By October 2013, a WNBA champion will be crowned as the winner of the Eastern
Conference meets the winner of the Western Conference. The Indiana
Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2012 championship.
Despite being the defending champions, Indiana is not favorite to
repeat. That distinction belongs to the Phoenix Mercury. Here is a
look at the championship chances of the Mercury and the rest of the
league’s top teams.
Phoenix,
a perennial power, had a down year in 2012 thanks to injuries. That
led them to the No. 1 pick of the draft, where they drafted 6-foot-8
center Brittney Griner. With an expected lineup that includes Griner,
former MVP Diana Taurasi, and All-Star Penny Taylor, WNBA general
managers picked the Mercury to win the title. Phoenix, however,
started the season losing its first three games and picked up its
first win with Griner sidelined. Also, Taylor started the season on
the injured list as she recovers from knee surgery. Which Mercury
team will we see for the rest of the season? Will it be the preseason
favorites or the one that started slow out of the gate?
Minnesota
looks to win the title this year after coming up short last season.
The Lynx has a championship pedigree, winning the 2011 championship.
They have two of the league’s best players in Maya Moore and
Seimone Augustus. Add a solid role player like Lindsay Whalen and
Minnesota has the makings of a true team. Their experience and talent
can’t be overlooked and that is what makes them a contender for the
WNBA championship.
Indiana
is a team to watch in the Eastern Conference. They rode Tamika
Catchings to the title a year ago and she is capable of carrying them
to the promise land once more this year. Helping her out is the
steady play of Katie Douglas and the improved play of Shavonte
Zellous and Briann January. It will be important for Douglas, who has
had back problems, to stay healthy and the Fever just might be able
to repeat.
The
Los Angeles Sparks lost last season in the Western Conference Finals
and looks to get a step further this season. Candace Parker remains
the main attraction in L.A. The 6-foot-4 forward/center is one of the
most versatile players in the game. The addition of Lindsey Harding
will help to take some of the pressure off Parker and Nneka Ogwumike
will look to be even better in her second season in the league. Throw
in Kristi Tolliver and Los Angles will make noise in the west.
The
Connecticut Sun fought their way to the Eastern Conference’s best
record a season ago, before being upset in the playoffs. Tina Charles
and Kara Lawson form a dynamic duo in Connecticut. They got off to a
slow start at the beginning of the season, but are good enough to
overcome it and have playoff success.
Two
teams that are dark horses are Chicago and Atlanta. The Sky has
Epiphanny Prince and potential rookie of the year Elena Delle Donne.
The Dream has Angel McCoughtry and a little nucleus that went to
back-to-back finals in 2010 and 2011. Both teams started the season
winning four out of their first five games.
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