Detroit, L.A. still WNBA favorites

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The Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks look like the teams to beat in the WNBA. That might be the only similarity to last year.

The new season — which begins with three games tomorrow — features possibly the deepest rookie class ever, one fewer team and a monthlong break for the Olympics.

The Shock will be looking to follow the two previous champions in winning consecutive titles. The Houston Comets won the league's first four crowns, followed by Los Angeles' two in 2001-02.

"I believe it is easier to repeat than to win the first time," said Shock coach Bill Laimbeer, who won consecutive titles as a player with the Detroit Pistons in 1989-90. "Mentally, it's easier because you know what to expect, you've been there and you carry a little better attitude about you when you go play the games."

The Shock returns all five starters, and has added veteran Merlakia Jones and rookies Chandi Jones and Iciss Tillis.

"Everyone in the offseason was just trying to get better and raise their level so that what they're bringing back to the team is going to make our team better," said Ruth Riley, the MVP of the finals. "As a team, we want to continue on the pace we were on last year."

After losing the last two games of the best-of-three finals by a total of six points — including a one-point loss in Game 2 — the Sparks improved their depth by signing veterans Teresa Weatherspoon and Tamika Whitmore.

The WNBA lost two teams after the 2002 season, and another this year when the Cleveland Rockers folded. Still, league president Val Ackerman expects the 13-team league to add a 14th in the next two years.

"We feel very solid about our city locations and market locations, and are exploring expansion options in NBA and non-NBA markets," she said.

The average attendance for regular-season games was under 9,000 last year, slightly lower than the previous season, and about 2,000 below the 10,869 the league averaged in 1998.

The New York Liberty and Washington Mystics remained strong, averaging more than 12,000. The Connecticut Sun had the lowest average attendance, at just over 6,000 per game in the franchise's first season there since moving from Orlando. The Sun has already reported a 40 percent increase in ticket sales over last year.

With the dispersal of Cleveland's players to the remaining teams and the influx of highly touted rookies, led by the Phoenix Mercury's Diana Taurasi, the season should feature more parity.

"We expect to have the most competitive season," Ackerman said. "We had a strong finish to last season. We have great returning players, and add arguably the best rookie class we've had."

Ackerman believes the WNBA will benefit from the record ratings for the NCAA championship game in which Taurasi led Connecticut to its third straight championship.

The title game drew the highest ratings since ESPN began broadcasting the event in 1996. In addition, the Huskies' 70-61 victory over Tennessee was the most-watched basketball game — men's or women's, collegiate or pro — in the network's 25-year history.

"Interest in women's basketball is growing," Ackerman said.

The Mercury, a league-worst 8-26 last year, has seven newcomers — including four rookies, and free-agent veterans Tonya Edwards and Nikki McCray.

"A lot of people aren't expecting this team to do much. At the same time, we're excited where we're at right now," Taurasi said. "I think we can make some noise and get some good wins under our belt early, which will help us for the rest of the year."

Other prominent rookies include former Duke star Alana Beard with the Washington Mystics, Stanford's Nicole Powell with the Charlotte Sting, and Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen with the Sun.

The league will be taking a break from Aug. 2-31 for the Olympics. Ackerman estimated approximately 35 WNBA players, including the 12 on the U.S. national team, will participate in the Athens Games.