There are several weeks to go before the All-Star rosters are announced -- hey, the season hasn't even started yet -- but with a little help from ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman and ESPN.com columnist Mechelle Voepel, here's our preseason take on the top five players in the WNBA's Eastern Conference (with a look at last season's stats):

PRESEASON ALL-EAST TEAM

Chamique Holdsclaw Washington | No. 1 | fourth season | F | 6-2 | Tennessee '99 | WNBA.com bio Lieberman: She's a good outside shooter who can also post you up, and she's excellent in one-on-one situations, with all sorts of crazy moves. Holdsclaw is a fantastic rebounder at both ends of the floor. Voepel: For all the negative publicity she has received since entering the league, Holdsclaw's actually developed into a very productive pro. G MPG FG 3FG FT RBG APG PPG 29 33.6 40.0 23.9 68.2 8.8 2.3 16.8

Shannon Johnson Orlando | No. 14 | fourth season | G | 5-7 | South Carolina '96 | WNBA.com bio Lieberman: You want her on your team. She's a powerful, competitive leader and a fantastic, 94-foot defender. She gets in your face, turns you in the backcourt and wears you out. Johnson also has great quickness off the dribble, and is a good finisher who is clutch midrange to the 3-point line. G MPG FG 3FG FT RBG APG PPG 26 30.2 36.7 36.5 75.7 3.0 2.6 11.6

Merlakia Jones Cleveland | No. 25 | sixth season | G | 5-9 | Florida '95 | WNBA.com bio Lieberman: She has improved every year and taken her game to the next level, which is evident in the fact that she's training with the U.S. national team. Jones is a dynamic slasher with a great pull-up jump shot. Voepel: Jones is just a fabulous scorer. G MPG FG 3FG FT RBG APG PPG 30 33.3 43.8 26.5 79.3 5.5 1.5 10.6

Taj McWilliams-Franklin Orlando | No. 11 | fourth season | F/C | 6-2 | St. Edwards '93 | WNBA.com bio Lieberman: This ultimate team player is a great post who can get you a double-double every night. She's a very quick jumper and is tenacious on the boards. McWilliams-Franklin also is a solid finisher around the basket -- she doesn't take bad shots. At the other end, she is a solid shot-blocker who also knows where to be and when to rotate to help. Voepel: Until you look at her numbers, you don't realize just how much McWilliams-Franklin gets done game in and game out. G MPG FG 3FG FT RBG APG PPG 32 33.1 47.4 20.0 74.4 7.6 2.2 12.6

Tari Phillips New York | No. 24 | fourth season | C/F | 6-1 | Central Florida '91 | WNBA.com bio Lieberman: Phillips, the ultimate competitor, is an undersized post who's explosive to the ball. She has nice traditional post moves and can also face up and shoot. An excellent defender. Voepel: She really came into her own since joining the Liberty and has become their go-to player. G MPG FG 3FG FT RBG APG PPG 32 32.8 50.7 00.0 58.4 8.0 1.1 15.3

Note: Elena Baranova also received votes from both experts, but was removed from the top five because she's not returning this season. Voepel also nominated Nykesha Sales and Andrea Stinson.