A Women's Game?

The WNBA is now in it's 12th season and the women's game is evolving at an amazing pace. Of the league's 14 teams however, only five are coached by women. New York's Pat Coyle, in her fourth full season, is the dean of the group, which includes Houston's Karleen Thompson and Sacramento's Jenny Boucek, both in their second years. Indiana's Lin Dunn, who is in her first season with the Fever, also piloted Seattle from 2000-2002. Marynell Meadors is in her first season with Atlanta. So far only Seattle's Anne Donovan, who coached the Storm to a title in 2004, has won a championship. Donovan resigned following the 2007 season and will try to lead Team USA to a gold medal in the upcoming Olympics.

Five Questions With Liberty Center Janel McCarville

Q: Last year you won the Most Improved Player award. What was the key to your turnaround?
A: Confidence, overall -- just having people believe in me and also getting the playing time I needed. I got a lot of confidence overseas, which carried over into the WNBA season.

Q: You also had health issues with your back. How did that affect your game?
A: My first two years I played injured in Charlotte -- a herniated disc that turned into a ruptured disc … it was to the point where I couldn't walk. I didn't quite have tingling sensations in my legs, but it limited my mobility and overall flexibility as well … I am obviously never 100 percent healthy with minor injuries here or there, but I am back to where I was in college.

Q: Right now you are playing in New York -- a city with a lot of stars and a lot of media. Where does the Liberty fit into all of that?
A: We are right up there. There is not too much going on in the summer other than the baseball season. Baseball, with their schedule, pretty much plays every day so that kind of gets old, depending on how much you want to watch baseball. We are next in the mix -- we get decent crowds, around 8,000 people for home games and have loyal fans. I think it's great for us.

Q: What do you like to do around town? There must obviously be a lot to do in New York.
A: Nothing! I never go to the city, actually. I like to stay at home, out of the hustle and bustle of the place. When I do get there, it's nice to go out to some of the nice restaurants, site-see a little bit, but for the most part, just hang out, kick it and shop.

Q: Is New York overwhelming for you, a Midwesterner?
A: Not overwhelming, just not what I am always into. I don't need the fast-paced lifestyle. I enjoy it every now and then, I like being there and having the opportunity to go to New York when I want, but I also enjoy being able to get out of New York when I want as well.

Dreamin' For a Win

Being an expansion team is never easy, but nobody in Atlanta thought it would take this long for the Dream to pick up their first win. After its 100-92 loss at Detroit on June 29, Atlanta fell to 0-15. The Dream open a three-game home stand against the defending champion Mercury on July 1 and hope their victory drought will end soon.

The West is Best

As the 2008 season nears its midpoint, it is becoming clear that the Western Conference is superior to the East. As of June 30, only Sacramento and Houston -- both 7-8 -- are below .500, while the Eastern Conference has only two winning teams, Detroit and Connecticut, each at 12-5. The last two expansion teams, the before-mentioned Dream and Chicago (2006) call the Eastern Conference home, and New York sits at third place with a 7-7 mark.

And Finally…

When the Minnesota Lynx acquired forward LaToya Thomas from Detroit on June 22, she became the third No. 1 overall pick on their roster. Thomas, the top selection in 2003, joins Seimone Augustus (2006) and Lindsey Harding (2007).