Cleveland Rockers
Coach: Dan Hughes
Last season: 22-10; after finishing first in the conference during the regular season, Cleveland lost 2-1 to Charlotte in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Key stats: Rockers boasted the league's best defense, allowing an average of just 55.8 ppg; offense ranked 13th at 62.6.
Key returners: G Merlakia Jones (led team with 13.5 ppg), F/C Chasity Melvin (led team with 5.7 rpg), F Rushia Brown, C Ann Wauters, G Mery Andrade, G Jennifer Rizzotti, F Penny Taylor, G Helen Darling (out indefinitely after giving birth to triplets in April).
Key additions: F Deanna Jackson (No. 8 overall draft pick), G Brandi McCain (24th pick), C Angie Welle (31st pick).
Players lost: C Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough (traded to Miami), F Eva Nemcova (will not return).
Skinny: Cleveland returns a group of veterans that are some of the best in the game, plus two great young players in Taylor and Wauters. The Rockers, who are great on the offensive glass, will be a playoff team again. Defensively, they're also very strong, and do an excellent job of taking away areas of the floor and making opponents take shots they normally wouldn't take.

Detroit Shock
Coach: Greg Williams
Last season: 10-22; finished seventh in Eastern Conference and missed playoffs.
Key stat: The Shock had five picks in the first two rounds of April's WNBA Draft; offense averaged 65.7 ppg; defense allowed 70.9 ppg.
Key returners: C Astou Ndiaye-Diatta (led team with 11.8 ppg), F Wendy Palmer (led team with 7.0 rpg), G Dominque Canty (out six weeks with broken left hand), G Edwina Brown, G Deanna Nolan.
Key additions: F Swin Cash (No. 2 overall draft pick), G/F Lenae Williams (18th pick), F Ayana Walker (20th pick), C Jill Chapman (21st pick), G Kathy Wambe (22nd pick).
Players lost: F Carla Boyd (injured), G Jae Kingi (will not return), G Claudia Maria das Neves (traded to Phoenix/Miami), G Rachael Sporn (pregnant), F Elena Tornikidou (will not return).
Skinny: There are many new faces in Detroit. A lot of the Shock's success this season depends on how well Wendy Palmer plays. Still, the Shock don't have a true point guard. The big questions are who is Detroit's leader on the court and in the locker room.

Indiana Fever
Coach: Nell Fortner
Last season: 10-22; finished sixth in Eastern Conference and missed playoffs.
Key stat: Phoenix just one of three teams whose top scorer didn't rank among the top 15 leading scorers in the league; offense ranked fifth with 67.2 ppg; defense allowed an average of 70.2 points.
Key returners: G Rita Williams (led team with 11.9 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.3 spg), F Tamika Catchings (returns after missing 2001 with torn ACL), C Olympia Scott-Richardson.
Key additions: G Nikki McCray (trade with Washington), G Bridget Pettis (trade with Phoenix), C Tawana McDonald (No. 13 overall draft pick), F Zuzi Klimesova (17th pick).
Players lost: G/F Stephanie McCarty (injured), F Angie Braziel (traded to Washington), G Gordana Grubin (traded to Phoenix), F Jurgita Streimikyte (will not return).
Skinny: Fortner made a great trade to get McCray, a veteran who can play defense and score. But Tamika Catchings is the strength of this team. She can shoot it, take it to the basket and put it on the floor. As great as Sheryl Swoopes and Chamique Holdsclaw are, they only have half of Catchings' pure athleticism. This kid is just amazing.

Miami Sol
Coach: Ron Rothstein
Last season: 20-12; lost (2-1) to New York in Eastern Conference semifinals.
Key stat: Sol sported the league's second-best defense (59.3), but offense ranked 14th (61.1 ppg).
Key returners: F Sheri Sam (led team with 13.9 ppg), F Elena Baranova (questionable due to national team commitments), , G Sandy Brondello, G Debbie Black, C Ruth Riley.
Key additions: G Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough (trade with Cleveland), G Claudia Maria das Neves (trade with Phoenix), G/F Tamara Moore (No. 15 overall draft pick), G/F Lindsey Yamasaki (29th pick).
Players lost: F Tracy Reid (traded to Phoenix).
Skinny: This is an incredibly well-coached team that should make another postseason appearance. Ruth Riley could be the difference-maker for Miami after working very hard in the offseason.

New York
Coach:Richie Adubato
Last season: 21-11; lost 2-1 to Charlotte in Eastern Conference finals.
Key stat: Liberty was 13-3 at home; offense ranked fourth in the league (and top from the East) with 67.5 ppg; opponents scored an average of 65.0 ppg.
Key returners: F/C Tari Phillips (led team with 15.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg), G Teresa Weatherspoon (led team with 6.3 apg, 1.7 spg), F Crystal Robinson, F Sue Wicks, G/F Vickie Johnson, G Becky Hammon, F Tamika Whitmore.
Key additions: G Korie Hlede (trade with Utah), G Shondra Johnson (trade with Houston), F Linda Fröhlich (No. 26 overall draft pick).
Players lost: G Grace Daley (traded to Houston), G Rebecca Lobo (traded to Houston), G Andrea Nagy (traded to Sacramento).
Skinny: If you're going to build a model for a franchise, you should sit down and spend time with Liberty GM Carol Blazejowski. Nearly every year the Liberty have been in the playoffs and playing for the championship Tamika Whitmore is the X factor. She is in great shape and is a veteran who must give New York some high-low post presence.

Orlando Miracle
Coach: Dee Brown
Last season: 13-19; finished fifth in Eastern Conference and missed playoffs.
Key stat: Miracle had the league's sixth-best offense (66.8 ppg); defense allowed 68.9 ppg.
Key returners: F Nykesha Sales (led team with 13.5 ppg, 2.2 spg), F Taj McWilliams-Franklin (led team with 7.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg), G Shannon Johnson, G Adrienne Johnson (back after missing 2001 because of an injury), G Katie Douglas, G Elaine Powell.
Key additions: C/F Clarisse Machanguana (trade with Charlotte).
Players lost: None.
Skinny: Orlando made a very good trade by picking up Machanguana, who is smart, can rebound and defend, and is an experienced playoff veteran. Douglas can be a big factor for Orlando, but she needs to stay healthy.

Washington Mystics
Coach: Marianne Stanley
Last season: 10-22; finished eighth in Eastern Conference and missed playoffs.
Key stat: Chamique Holdsclaw ranked fifth in scoring, fourth in rebounding; Washington was 2-14 on the road last season and won just four conference games; offense ranked 15th with 60.2 ppg; defense allowed 64.8 ppg.
Key returners: F Chamique Holdsclaw (led team with 16.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg), F/C Vicky Bullet (led team with 1.8 bpg, 1.7 spg), G Annie Burgess (led team with 2.8 apg), G Coco Miller, F Murriel Page.
Key additions: G Stacey Dales-Schuman (No. 3 overall draft pick), F Asjha Jones (No. 4 pick).
Players lost: G Nikki McCray (traded to Indiana).
Skinny: Chamique Holdsclaw is the key here. She has to prove that she can carry this team without Nikki McCray and be the superstar. Draftees Dales-Schuman and Jones will change this franchise, and coach Stanley will make the Mystics a better team both offensively and defensively.