Getting Ready For WNBA Season With Some Major Additions, Subtractions – Hartford Courant

This weekend, the WNBA returns and the chase of the champion Los Angeles Sparks begins.

It has been an offseason of change, both in terms of personnel and front offices. Players have retired, been traded or simply decided not to play this summer following their overseas campaigns.

Big Loss For Fever

Tamika Catchings, one of the greatest players in WNBA history, has retired, so for the first time since 2002, the Indiana Fever will not have her on the court. Catchings has moved into the club's front office.

That's not the only thing the Fever have lost. Coach Stephanie White left after two seasons to become coach at Vanderbilt. And in her place is Pokey Chapman, who spent the past six seasons coaching the Chicago Sky. Chapman led Chicago to the playoffs in each of her last four seasons.

Missing An Angel

The troubling trend of star players taking time off will impact the Atlanta Dream. Angel McCoughtry, the Olympian who has led the team for the past eight seasons, is taking off the summer to rest. At issue always is that many players go from their WNBA season to playing overseas where the money is much greater, and that eventually takes a toll. McCoughtry has hinted that she might return before the season is over, but that does not help the Dream now.

In her place, Atlanta will place more trust and responsibility in former UConn player Tiffany Hayes. Now entering her sixth season, she was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 15 points. One aspect of Hayes' game that will have to improve is her three-point shooting. She made only 27 percent in each of the last two years.

Tough Times For Chiney

The Sun took a big hit well before the season began. The team learned over the winter that its best player, Chiney Ogwumike, would miss the season because of an Achilles injury sustained in China. To compensate, coach/GM Curt Miller bolstered the roster in the offseason with trades and free agents.

But without a legitimate star presence, the Sun will need to rely on a group effort spearheaded by their backcourt of Alex Bentley, Jasmine Thomas and Rachel Banham, who is recovering from knee surgery. Up front, look for UConn grad Morgan Tuck, Jonquel Jones and Lynetta Kizer to play big roles.

Stewart Already A Star

In her rookie season out of UConn, Breanna Stewart made a huge impact on the Seattle Storm and the league. She averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 blocks.

Stewart was so good that she finished sixth in MVP voting and was the runner-up for defensive player of the year. But she is not alone on the Storm.

The backcourt will again boast Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd, who, like Stewart, garnered all-WNBA honors last season. Bird averaged a league-high 5.8 assists and shot a career-best 44.4 percent on three-pointers. She is on pace to pass Ticha Penicheiro as the league's all-time assists leader.

New Star In D.C.

Perhaps Mike Thibault finally has a team that can contend for the WNBA championship now that he has former MVP Elena Delle Donne on his side. The Mystics acquired her in a trade with the Chicago Sky.

The Mystics also signed Kristi Toliver from Los Angeles. She was a key component of Los Angeles' championship team last season. Toliver is a skilled outside shooter, which will only open more doors for Thibault's offense. Another star in the making is forward Emma Meesseman, who shot almost 45 perent from three last season.

Taurasi: History Awaits

Diana Taurasi can move to the top of two major statistical milestones this season. She is 178 points from passing Tina Thompson (7,488) as the league's all-time leading scorer. And she is six made three-pointers behind Katie Smith (906) for No. 1 all time.

This is a particularly important season for Taurasi to play at her finest because Phoenix will be without Candice Dupree (trade), DeWanna Bonner (pregnancy) and Penny Taylor (retirement).

Hard To Forget

The Minnesota Lynx lost the WNBA championship in heartbreaking fashion last season when Nneka Ogwumike made the championship-winning shot with 3.1 seconds remaining in Game 5 in October.

"It's something that I don't think you'll ever forget. All the emotions. Both teams were easily champions, just one team had to lose," Maya Moore of the Lynx told WNBA.com. "It just adds to that fire and that hunger and that little chip on the shoulder to fight to get there again."

The Lynx have played in five WNBA Finals since 2011 and won championships in 2011, 2013, 2015.

Moving On

The biggest challenge the Sky will have is figuring out how to replace Delle Donne, who averaged 21 points and has defined the franchise since 2013. She helped the Sky make the playoffs four straight seasons and the Finals in 2014. She asked the team to trade her so she could be closer to her Delaware home and the Sky accommodated with the trade to Washington.

The Sky received former UConn player Stefanie Dolson, wing Kahleah Copper and the second pick in this year's draft. Chicago took center Alaina Coates of South Carolina. But the scoring will come from the backcourt, where Cappie Pondexter, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley will combine to create the team's best position. The team also has a new coach and general manager in Amber Stocks, an assistant for the Sparks.

Charles And Company

Tina Charles led the league in scoring (21.5) and rebounding (9.9) last season and was the MVP runner-up to Nneka Ogwumike. The former UConn star also led the Liberty in assists with a career-best 3.8.

The Liberty also have a talented backcourt. Sugar Rodgers averaged 14.5 points and made 86 three-pointers. The Liberty also added former UConn player Bria Hartley from Washington, drafted Notre Dame's Lindsay Allen and welcome the return of Epiphanny Prince, who played in only six games last season.

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Getting Ready For WNBA Season With Some Major Additions, Subtractions - Hartford Courant