick Nneka Ogwumike. At worst, it was a buffer between the 2011 Draft that ushered in the Maya Moore era and the 2013 one that promises to spill Brittney Griner, Skylar Diggins and Elena Della Donne into the league. But remember the 2011 NBA Draft? How all worthwhile players stayed in college because of the impending lockout, and this year's rookie class wouldn't have any impact players? So do Kyrie Irving, Kenneth Faried, Klay Thompson, Iman Shumpert, Brandon Knight, Kawhi Leonard and Isaiah Thomas (the very last pick of that draft class). Don't be surprised if a number of uncelebrated names light up the league in 2012.

Candace Parker's Presence

Over the past two seasons, Parker's spent more time off the court than on it. In 2010, a shoulder injury knocked her out for all but 10 games (a 10-game stretch in which she averaged more than 20 points and 10 boards), then in 2011, a torn meniscus she suffered just six games into the season kept her out until the home stretch, when the Sparks were already on the wrong side of the Playoff race. But in those 10 games, she got back to dominating, finishing the 2011 season with 18.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg averages. If she can stay healthy, she remains one of the world's most dynamic players, and paired with No. 1 pick Nneka Ogwumike - not to mention new acquisition Alana Beard - she could turn the Sparks back into contenders this year.

Angel's Bling (or lack thereof)

Atlanta Dream guard/forward Angel McCoughtry now owns two of the top three single-game scoring marks in WNBA Finals history, after breaking her own mark of 35 with a 38-point effort in Game 2 of last year's Finals. More and more, she's rivaling Diana Taurasi (who won the scoring title by .07 of a point in 2011) for the title of league's most unstoppable offensive force. Yet for two straight Finals, she hasn't been quite enough to push the Dream to a win, with Atlanta taking six consecutive losses in the year's final series. Has she evolved into the kind of player that can take the Dream - in only their fifth year of existence - to the Promised Land?

Bird Still the Word

Sue Bird was an outside favorite for MVP last year, after the longtime veteran nearly singlehandedly kept the Storm afloat while Lauren Jackson recovered from an injury. Not only did the Storm have to go without their main source of points and rebounds, they had to entirely re-work their offense, going from a center-and-spokes model with Jackson at the core to a more free-flowing one that relied on Bird's skills as a floor general. They finished with the second-best record in the league. With Jackson gone until August, they'll need Bird to do more of the same this year.

The Emergence of Maya

When Maya Moore went first overall to the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 Draft, the future of the league - and, for the very optimistic, the future of women's sports - walked across the stage and into the arms of expectations. She then fell silent for a few months. She contributed from the start, sure - and did more than enough to almost unanimously win the 2011 Rookie of the Year award - but on a team full of stars, Moore just fell into the constellation. Never one to promote herself, Moore spent the year doing what she had to do to help the team and avoiding the spotlight. Turns out she did it all at about 70 percent. So with a year of experience behind her, expect 2012 to be the year when she fully arrives. Of course, she'll have to share the pie with Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson (among others). But with the way this team plays, there'll be more than enough to go around.

Shock Treatment

The Tulsa Shock had a tough 2011. Finishing the year at 3-31, Tulsa set the record for fewest wins in a WNBA season and endured one especially stinging losing streak that saw them drop a record 20 games in a row from June 25 through Aug. 25. Now, they're heading into the 2012 season without two of their top three leading scorers, with Tiffany Johnson out for the year due to pregnancy and Liz Cambage out due to Australian National Team obligations. However, a young core of talent centered around draft picks Glory Johnson and Riquna Williams - not to mention Ivory Latta, the team's second-leading scorer from 2011 - and a brand-new head coach in former Indiana assistant Gary Kloppenburg have the team looking at a far, far brighter future.

Posting Up

Guards tend to be the ones who command attention. Taurasi. Bird. Pondexter. Augustus. But right now, we're witnessing the ascent of two centers that could end up as two of the league's all-time greats. In Connecticut, Tina Charles rolled out an MVP-caliber campaign in 2011, with 17.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Sylvia Fowles carried Chicago almost by herself last year, racking up 20.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2 steals a game for the Sky and earning Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The Only Prescription is More Catchings (January, too)

After wrapping up the most important - if not outright greatest - season of her career, 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings had the Indiana Fever just one win away from a trip to the WNBA Finals last September. Then, late in the Fever's Game 2 loss to the Atlanta Dream, calamity struck again. A foot injury in the waning moments of the game added yet another bullet to Catchings' long injury history and kept her - and, by extension, the Fever - from a trip to the Finals and a chance to bring home the legend's first WNBA title. Now, Catchings and point guard Briann January (ACL tear in 2011) are healthy again and the Fever look to be the class of the East.

On the Up & Up

The 2011 season brought increased attendance for the fifth consecutive year , while TV viewership on ESPN2 reached its highest level since 2005. In addition, the league also formed eight new marketing partnerships in 2011 with several leading companies, including a landmark multiyear deal with Boost Mobile that made the company the WNBA's first league-wide marquee partner. WNBA and Boost Mobile will continue full force into the 2012 season with increased activation at league premier events including WNBA Draft and serving as a presenting partner of select performance awards including MVP.

Chicago Hope

Over their six years in the WNBA, the high point of the Chicago Sky dynasty came in 2009, when the Sky went 16-18. Not only has Chicago never made the Playoffs, it's never even had a winning season. After showing some promise in 2011 - thanks largely to Sylvia Fowles' brilliance on the inside - the Sky lost eight of their last 10 to finish 14-20. But there's reason for optimism in Chicago after an offseason that brought in Swin Cash, Ruth Riley, Ticha Penicheiro and Le'coe Willingham (and their combined eight WNBA championships) as additions to the young nucleus of Fowles, Epiphanny Prince and Courtney Vandersloot.

Changing Directions

After seasons that fell short of expectations - in different ways - the L.A. Sparks and Tulsa Shock brought new coaches, with LA picking Carol Ross from the Atlanta Dream staff and Tulsa going with former Indiana Fever assistant Gary Kloppenberg. Ross comes in with the hopes of returning L.A. to glory (it's been nine years now since the Sparks won back-to-back titles) after turning Florida into an NCAA women's hoops power and helping to take the Dream to two straight Finals in their first four years of existence. Kloppenburg, a former Charlotte Bobcats assistant before stints in Indy, Seattle and Phoenix, becomes a head coach for the first time.

Title IX

All year long, WNBA.com will be commemorating the 40th anniversary of the landmark decision in women's sports. Stay tuned for interviews, features and more celebrating the legislation that turned millions of dreams into reality and allowed, quite simply, for this to all be possible.

Best Seat in the House

The WNBA's mission has long extended outside of the court, with special emphasis placed on social responsibility and community involvement. Now, that mission's permeating many of the league's front offices, where women - under-represented as executives in America - hold ownership stakes across the league. Female owners include Sheila Johnson of the Washington Mystics, Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler of the Atlanta Dream, Paula Madison of the L.A. Sparks, and even Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child is part of a group of minority owners of the Chicago Sky. In Seattle, three Seattle Storm fans formed an investment group, and drew enough local support to buy the franchise: Lisa Brummel, Ginny Gilder, and Dawn Trudeau.

Season Preview: Atlanta Dream

Season Outlook

Let's be clear: You do not reach the WNBA Finals two years in a row without being an excellent team. Despite falling in both successive trips to the Finals, the Atlanta Dream are indeed an elite team, and with only a few changes to their roster, the Dream are once again gunning for trip to the Finals in 2012.

We'll start with the changes: Center Alison Bales has retired after a solid six-year WNBA career, while fellow post-player Erika de Souza will be unavailable to the Dream until after the London 2012 Summer Olympics as her commitment to the Brazilian National Team prevents her from reporting to Atlanta.

Other than that, the core of players who drove the Dream to the 2011 WNBA Finals is intact, led by the dynamic scorer Angel McCoughtry, who followed up her two-straight trips to the Finals by being named to represent the US Team in London this summer. Speedy point guard Lindsey Harding, physical forward Sancho Lyttle, versatile swing-player Armintie Price and deceptive driver Izzy Castro Marques all return for the deep Atlanta squad.

"We are going to concentrate on improving defensively this year," said Dream Head Coach Marynell Meadors. "It's been a great accomplishment, reaching two WNBA Finals, but we want to take that next step and win it. We are good at scoring the ball, but in the past we've given up too many points and that's something we can improve on."

McCoughtry, the charismatic leader of the Dream, brings an intensity to the court that Meadors not only admires, but thinks can provide the spark to fire Atlanta to another run at a WNBA Championships.

"I've been in the game for a long time, and I can tell you I've never seen a player like Angel," said Meadors. "Angel is a terrific person, but when she steps across those lines onto the court, she is not messing around, she is there to do what she has to do to win. Period. That is something our team can feed off of and is a great asset."

With Tamika Catchings and the Fever, a veteran presence added to the Chicago Sky roster and Tina Charles and the youthful Sun squad sporting another year of experience, the Dream will by no means have an easy route to another Eastern Conference title in 2012. But with McCoughtry on the court, they have a fighting chance.

Player to Watch: Harding

A former No. 1 pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft out of Duke University, Harding has recovered from a torn ACL in her rookie season with the Minnesota Lynx to become a steady, durable, consistent performer for the Dream in two straight trips to the WNBA FInals.

A career .421 field goal percentage shooter, Harding shot a career-best 45.5 percent from the floor in 2011 for the Dream, and if she can continue to improve her outside shot, combined with her stellar running of the Dream offense, often through McCoughtry, Atlanta could have a powerful one-two offensive punch.

Season Preview: Phoenix Mercury

Season Outlook

Nobody would be surprised if the hypercharged Phoenix Mercury led the league in scoring again this year. The system, as always, is in place, but this year they may also be tops in the league in what No. 6 overall pick Samantha Prahalis calls her "swag."

After trading point guard Temeka Johnson to Tulsa for Andrea Riley, the Mercury drafted Prahalis, an in-your-face point guard, to run the patented, up-tempo system in Phoenix. At first glance, it seems like a perfect fit as Prahalis and Diana Taurasi, emotional in her own right, can feed off each other and become a dynamic backcourt tandem for years to come.

"I see how fierce she is on the court and how much she wants to win," Prahalis said of Taurasi. "I have those similarities. I hate losing and I'm emotional on the court, I get fiery on the court."

Taurasi, who averaged a team-leading 21.6 points per game last year, and Prahalis, who averaged just under 20 points herself as well as more than six assists per game at Ohio State last season, will have to be explosive because the Mercury suffered a huge loss when veteran forward Penny Taylor was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Taylor averaged 16.7 points and nearly five rebounds and five assists per night.

"It's devastating for us because she is one of the top players in the world," Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said. "She hits big shots for us. She's tough. Her and Diana complement each other so well, because Diana maybe seems more like the skilled person, but Penny does all the dirty, hard stuff around the basket. She can play the four or the three, she can rebound. She's one of those types of players that once you watch her play you can't not like her."

One thing is for sure, even without Taylor and Johnson, the Mercury will be a team that will try to do three things: score, score and score.

"You have to score to win," Gaines observed. "I think still the object of the game is to score more points than the other team, so you gotta score."

Phoenix scored over 100 points in five games (all of them wins) last season, so the team is still clearly talented even without two of its starters from last year. The system that Gaines has in place is something that he firmly believes in, and he still has plenty of weapons like forwards Candice Dupree (14.6 ppg) and DeWanna Bonner (10.7 ppg) to light up scoreboards.

Defensively, however, the team leaves something to be desired, giving up a league-worst 85.9 points per game last year. And, while much of that can be attributed to the extra possessions generated by the team's frantic pace, Phoenix must be able to come up with important defensive stops when needed if it's going to compete with the West's elite. Gaines pointed to the addition of Alexis Hornbuckle from Minnesota as someone who could help boost their perimeter defense .

But, when it comes to Phoenix, it's always about offense, and that's not going to change in 2012.

Player to Watch: Samantha Prahalis

One of the most intriguing players in this year's draft, equally for her talent and also because nobody knew quite where she would land, it appears that Samantha Prahalis has found the right fit in Phoenix. The biggest playmaker, as well as the top pure point guard of the 2012 class, finds the league's most explosive offense that's in need of a point guard.

Not every point guard can succeed in Gaines' system, but Prahalis certainly has the requisite flash to be successful. It will not be easy to replace Temeka Johnson's production as a rookie, but the fate of the Mercury will ride on how quickly Prahalis can adjust to the pro game and to this high-octane system.

"I like to play up tempo," Prahalis said. "I like to push it. Their game, my game, we fit each other really well."

Win or lose, it's going to be entertaining.

Season Preview: Connecticut Sun

Season Outlook

It's tough to reach your ultimate destination unless you can avoid potholes on the road. As the Connecticut Sun head into the 2012 WNBA season, overcoming travel obstacles is the first item on their itinerary.

The only team to win more regular season games (21) than the Sun last season was the eventual WNBA champion Lynx (27), but the home-and-away breakdown of Sun wins vs. losses is a flashing red light on the squads desired path to WNBA supremacy. Connecticut was a stellar 15-2 at home during the 2011 regular season, but posted a sub-standard 6-11 record away from the friendly confines of the Mohegan Sun Arena. Rectifying this imbalance is paramount if the Sun want to become one of the elite teams in the league.

"This team showed last year they know how to win, that is not in question," said Sun Head Coach Mike Thibault. "But closing out games, finishing games that you are leading at halftime on the road, that was something we struggled with at times last year and we need to address that. It comes down to those crucial possessions in front of a hostile crowd, where your opponents are making that push and you need to execute."

One player who executed well more often than not last season for the Sun was All-Star forward Tina Charles, who was also recently named to the roster of the U.S. Women's Basketball Team slated to shoot for a fifth-straight gold medal at the London Olympic Games this summer. Charles averaged a double-double (17.6 points and 11 rebounds per game) in 2011, in addition to blocking 1.76 shots per game. Despite currently nursing a groin injury as the preseason swings into action, Charles should be ready for the regular season.

"Tina is a terrific offensive player, but last year she also really worked on improving on the other end of the court and as that continues, her defensive play, she'll be on her way to being one of the top players in the league," said Thibault. "We were one of the youngest teams in the league last year and as we now mature along those lines, we think we are ready to make that next step."

Guard Renee Montgomery also made strides last season, averaging 14.6 points and 4.9 assists per game in 2011, while forward Asjha Jones, who has been slowed by Achilles problems the past few seasons, appears back to full strength, winning the EuroLeague Final Eight MVP award during the WNBA offseason, in addition to being the final player named to the U.S. Women's Olympic roster, where she will join Charles as the Connecticut contingent.

"Asjha is looking good, she had a great overseas season," said Thibault. "She is a player, who, when healthy, can have a great impact for us this season. I look forward to seeing her going full speed."

As long as the Sun can maintain full speed on the road, they may yet reach that WNBA Finals destination.

Player to Watch: Renee Montgomery

Coming into her fourth season in the WNBA, guard Renee Montgomery is poised for a breakout season.

The 5-7 guard out of UConn has progressed steadily since entering the league, increasing her minutes, points and assists totals each successive campaign.

"Renee was big for us last season and we think she's still getting better," Thibault said. "She's developing into a big contributor for us."

Season Preview: San Antonio

Season outlook

Isn't everything supposed to be bigger in Texas?

On the perimeter, San Antonio is one of the most talented and versatile teams in the WNBA, and that is only enhanced by the selection of do-it-all guard Shenise Johnson with the No. 5 pick in the draft. In the paint, however, San Antonio comes up a little short.

The Silver Stars were outrebounded by a league-worst 5.7 rebounds per game in 2011, a margin 2.5 rebounds greater than the next worst team. San Antonio's leading rebounder last year was 6-foot-1 Sophia Young, who averaged 6.4 per game, so adding rebounding help, otherwise known as size, is an area that the team has tried to address in the offseason, despite losing last year's starting center in 6-foot-5 Ruth Riley.

"With length, if you're doing that at several positions, it has the ability to maybe impact rebounding," San Antonio Head Coach Dan Hughes said. "It's been a common theme in free agency."

As a result, the Silver Stars added 6-foot-3 veteran center Tangela Smith, 6-foot-4 rookie center Ziomara Morrison and Shameka Christon, who has valued size at 6-foot-1 for the small forward position. The addition of these bodies is key because San Antonio's lack of depth showed in 2011 as it really struggled when Danielle Adams, the teams best post player despite only playing 21 minutes a game off the bench, missed several games due to injury.

The biggest acquisition of the offseason will be Smith, the versatile 14-year veteran that is seventh in WNBA history in career rebounds. Her impact, however, will be more than just on the glass.

"When you analyze what happened, we lost a lot of close games in the middle because we couldn't spread the floor from the post position and Tangela is great at that," Hughes said. "Tangela gives us another big that can really stretch the floor whether I'm playing her at the 3 or 4 or whatever I'm playing her at. She's a post player that stretches the floor and she's also a shot maker and you can always, always benefit by having a shot maker like Tangela."

Smith, in 2007 and 2009, was a major contributor on the championship squads in Phoenix. Once again, like with those teams, Smith will be surrounded by a stacked backcourt.

Becky Hammon leads San Antonio's group of guards. In perhaps her best season yet in the WNBA, Hammon finished 2011 averaging 15.9 points and a career-high 5.8 assists. Her supporting cast is no letdown. Guards Jia Perkins and Danielle Robinson combined for 18.2 points and 5.3 assists per game last year. Perkins is the more compete player and can stretch the floor 3-point range, but Robinson is also an efficient scorer, shooting 46 percent from the field.

The addition of the rookie Johnson, though, is what makes this backcourt foursome truly elite. The Miami product has as much upside as any player in the 2012 draft and her proficiency in piling up points, rebounds, assists and steals will be a big an X-factor for the Silver Stars.

Lastly, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Young again, the team's most well-rounded player. From scoring to rebounding to defense, Young can do it all. She is the glue between the potent group of guards and the reworked frontcourt, and her play has the potential to elevate this team that finished fourth in the crowded West to a higher Playoff seed.

Player to Watch: Jayne Appel

While much of San Antonio's energies have been focused on bringing in extra size externally, it could receive its biggest boost from an internal source.

Jayne Appel, who the team selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft, is entering her third year in the WNBA and this could be a breakout year for the 6-foot-5 center. After averaging 3.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in just under 15 minutes last season, Appel's role will likely increase in 2012.

"This is an important year for Jayne because a year ago she really split time with Ruth Riley and with Ruth signing in Chicago it gives Jayne more opportunity, I think, to grow," Hughes said. "It's also the first year where she's been able to play overseas in the offseason and have that experience going into our season. So, it's an important year for her. I think we've seen pieces of Jayne, my hope is this year we see the whole package kind of grow."

Season Preview: New York Liberty

Season Outlook

After making it to the conference semifinals last season, the Liberty as a core are in strong shape to start the season. Coach John Whisenant is building upon last year's 19-15 season by emphasizing defense.

Players during practice are getting acquainted with "White Line," Whisenant's defensive strategy, where he draws an imaginary white line up the middle of the court and tells players to focus on it.

"He wants the whole defense to shift the offense away from the middle," Liberty guard Alex Montgomery explained in a video on the Liberty site. "Stay on the white line, deny deny deny. Don't let the ball come back across the boards."

Center Janel McCarville will sit out again this season much to the disappointment of many Liberty fans. The team announced McCarville will not play this year because she wanted to spend time with her family.

The team is filling that void this season by drafting Kelly Cain. The 6'6 center from Tennessee played under legendary Coach Pat Summitt and during her time there was one of the best blockers in the team's history - averaging 2.5 blocks a game. In 2010, she set the team's single-game record by racking up 12 blocks against Louisiana State University.

But it remains to be seen how Cain will perform in WNBA action. She sat out her senior year at Tennessee because of injuries and spent the past few months basketball in Turkey.

"I'm getting healthy for the most part," she said in an interview on the Liberty site. "Right now I'm just trying to get back on the court."

She added playing in Turkey has helped condition her for this coming season because game play over there tends to be faster than it is here, she said.

If Cain is able to tap into the same intensity she played with during her time at Tennessee, the Liberty are poised to be a defensive powerhouse in the league combined with Whisenant's aggressive White Line strategy.

Home games once again this year will take place at the Prudential Center in New Jersey as Madison Square Garden continues the second year of a three-year plan of summer renovations. However, the Liberty's season opener on May 19 will be played at the Garden to make room for NHL playoffs taking place in New Jersey that day.

Player to Watch: DeMya Walker

DeMya Walker joins the Liberty from the Connecticut Sun and is the main addition to the team's roster this year. She knows a thing or two about winning championships after winning a WNBA title in 2005 with the former Sacramento Monarchs.

Walker is also an un-selfish player. She told the Liberty site she's spent the offseason honing in on "the little things" in her game.

"I'm just excited to do the little things because those things get overlooked," she said. "I like to take charges and getting on the floor, setting hard screens for my guards and getting people open."

At 6-foot-3, her size helps stack the Liberty's already tough defensive lineup.

Season Preview: Indiana Fever

Season Outlook

One game. The Indiana Fever closed out 2011 one game short of their goal to reach the WNBA Finals, falling to the two-time Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream. According to Fever Head Coach Lin Dunn, this should serve as a powerful motivator heading into 2012, with that same goal in mind.

"We were close, we almost got there," said Dunn. "And if we can stay healthy - and we're healthier now than we were by the end of that series with Atlanta - and if we can improve on rebounding the ball, there isn't any reason we can't get the Finals and make a run at the championship our fans have been waiting for."

Indiana is indeed healthier as 2011 WNBA Most Valuable Player Tamika Catchings was slowed by injury by the end of the Fever-Dream Eastern Conference Finals. As has come to be expected, Catchings toughed out the pain and played throughout the series, but was not 100 percent. The undisputed Indiana team leader has fully recovered on the eve of the 2012 WNBA regular season tip-off and is ready to go. Additionally, guard Briann January is back with the squad after undergoing knee surgery. She played in her first post-surgery game before her home crowd on May 9 in a preseason victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars and reported no ill-effects.

With things shored up on the health front, the Fever will continue to work on improving their rebounding and overall defensive game. Jessica Davenport and Tammy Sutton-Brown are the primary post players for Indiana while Dunn and her staff selected Sasha Goodlett out of Georgia Tech to add some youth in the post.

Dunn is also thinking about employing Catchings more in the post where necessary.

"Tamika is so versatile she can play any position on the floor," said Dunn. "Her perimeter defense is the best in the league, that's something we all know, but she is such a strong rebounder that when the opportunity presents itself, we may get her down there where she can help us there, get possession of the ball, and I'm sure she can do that."

And if she and her teammates stay healthy, they may not fall one game short in 2012.

Player to Watch: Briann January

It's been more than a month, but January is back.

High-energy point guard Briann January appears fully recovered from ACL surgery and the return of the 5-foot-8 former Arizona State University standout could be just the spark the Fever need in 2012.

January had nine points, three assists and two steals in her first game back at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the preseason win over San Antonio.

"Oh my goodness, it felt so good to be here on our home court," January told Tom Reitmann of Fever.com. "Just seeing some familiar fans out there was great."

The Fever and their fans will think it's great to see January pushing the ball for Indiana in 2012.

Lynx Sweep Dream, Win First WNBA Title

ATLANTA (AP) Seimone Augustus and the Minnesota Lynx turned up the defensive pressure on Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream.

The result was the final entry in a near-perfect postseason as the Lynx beat the Dream 73-67 on Friday night to complete a three-game sweep of the WNBA championship series.

Augustus had 16 points and Maya Moore, returning to her Atlanta home, had 15 - including a key 3-pointer late in the game - to lead a balanced scoring attack as the Lynx won their first WNBA title.

McCoughtry had a game-high 22 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. McCoughtry made only 9 of 25 shots as the Dream were held to 34.6 percent shooting from the field.

"We felt we didn't show them what a good team we were defensively in the first two games," said Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve, who was soaked by a bubbly spray before her postgame news conference.

Augustus had the primary defensive assignment on McCoughtry, who set a WNBA finals record with 38 points in Game 2.

"Tonight we just kind of smothered her and forced her into bad shots," Augustus said.

Minnesota closed the postseason with six straight wins, including sweeps of Phoenix in the Western Conference finals and Atlanta in the championship series.

Most Minnesota players celebrated in a pile of hugs on the court. Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the 41-year-old starting center, headed to the bench to engulf Reeve in a hug.

Erika de Souza, who had 11 points, was Atlanta's only other scorer in double figures.

"I'm just glad we were able to finish playing Lynx basketball by being a good defensive team," Moore said.

Minnesota had four scorers in double figures as Rebekkah Brunson had 13 points and nine rebounds and Candice Wiggins had 10 points.

Atlanta was swept by Seattle in the 2010 WNBA finals.

The Dream trailed by eight points in the final quarter before making a late charge.

Two free throws by McCoughtry cut Minnesota's lead to 64-40. Following a turnover, Iziane Castro Marques hit a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the lead to one with 1:17 remaining.

Poor shooting from the field forced Atlanta to foul in the final minute.

Two free throws by McWilliams-Franklin and another by Lindsay Whalen pushed the lead to 67-63. Following a miss by Castro Marques, McWilliams-Franklin added two more free throws with 35 seconds remaining.

McCoughtry had two late layups, but the Dream could come no closer than four points in the final 30 seconds.

The Dream held a 19-12 lead in the first quarter and led 37-33 at halftime.

There were two ties in the third quarter, the last at 41. Minnesota closed the period with an 11-4 run to lead 52-45 entering the final quarter.

The Dream opened the fourth quarter with consecutive baskets by Alison Bales and Castro Marques to pull within three points. Augustus quickly came off the bench, and Atlanta's comeback bid ended.

A 7-2 run gave the Lynx a 59-51 lead.

After McCoughtry's basket cut the Minnesota lead to 61-56, Moore answered with a big 3-pointer that went through the net as the shot clock sounded.

"If Maya Moore's shot doesn't go in, who knows what's going to happen," Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors said. "We had the momentum and we had them backpedaling."

McWilliams-Franklin's status as starting center had been uncertain after she sprained her right knee, forcing her to leave Wednesday night's game. She did start, wearing pads on both knees, and had seven points, four rebounds and four assists. She made four free throws in the final 1:07.

"Maybe now they're sore," Reeve said of McWilliams-Franklin's knees, "but when you're in a close-out moment for the WNBA finals, you don't feel a thing."

With the health of McWilliams-Franklin a concern, Reeve was upset when backup center Jessica Adair was called for her second foul late in the first quarter. After receiving a warning from official Michael Price to return to the bench, Reeve added another complaint and drew a technical foul.

After there were a combined 78 free throws in the Game 2 at Minnesota, there were only 34 - 17 for each team - called in Game 3.

NOTES: Former NBA star Julius Erving, who lives in Atlanta, had a front-row seat. Rapper Lil Wayne was also in the crowd. ... The attendance was 11,543, including 1,500 tickets purchased by the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks and distributed by the Dream on Thursday. ... Minnesota was called for 10 fouls in the first half while Atlanta drew only two.

Augustus Outduels McCoughtry, Lynx Take 2-0 Lead

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Seimone Augustus, her left knee sore and looking exhausted from an all-around effort, lifted the Minnesota Lynx to the brink of their first WNBA title.

She's not ready to relax just yet. There's still some work to do.

Augustus scored 36 points to lead Minnesota's second-half surge, and the Lynx beat the Atlanta Dream 101-95 in Game 2 of the league championship series on Wednesday night.

"The legacy isn't complete until you're holding the trophy," Augustus said.

Jessica Adair added 13 points in 18 minutes in a reserve role for the Lynx, who took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five matchup by overcoming 38 points by the Dream's Angel McCoughtry, who broke her own record for a WNBA finals game set last year. Game 3 is set for Friday night in Atlanta.

McCoughtry had 24 points in the first half, but she shot just 2 for 13 after halftime and shook her head in disgust afterward at what the Dream complained was an unfair discrepancy - 33-23, Atlanta - in the foul calls by officials Sue Blauch, Lamont Simpson and Kurt Walker.

"Let us battle out. Let us scratch and claw to the end. It's entertainment. That's what people want to see," McCoughtry said, a scowl on her face.

Coach Marynell Meadors was just as outspoken.

"I just really don't understand a lot of the things being called," she said.

With veteran center Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the bench with a sprained right knee suffered late in the third quarter, WNBA Rookie of the Year Maya Moore sitting for most of the game in foul trouble and fellow All-Star Rebekkah Brunson having a quiet game, Augustus took over.

Hearing "MVP" chants as she swished her free throws down the stretch, the sixth-year forward - who has suffered through her share of losing and injuries - finished 11 for 14 from the floor and 13 for 16 at the line to help the Lynx fight back from a pair of 10-point holes in the second quarter.

"As they say, 'Mone was in the zone," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said.

The Lynx took a 77-76 lead early in the fourth, their first edge since 20-19, and used a 10-0 spurt to turn an 85-81 deficit with five minutes to go into a comfortable lead in the closing minutes.

Augustus knocked down a floating baseline jumper with two Dream defenders in her face to give the Lynx an 87-85 lead. Lindsay Whalen, who had 13 points, banked in a spin-dribble turnaround shot and drew a foul to make the arena erupt in excitement as Moore lifted her up in a bear hug to celebrate. Whalen's three-point play made it 91-85 with 2:25 left.

Though the onslaught of whistles interrupted the flow of the game, which lasted 2 hours and 26 minutes, the Lynx weren't rattled.

"However the game is called, you just have to play through it. Whatever the refs are calling, that's what they see and you just have to move on," Whalen said.

The Dream led 58-50 after a dizzying first half by two of the WNBA's three highest-scoring teams. But McCoughtry started to miss more after halftime, unlike in Game 1 when she had 19 of her 33 points in the third quarter, and the Dream - who finished 21 for 32 at the line - bricked a bunch of free throws that came back to hurt them later.

Iziane Castro Marques was twice fouled while taking a 3-pointer and made only one of those six free-throw attempts. Lindsey Harding had 10 of her 14 points in the first half for the Dream. Erika de Souza finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Target Center was alive again, giving local sports fans a chance to cheer for some success in this swooning market. All kinds of folks in green and white T-shirts waving their white pom pons turned the atmosphere into another resounding advantage for the Lynx. Vikings players Bernard Berrian and Kevin Williams checked out the game from their court-side seats. Timberwolves executive David Kahn was there.

Even LeBron James was watching, from afar. He raved on Twitter about the performances put on by McCoughtry and Augustus.

After taking a three-game leave to play for her native Brazil in an Olympic qualifying tournament, de Souza brought her broad shoulders - with a tattoo on each one - back to the basket for the Dream, who were outscored 52-30 in the lane and outrebounded 40-28 during Game 1.

The 6-foot-5 de Souza struggled early, missing a short shot, traveling twice and committing an over-the-back foul before settling down and beginning to contribute. Even before she scored a point or grabbed a rebound, though, her presence was valuable, drawing the defense in and making it easier for McCoughtry to find shooting space outside.

The All-WNBA forward, who narrowly finished second in the league in scoring in just her third professional season, hit a leaning bank shot to start the second quarter and finished the frame with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the top of the key - as if to remind the crowd of 15,124 that the first half was all hers.

Well, almost all hers. Augustus had 14 points in the second quarter herself, deftly using her crossover dribble to slash to the lane and convert shot after off-balance bank shot.

"If I had to give everything I had, then so be it," Augustus said.

Lynx Dominate Fourth Quarter, Take Game 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) More than 15,000 fans walked into Target Center on Sunday night, hoping that the Minnesota Lynx could give them a little relief from the sports abyss the Twin Cities sit in at the moment.

They waved white pom-poms and hollered at the top of their lungs, and Rebekkah Brunson and Co. made sure they didn't go home disappointed.

Brunson had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Seimone Augustus added 22 points to lead the Lynx to an 88-74 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of the WNBA finals.

"It was amazing," Brunson said of the charged-up atmosphere. "The city's been excited about this team from the beginning of the season and everybody keeps jumping on and jumping on and we love it. We love the fact we can come in here and play in front of a crowd like this."

Lindsay Whalen added 15 points and six assists and the Lynx turned a close game into a runaway with a 13-0 run to open the fourth quarter. Taj McWilliams-Franklin added eight points and 10 boards while battling an illness.

Angel McCoughtry scored 19 of her 33 points in the third quarter and Lindsey Harding scored 20 points for the Dream.

Atlanta led by 12 points midway through the second quarter, but the Lynx kept them off the board for the first 4:34 of the fourth quarter to take control. With starting center Erika de Souza missing the game while playing for Brazil in an Olympic qualifying tournament, the Dream were outrebounded 40-28 and outscored in the paint 52-30.

"Look at the rebounds," Harding said. "We needed her."

De Souza will be back for Game 2 of the best-of-five series, which is Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

For those who say the women's game lacks everything that makes the sport great - athleticism, shot-making and competitive fire - Game 1 will not help them make their case.

Maya Moore's sensational reverse layup, a scoop shot that started from clear on the other side of the rim, got the Lynx started on a third-quarter surge that got them back into the game. Brunson finished a three-point play and Augustus's no-look pass was finished by Whalen's reverse layup to cap a 9-0 run that gave them a 51-49 lead.

"We've got some athletes up in here!" Brunson boasted.

On the other end, McCoughtry was simply unstoppable, hitting a incredible array of jumpers from odd angles all over the floor, blocking shots and forcing steals to keep her team from faltering. She scored all but four of Atlanta's 23 points in the third and the game was tied at 62 heading into the fourth.

Whalen started the deciding surge with a three-point play and a shooter's roll jumper and the Lynx turned up the pressure on the defensive end to get two fast break layups to take a 75-62 lead with 5:45 to play.

"We knew our run would come at some point," Whalen said.

The Lynx blocked a WNBA finals record 11 shots and held Atlanta to 37 percent shooting in their first finals game in franchise history.

"We couldn't find the rim for about four minutes," Dream coach Marynell Meadors said. "And everything we did resulted in points for Minnesota."

After 12 largely anonymous and often wretched seasons of existence, the Lynx finally broke through this year in a major way. With Augustus healthy for the first time in three years and Moore coming from UConn with the No. 1 overall pick, the Lynx blew the doors off the rest of the league, finishing 27-7, six games better than the second-best team.

The Twins and Timberwolves both finished in last place and the Vikings are off to an 0-4 start, leaving Minnesota's sporting public desperate for someone to cheer for.

The fired-up crowd of 15,258 - the second-largest in franchise history - was treated to a nerve-racking start.

The Dream just seemed a step quicker than the Lynx in the early going, with Harding running circles around Whalen and the rest of the Lynx in the first 13 minutes. They forced six turnovers and Harding hit two 3s as they jumped out to a 29-17 lead early in the second quarter.

The Dream are playing in the finals for the second year in a row after losing to Seattle last year. Not bad for a franchise that just started four years ago. They dispatched top-seeded Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals to get here, winning on the road in Game 3 to advance.

"The crowd energizes them and it just weighs you down," McCoughtry said. "It's good to know that we were the ones that kind of messed ourselves up. That's a good thing for us because we can adjust that."

The Rise of Seimone Augustus

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. -- A few months before the most successful season in Seimone Augustus's professional career, she got a letter from a fan.

In it, the fan told her that if Augustus were to play as hard as she could on both sides of the floor, the Minnesota Lynx's star guard would be "truly unstoppable."

Augustus took it to heart, much more than the average fan letter. Largely because it was sent by Tamika Catchings.

"I stopped right there," Augustus said. "I'm thinking, like, the player that Catch is, all the accolades she's won -- numerous Defensive Player of the Year awards -- for her to use the word �unstoppable,' she must be seeing something that I don't see in myself."

Then a teammate of Catchings' on Galatasaray, a powerhouse in the Turkish Basketball League, Augustus spent the rest of the summer getting beat up by the 2011 WNBA MVP in practice. When Augustus had the ball, there was Catchings. When Catchings had the ball, the implication was clear: Augustus better be there, too.

"If you know Catchings, you know what kind of player she is," Augustus said. "I got pushed every day in practice, so I had no choice but to come back here better than what I was before."

Augustus' trip to the summit of the WNBA -- she's the leading scorer for the team with the best record in the WNBA, playing for her (and the franchise's) first-ever title -- has taken a little longer than she would have liked. It's taken a little longer than many of her fans would have liked, too, as she suffered through five straight losing seasons (and a combined 63-107 record) in Minnesota after becoming the No. 1 overall pick in 2006.

But in 2011, everything -- at last -- came together, for essentially the first time since high school, when she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids under the headline "Is This the Next Michael Jordan?" In college, the two-time National Player of the Year brought L.S.U. to the Final Four three times, but never reached the championship game. Then the losing started. And through it all, Augustus did virtually everything right, as so much around her went wrong.

"It's just great to see her enjoying the season and playing so well," said Lynx teammate and Rookie of the Year Maya Moore. "Having to overcome so many things that I don't think a lot of people even realized were going on, it's just one of those feel-good stories that you see."

Which is why it seems like so long ago that Augustus came into the 2010 season 20 pounds overweight and then spent the whole year trying to catch up and trusting-trusting-trusting that she'd return to her No. 1 Pick/Future of the Franchise form, even though she wasn't quite sure she'd ever be able get there again.

"Honestly, Seimone Augustus is one of the most underrated players out there," said Atlanta Dream star Angel McCoughtry. "They have to give her more love and praise. She's just awesome. People don't really understand -- Seimone came back from an ACL injury. It's not easy coming back from an ACL injury, and I've never seen somebody come back and destroy the game like she has. People have to give her more props for that."

The hits came in succession.

Players moved in and out of Minnesota. Coaches, too. The ownership maintained faith in the team, but no amount of faith put enough wins on the board to even send the Lynx to a single Playoff appearance in Augustus' first five years in Minnesota.

"My dad used to always say 'You need to learn how to be a good loser before you can be a good winner,'" Augustus said. "I never understood what he meant by that until I got here. It was a very trying time. When you're losing, nobody's happy about the situation. You needed to be assured that the team was going in the right direction, that we were gonna try to get the right players here and get the right coaches to get some stability."

Then her ACL snapped, tearing like a broken contract in a game against the Phoenix Mercury in June of 2009. That took a year to recover from, and even that timetable was a little ambitious.

Knee injuries happen far more often to female athletes than their male counterparts. Especially the ACL, which tears at a rate five times more for women than it does for men, according to a story in the New York Times in 2009 [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/sports/ncaabasketball/27acl.html?pagewanted=all].

But for WNBA players, especially ones that play at a level as high as Augustus does, they're -- in some sense -- a fact of life. Love of the game equates, far too often, to the inability to play it.

"It's strenuous on the female's body to play basketball in general, but with the season we have, where international flows into WNBA and we never really get a break or time to recover from nick-nacking injuries, it ends up being a more significant injury," Augustus said. "It causes a whole lot of problems, so that's why we continue to fight to make it so that we can have the option to go overseas and let our bodies recover."

But she came back. She knew that she wouldn't have the burst that'd left so many defenders with warped ankles of the years, but she'd work until she got it back.

Then her body let her down again.

She'd had uterine fibroids for a long time, she said, but they never bothered her. Not until she was ready to get back on the court, when they flared up and forced her to have emergency abdominal surgery just before the 2010 season.

"They never gave me any trouble, and it seemed like as soon as I was ready to get back on the court it happened," Augustus said. "But I just took it and pushed forward."

"There were a lot of reasons to go hang her head," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. "It made her more determined. We're the beneficiary of those things, and it's been a great summer for her."

But she still had to lug herself through a 2010 year, and managed to score 16.9 points per game while she was at it (albeit at a career-low 42.9 percent from the field) in 25 games. That gave her 31 games, total, in two years, after she'd missed just three games (and averaged 21.26 points per game) during her pro career.

Then she went overseas and became the property of Tamika Catchings.

"And from that point forward every day [Catchings] came in and she made sure she guarded me on defense," Augustus said. "She made sure on the offensive end she was coming at me and making me play defense. I kind of took it in and respected the fact that she took me under her wing and tried to make me better."

And when she got back, committed to a team that had given her a new contract before that tumultuous 2010 season and finally rewarded her with Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson, coach Cheryl Reeve and a nice little bit of luck named Maya Moore, the burst was back, too.

"She's stepped up her game defensively, which has been so key to our team," Moore said. "It's amazing how she can come in and just get the job done on defense, and go down and kill people on offense.

"Even if other people don't recognize it, we see what she does for our team every day in the games," Moore continued. "She's always matched up against the other team's best guard and she's still leading our team in scoring. It's really amazing, and I don't know if she can really appreciate how hard that is from the outside. ... It's just so hard to be that player, and I'm privileged to play with somebody -- like a Tamika Catchings [does] -- who makes it look like it's easy, but it's so hard."

So Augustus isn't at the peak yet. But, for the first time in years, she's well on her way.

Said Moore: "I think she's gonna get even better. That's the scary part. I don't think she's even maxed out. I don't think she's even reached the top of what she can do."

The Duality of Angel McCoughtry

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. -- One-half of the WNBA's fiercest competitor was in a kissing sort of mood on Saturday,.

So, that other half, which you probably know as Angel McCoughtry, broke into Dream point guard Lindsey Harding's Media Day interview and planted one on her left cheek.

"Angel's my special girl," said Harding with a laugh.

That's the Angel that Angel McCoughtry would prefer you to know. But she knows -- because she hears it all -- that the person you know is not Angel. The person you know is Lori Ann, an alter-ego that was born on the pebbled courts of crime-torn East Baltimore about a decade ago.

"She comes out whenever she wants to," McCoughtry said of Lori Ann. "I haven't talked to her in a while, but usually she comes out in intense situations.

"I think I had too many cells, which kind of formed her in my brain, which made the illusion of Lori Ann come out," she continued in a deadpan, before breaking down and laughing.

To really capture Angel McCoughtry, the second-leading scorer in the WNBA and the catalyst behind the Dream's second straight run to the Finals - which begin on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Minneapolis -- you have to think in twos. In uneasy pairs. You have to think of the "goofball" off the court that her teammates glow about, and you have to think of the long-armed vortex that draws jeers every time she's on the road.

You have to think, too, of double natures. To McCoughtry, her alter-ego isn't just a part of her personality. Lori Ann's her own person, full of breath and power. "You ever see The Nutty Professor?" she said. And if you're going to think about double natures, you also have to think about double-standards, namely how noble aggression in male athletes morphs into a character flaw on the women's side.

"Some lady came up to my mom and was like, 'Is she mean?'" McCoughtry said. "My mom was like, 'No, my child is not mean!' ... You can't judge a person because they're playing basketball. You're supposed to be intense on the court, and if you're not, then what am I out there for?"

So in a sense, McCoughtry's double-life reflects the maturation of a player who's begun to embrace her role as a face of the WNBA. She's begun to understand the tricky junction where perception and professional edge meet, and how much responsibility comes with that. And that responsibility is why McCoughtry says, in one breath, that "you never explain yourself to anybody, because you can't make everybody happy," but still feels obligated to wrap up her WNBA.com chat on Friday by writing "please don't take my intensity on the court as a bad thing, but just passion for the game."

As such, Angel McCoughtry's facing the same problem that's long complicated the roles of women in the workforce: namely, how to split the difference between underwhelming and overbearing. Her workplace just happens to be televised on ESPN.

"I wish people could get to know Angel, because all they see is Lori Ann," she said. "They get like, 'Lori Ann is this or that,' but I wish they just got to know me."

What people do get to see is exactly what's made McCoughtry one of the most feared (and most productive) players in the WNBA. They get the yelling. The bravado. They get the pouting, which, in McCoughtry's defense, may just be a product of a set of lips that could sell magazines if they weren't selling fouls.

But that's not what you get off the court.

"Angel is one of friendliest people you'd wanna meet," she said. "She's shy, but outgoing at the same time -- if that makes sense. But she's very sweet. And Angel is a goofball."

If you're to believe her coaches and teammates' accounts, what makes Angel and Lori Ann tick is the same thing that's long sent writers stumbling to their desks in frothing pursuit of cliches. Real eye-of-the-tiger, killer-instinct, cutthroat stuff.

Not that any of that stuff is violent.

"She's just really rough and mean sometimes," McCoughtry said of Lori Ann. "She's a go-getter. She wants to win everything. I gotta explain to her like, 'OK, you're gonna win some, you're gonna lose some. Don't get mad, as long as you give your all."

Most of the time, though, all that talk goes nowhere.

And that's why you see the person wearing the 'McCoughtry' jersey doing things like yelling at refs. Or occasionally turning into a mechanical bull in the middle of the lane. Or refusing to come out of the game, like she did when Dream coach Marynell Meadors tried to sub McCoughtry out before halftime of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals -- teammates had to usher her off the court.

But in Lori Ann, there's also the person who absolutely takes over. Over the final two-and-a-half months of the regular season, nobody scored more points than McCoughtry, including eventual scoring champ Diana Taurasi. And as her scoring numbers and shooting percentage went up, so did the Dream's play.

"Angel is so competitive, and people mis-read that as having an attitude and things," Meadors said. "She does not have an attitude; she has a confidence that a lot of people don't have. But when she walks between the lines, she's going after the win."

Few players in the WNBA can match what McCoughtry -- or, Lori Ann (sometimes it's tough to know the difference) -- can do when she's on. And for the Dream to erase a 3-9 start this year and finish the season as the second-hottest team in the WNBA, they've needed every ounce of edge that McCoughtry could bring them.

"We've all seen the many sides of Angel," Harding said. "On the floor, off the floor. The thing we love about her is she wants to win. She doesn't care. No matter what it takes, no matter who she has to make mad, she wants to win. I love her competitiveness. ... Just don't make her mad. She's so serious, but it's because she wants to win."

"She's a different person than she is a player," said Dream guard Izi Castro Marques. "She's just a very focused athlete. Like, 'no matter what, I'm gonna win, I'm gonna run you over if I have to.'"

The thing is, McCoughtry says, Lori Ann fades away the minute she steps off the court.

"Thank God," she said. "Man, I wouldn't be a likeable person at all."

Off the court, she's the kind of person who organizes camps for underprivileged kids. And campaigns on behalf of Vaccines for Teens. And, ya know, kisses her point guard on the cheek.

But, as she's growing, she's learning that fans don't usually have the luxury to actually get to know the people they only see on the court. And as the WNBA grows, she'll have more eyes on her when she's at work, which means more chances for Lori Ann to mess up her reputation.

"They don't talk much, they just clash," McCoughtry said. "Lori Ann just comes out. She takes over."

But the clashes are becoming a little less vicious, Meadors said. McCoughtry's finding more and more ways to keep Lori Ann as her secret weapon.

"I see a maturity level she didn't have a couple years ago," Meadors said. "I think she is one of the young faces of this league."

So maybe it's helpful to think about Lori Ann as a complete "separate entity," as McCoughtry called her. Because to really understand Angel McCoughtry, it's best to see her as the point where Angel and Lori Ann and their kind live -- at an intersection. One of many things in and out of their control.

"I'm gonna continue to play the way I play -- with a passion and intensity," McCoughtry said. "Because this is the way I play, and I've been playing like this for a long time."

Finals Preview: (1) Lynx vs. (3) Dream

The 2011 WNBA Finals features a debut appearance for the Western Conference champion Minnesota Lynx and a return trip for the Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream.

The Lynx finished the regular season with a league-best and franchise-best record of 27-7 as they finished six games ahead of their closest competitors. After getting past the San Antonio Silver Stars in the Conference Semifinals for their first-ever playoff series win, the Lynx went on to sweep the Phoenix Mercury to advance to the Finals.

But while the Lynx's road to the Finals featured dominant play from Day One, similar to what 2010 champion Seattle did a year ago, the path was not as easy for the Dream.

After making it to the Finals in just their third year of existence in the WNBA, the Dream came into 2011 with the highest expectations they'd ever faced. Unfortunately, the opening month of the season was not kind, as the Dream dropped nine of their first 12 games while playing at less than full strength due to injuries to Angel McCoughtry, Iziane Castro Marques and Sancho Lyttle. Lyttle also missed the first six games of the season with commitments to her Spanish national team.

But once they got back to full strength, the Dream began to play the best basketball in the Eastern Conference over the last two months of the season. After their dismal 3-9 start, the Dream went 17-5 the rest of the way to climb from the cellar to the No. 3 seed in the East. While that secured them a playoff berth, it meant that the Dream would once again need to be road warriors if they wanted to win the title.

In 2010, they were the No. 4 seed and overcame the lack of home-court advantage to sweep through the Eastern Conference and advance to the Finals. But that was as far as they would get, as Seattle swept the championship series in three games. This year, the Dream once again found success on the road, sweeping the Sun in the first round and defeating the Fever in a decisive Game 3 in Indianapolis.

McCoughtry is the catalyst for the Dream and one of the most dangerous players in the WNBA, with her mix of speed, athleticism, scoring ability and defensive instincts. She is also one of the most passionate players on the court, which often fuels her game and inspires her team, but can also be a detriment at times.

The return of Lyttle also coincided with the Dream's run to the playoffs this season. The long, athletic power forward is usually joined on the frontline by Erika de Souza, who missed the final two games of the East Finals and will miss Game 1 of the Finals while she plays in an Olympic qualifying tournament for her Brazilian national team.

In de Souza's absence, Dream coach Marynell Meadors decided to go small in the Conference Finals by inserting Castro Marques into the starting lineup and going with a three-guard lineup to exploit their advantage in athleticism. Castro Marques responded with her two best games of the season to help the Dream advance. Meadors will have a similar decision to make in Game 1 of the Finals before de Souza returns for Game 2.

Together, Lyttle and de Souza form a potent front line combo, but the Lynx seem to have the perfect counter with their own athletic four in Rebekkah Brunson and the veteran savvy of Taj McWilliams-Franklin in the middle. Both Brunson and McWilliams-Franklin struggled in the first two games of the Conference Semis against San Antonio, but they since bounced back to help the Lynx to impressive wins in the decisive Game 3 with the Silver Stars (18-point win), as well as Game 1 (28-point win) and Game 2 (17-point win) of the West Finals against Phoenix.

While the play of the front line is important to the Lynx's success, their star power plays on the perimeter with league assist leader Lindsay Whalen orchestrating the show at the point, scoring machine Seimone Augustus at the two guard and rookie sensation Maya Moore at the small forward.

After two seasons marred by injury, Augustus has returned to form; she is capable of taking over any game with her ability to score from any spot on the floor. The last time she was this healthy the Lynx needed every single point she could provide in order to compete. That is no longer the case.

With the influx of talent in Minnesota over the past two seasons - Brunson (dispersal draft), Whalen (trade), McWilliams-Franklin (free agent) and Moore (college draft) - the Lynx now feature one of the most balanced attacks in the WNBA. In the past, an off shooting night from Augustus was insurmountable, but now there is enough talent surrounding her to pick up the slack. It also forces defenses to play her one-on-one more often, which only makes her more dangerous.

On the other wing is Moore, the 2011 Rookie of the Year, and a player accustomed to playing for championships. Moore admitted to being nervous prior to her first WNBA playoff game and it showed in her performance, as she averaged 13 points and five rebounds while shooting under 40 percent in the Conference Semifinals. She wouldn't stay down for long, as she responded with outstanding play in the Conference Finals, averaging 18 points, seven rebounds and shooting 57 percent from the field -- including a blistering 73 percent from 3-point range.

Watching the last two months of play in the regular season, no teams were hotter than the Lynx and Dream heading into the postseason. So this matchup does not come as a surprise. But now that it is here, how will things play out?

Will the league's best team throughout the entire season finish the job to claim their first WNBA title?

Or will the team that came up short in the Finals a year ago find a way to hoist the trophy this time around?

Some fast facts about the Finals matchup:

The Lynx swept the season series with the Dream in a home-and-home two-game set in mid-June. This was early in the season, when the Dream were still struggling to come together, and is not a true indicator of how competitive this series should be.

This series features two of the three highest-scoring teams during the regular season. The Dream finished second in the league with an average of 82.50 points per game, while the Lynx finished third at 81.50.

The Lynx were much better defensively during the regular season as they finished second in the league in points allowed with an average of 73.62 points per game, while the Dream were third to last at 80.79.

This is the first Finals in WNBA history to feature two female head coaches.

National team commitments have forced to Dream to play eight games shorthanded during the regular season and playoffs. This will increase to nine with de Souza's absence in Game 1 of the Finals.

After being ravaged by injuries for the past two seasons, the Lynx stayed healthy throughout the season. They used the same starting lineup for 33 of their 34 regular season games as well as all of their playoff games.

This series features four No. 1 overall draft picks with two per team: Minnesota's Seimone Augustus (2006) and Maya Moore (2011) and Atlanta's Lindsey Harding (2007, selected by Minnesota) and Angel McCoughtry (2009).