Sorry that this is a bit late. Here's the first of two "Ask Nancy"
columns from the WNBA website for the 2008 WNBA season.

I particularly like the response Nancy gave in the last question
writer. As a single guy, I can relate to what the letter writer is
saying. And I love Nancy's response!

Enjoy!

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http://www.wnba.com/voices/asknancy_080522.html

ASK NANCY: May 22, 2008

Basketball Hall-of-Famer and ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman answers
your questions and e-mails throughout the year.

To submit a question of your own, go to:
http://www.wnba.com/voices/asknancy.html

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QUESTION #1: OK, Nancy, I know it's early, but I want your WNBA
Finals and playoff picks in both leagues. Let's also get your MVP,
DPOY, Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player. Thanks and can't
wait to see you on the broadcasts again this year!
- Tasha, Arkadelphia, Ark.


NANCY'S REPONSE: Wow...that's a lot of questions… But it's a good way
to preview the season. So here goes...

I have Detroit in the East and L.A. in the West. Coming out of the
East, I have Detroit and New York. I also think Chicago will be a
playoff team. If Tamika Catchings plays, Indiana will be a playoff
team. If Catch doesn't play, I think Connecticut and Washington are
somewhere in that mix. In the West, I have L.A., Seattle, San Antonio
and Phoenix. After that I have Minnesota, Sacramento and Houston.

If I had to pick a champion right now, I would have to go with L.A.
They're a tough matchup for anyone because of their talented bigs,
Lisa (Leslie) and then Candace (Parker) and DeLisha Milton-Jones,
both of whom can shoot the three. The fact that Temeka Johnson is
healthy again also helps. They also made a sleeper deal to get Marie
Ferdinand-Harris because she is such a good slasher to the basket,
which replaces Mwadi (Mabika) in the lineup. The other X-factor: Who
would have thought Sidney Spencer would have been runner-up to Rookie
of the Year a year ago?

I think the Sparks have a really nice core of seven or eight players.
Michael (Cooper) gets the best out of his players. I think the
rivalry between Coop and Bill Laimbeer is also kind of interesting,
and I'm sure it goes back to when they played against each other in
the NBA. Bill is able to look down on some other people and
say, "Hey, I have championship rings." But he doesn't have as many as
Coop. :)

As for my MVP pick, I'll go with Lauren Jackson. She is only getting
better. She is rejuvenated. She had another great season in Russia.
Her body looks amazing and it's obvious that she is taking care of
herself. She has had so many injuries early in her career and she was
never heavy. But she is learning how to be a pro's pro with her body.

Defensive Player of the Year? That is an award that Catchings is
always hanging around. But it could end up being someone like a
Sylvia Fowles, who is going to change the paint and the shot
selection for teams playing the Sky. Armintie Price is a heck of a
defender, too. She is going to get a lot of playing time. Cheryl Ford
is always there. Katie Douglas has been first team. I don't think she
will be Defensive Player of the Year, but she is always in the mix.

As for Rookie of the Year, I'll say that Sylvia is going to have more
pressure on her to perform for the Sky, which means that she'll also
get more playing time. Even if Candace has an extraordinary season
and is able to keep it going at a level even close to her opening day
performance, I still see L.A. running their offense through Lisa
Leslie. One, because she can produce, and, two, because its respect.

Most Improved? Hmmm, I think it's going to go to Kara Lawson. Lawson
has spent so much time in the gym, working on her body, taking it
seriously, watching film. For years, everyone told Kara Lawson that
she had to be quicker. But you know what? With all of her brilliance
and IQ, what she really needs to do is slow down. Trying to go too
quickly, she wasn't seeing things unfold. And I think the Monarchs
have worked so hard at slowing her down mentally so that she sees the
play better.

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QUESTION #2: Will the Atlanta Dream do well in their rookie year?
- Kal, Washington, D.C.


NANCY'S REPONSE: The Atlanta Dream will do a lot of things in their
rookie year. But "well" may not be one of them. ;)

What I will say is that I predict it will be a dream for the fans in
Atlanta that there is a team in their city. I just think that right
now Meadors will get the best out of her team. She has a lot of
talent but she has a lot of players that are role players. And
knowing how to come off the bench and knowing how to be a star are
two different mentalities. It is going to take time to learn that.

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QUESTION #3: I know she had an incredible debut last weekend, but I
want to know how you think Candace Parker will do in the WNBA.
- Sporty, Garden City, Kan.


NANCY'S REPONSE: I think that Candace Parker will be rich. (Thank you
Gatorade and Adidas.) I also think she will be star. Will she be the
MVP of the league this year? No, I don't think so. Will she be a
definite star, an asset, a terrific player? Yes.

I suspect that Michael Cooper will move her around. See, she and
Sylvia Fowles are just special players. These guys come around like
once a decade. She will have a phenomenal rookie year on all levels.
I only hope that she stays healthy.

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QUESTION #4: I'm not trying to get you in trouble here, Nancy, but
the kerfuffle about Becky Hammon has me seriously curious.

I would never call her a "traitor," though I do think that perhaps
she is attaching a little too much importance to playing in the
Olympics, but that's not my core issue.

My question is this: With all the people who are of the opinion that
Hammon SHOULD be on the U.S. National Team, who would have to be
removed from the roster to make room for Becky? Bird? Taurasi?
Lawson? Smith? Beard? Douglas? Do we drop someone from the
frontcourt? What is the solution? It's not as though Becky Hammon is
or will be the only U.S. oversight. How is such a situation to be
dealt with, really?
- Jerry, Austin, Texas


NANCY'S REPONSE: Interesting question, Jerry. I think that this whole
issue with Becky Hammon could have been eliminated two years ago if
USA Basketball had just shown her the respect and literally just put
her name on a list. I think that is where it started and it could
have ended right there. Three years ago, she didn't deserve to be on
the list when she was coming off the bench.

But more recently, Becky Hammon just wanted the opportunity and I
think she earned the right to have an opportunity. It is a little
bizarre to me that she has never played on a USA team. That is mind
boggling to me. Over the last two years, you can't name five players
better than Becky Hammon. She has raised her game and done it with
class and dignity.

And she had a tough decision to make when she was finally offered an
opportunity to go to Chile last fall. But think of it from her
perspective, and let's just talk pure business here: If you are Becky
Hammon and your dream is to play in the Olympics… and you don't think
you are going to be able to make the USA Olympic team… do you go to
Chile knowing that that takes away any chance you might have to play
for Russia in the Olympics?

I don't think her dream was to play for Russia in the Olympics, but
you have to take the opportunity where and when it comes. And this is
America, the land of opportunity and good business decisions (except
for $4/gallon gas). If somebody said we think you have less than a 50
percent chance of making our Olympic team… and somebody else said
that if you get your citizenship and you play for our Olympic team,
we will pay you seven figures… what would you do? It was an
extraordinary opportunity for her. And I believe in my heart that if
Becky Hammon thought she had a real chance of making the USA team,
she would have gone to Chile last fall. So with the Russian option
available, she didn't want to ruin her shot at achieving her dream.
It is also a lot of money.

I couldn't play for another country. That is just me. But whatever
Becky does, I support. How can you fault somebody when someone is
giving you this incredible opportunity?

I know everyone is going to have an opinion. And Becky is going to
need to have a thick skin. But she has to make the best decision for
her. The same way you made the decision to send this e-mail in. That
was your decision. Becky has her own.

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QUESTION #5: What rookie will make the greatest impact for her team?
- Tanpop, Dallas


NANCY'S REPONSE: Candace seems like the obvious pick, but I think it
will ultimately be Sylvia Fowles because she will be a dominant post
on a team that doesn't have a dominant post. To put her and Chasity
Melvin and Candice Dupree together gives them a very formidable
lineup. Chas Melvin can be a good mentor because she has been in the
league for so long. But I just think that because of the time Fowles
is going to be on the court, she has an opportunity for that award.

Matee Ajavon is also playing unbelievable basketball. The deal with
her in Houston is almost like the old Michael Jordan theory at North
Carolina: Who is the only one who can hold Michael Jordan to under 20
points per game? Dean Smith, because his offense was such a team-
based atmosphere. It is the same thing at Rutgers with Coach
Stringer. In Houston, Matee won't be the point guard. She will slide
over to the two. It wouldn't surprise me to see Matee Ajavon
averaging high double figures in scoring and having some real
breakout games this season.

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QUESTION #6: I am a male fan who is often ridiculed by my friends for
watching the WNBA. They constantly tell me I'm lame. I tell them that
good basketball is good basketball. But they do not listen, and
sometimes I feel like giving up. Why do you think this perception
exists, and what can be done to dispel it?
- Jock


NANCY'S REPONSE: First, Jock, we can change your peer group. I don't
want to be the bearer of bad news, but...Get new friends. ;)

Secondly, you can educate, you can be strong, and if they can see you
really enjoy this and you are passionate, maybe your enthusiasm can
rub off on them. They just need to see enough of the WNBA...and if
after a period of time, you see that they are not coming around, go
back to the last paragraph: Get rid of your peer group.

We have been doing this for 30 years, but maybe trying asking them to
come one time, to one game, and if you don't like it, you don't have
to come back. You can't say you don't like something if you haven't
seen it. I would just encourage them to come out, to watch and to not
just think of it as women playing sports, but as athletes competing
at the highest level. Maybe they'll appreciate the fact that we
execute and we run plays, we hustle and there is passion and there is
a terrific connection to the fans.

And I'll also say that some of your friends probably won't appreciate
what is going on until they have a daughter. But then it will change
how they view the opportunity and how they ought to support that
opportunity.

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Steven
Sacramento, CA