Truth be told, we took everything into consideration, except one: position. Unfettered by corporate restrictions, we picked who we thought were the best players rather than raising lesser talents above their level.
First team
Guard: Lindsay Whalen The floor general for the Connecticut Sun put up 12 points, four rebounds, and five assists per game, but it was her on-court leadership that led the Sun to the WNBA's best record. A healthy Whalen in the WNBA Finals, and Connecticut likely has the championship hardware.
Forward: Tamika Catchings Sure, the Fever forward had a subpar year shooting the ball -- but she was also the only player in the league to be in the top ten statistically in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. And did we mention her defense?
Forward: Sheryl Swoopes To think Houston almost traded the veteran forward to the Washington Mystics. Swoopes had her best season since 2002, putting up over 18 points per game, while shooting 45 percent from the floor. She also averaged a career-best 4.3 assists per game. And did we mention her defense?
Forward/Center: Lauren Jackson Her three-point shooting was down, but Lozzas had another stellar season, averaging nearly 18 points and over nine rebounds per game. She was among the top five players in several statistical categories, including points, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, total rebounds, blocks, field goals made, free throws made, minutes, and double-doubles.
Forward/Center: Yolanda Griffith Griffith is the Shaq of the WNBA. The best player in the NBA is arguably Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett (maybe Tracy McGrady), but the most dominant player, and the player teams (and coaches) fear the most, is Shaquille O'Neal. While Swoopes, Jackson, and Catchings were the three best players in the WNBA, Griffith was the one who struck the most fear in the opposition. During the last six weeks of the regular season and throughout the playoffs, she was simply a force of nature.
Second team
Guard: Deanna Nolan Forced to play out of position after the Detroit Shock acquired Katie Smith, Nolan elevated her game yet again, posting career highs in points (15.9), rebounds (4.7), and assists (3.7), while playing nearly 37 minutes per game.
Guard: Diana Taurasi Phoenix has yet to make the playoffs in the Taurasi era, but not because of Princess Deia. Taurasi put together a stellar sophomore campaign, averaging 16 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.15 steals, and countless "how did she do that?" moments.
Forward: Chamique Holdsclaw After missing the latter third of the 2004 season while suffering from depression, and despite having to endure the coaching of Henry Bibby, the change of venue to Los Angeles certainly agreed with the perennial top performer. Holdsclaw averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds, while posting career-bests in assist per game (3.2) and shooting (48 percent).
Forward/Center: Taj McWilliams-Franklin Midway through the season, there was a great deal of discussion concerning McWilliams-Franklin as a possible candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. While her numbers tailed off in the latter half of the regular season, the veteran post player was Connecticut's best (and most consistent) player during the 2005 playoffs.
Center: Lisa LeslieYes, Los Angeles was the most underachieving team in the WNBA. Yes, there was a lot of discussion of Leslie's numbers being down from previous years. And despite some questioning her game and her age, she ranked among the top ten players in scoring (15 points) and rebounding (seven caroms), while also being ranked among the top three players in both steals and blocks per game. Instead of comparing Leslie to herself, why don't we compare her to the rest of the WNBA?
Honorable mention
Guard: Sue Bird Twelve points, six assists, over 40 percent from three-point range, 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Yet another solid year for the Seattle Storm's point guard.
Guard: Becky Hammon Looking at Beckytrice's game, she could average close to 20 ppg if New York had a solid point guard and Hammon could play the two. Notwithstanding two somewhat forgettable playoff games, the 5-6 Hammon overachieved playing the point for the Liberty, averaging 14 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Guard/Forward: Nykesha Sales Since Mike Thibault arrived, Sales has gone from an overrated wing to one of the top small forwards in the WNBA. The numbers? 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and nearly two steals per game, complemented by shooting over 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Center: Ann Wauters From passive Euro-post to physical presence in the paint, the top choice in the 2000 WNBA draft had a breakout season, finally living up to her potential. Wauters put up 13.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 54 percent from the floor. A full year working with Marianne Stanley certainly did wonders for her game -- and she is only 24 years old.
Forward: Penny Taylor Lady Penelope Jane really has no idea how good she is. Often reluctant to shoot, the 6-1 Australian averaged over 13 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 46 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from three. She nearly made as many field goals as teammate Anna DeForge, but took 100 fewer shots to do it. After two years as the third option in Phoenix, look for Taylor to take a more active role and be more aggressive on the offensive end next season. And, like Wauters, she is only 24 years old.
All-Rookie team
Guard: Temeka Johnson The 5-2 point guard for the Washington Mystics was diminutive in stature only. She led all rookies in scoring (9.3 points) and passing (5.2 assists), while shooting 46 percent from the floor. And she ranked second in the entire league in assists.
Center: Katie Feenstra While her slow, halfcourt style did not always mesh well with San Antonio's uptempo backcourt, the 6-8 center still managed to put up 8.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in less than twenty minutes per game. And her numbers were better than the 2004 numbers for Margo Dydek, the Silver Stars' center she replaced.
Center: Sancho Lyttle In 13 minutes per game, Lyttle averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds and shot 58 percent from the floor, while showing off a marvelous display of raw athleticism. And she still managed to earn playing time even after Tina Thompson returned to the Houston Comets' lineup. When Van Chancellor avoids drafting foreign centers that do not play collegiately in the United States, good things happen.
Guard: Chelsea Newton The defensive ace from Rutgers managed to start at shooting guard for the top defensive team, and best team, in the WNBA. Her playoff performances, both offensively and defensively, were also very good.
Center: Suzy Batkovic While Batkovic and Detroit's Kara Braxton put up nearly identical numbers (6.9 points, just over three rebounds per game), Batkovic was the more consistent player of the two throughout the season and had a much better assist-to-turnover ratio.
Awards
Most Valuable Player: Sheryl Swoopes A tough call over Yolanda Griffith, Lauren Jackson, and Tamika Catchings, but Swoopes was clearly the best all-around player in the league.
Perimeter Defensive Player of the Year: Tamika Catchings A tough call over Sheryl Swoopes, but Catchings was just so ferocious on the defensive end, wreaking havoc upon all those who dared to cross her path.
Post Defensive Player of the Year: Yolanda Griffith This is where she earned her reputation for sheer dominance.
Rookie of the Year: Temeka Johnson
Best WNBA analyst (print): Mechelle Voepel Time and again, Voepel weaves the important and interesting stories together, knowing when to balance humor and gravity, light-heartedness and severity.
Best WNBA analyst (television): Rebecca Lobo The best color analyst in the game, Lobo is a master at dissecting offensive and defensive schemes in a manner that is informative to both the casual observer and the diehard fan.
Worst WNBA analyst (play-by-play): Mark Jones Basketball was not meant to be explained by using the same phrases (dropping dimes like a bank teller) year after year, while incorporating the lyrics to the latest hip-hop song. Mr. Jones, you're no Chick Hearn.
Worst WNBA analyst (color commentary): Nancy Lieberman and Ann Meyers (tie) Lieberman's incessant need to talk about herself and her lack of discretion when it comes to her Detroit coaching career are enough to think about using the mute button on the remote control. Meyers' incessant need to act as Lisa Leslie's bridal consultant is the catalyst for picking up the remote and actually using the mute button.
Worst General Manager move (coach): Penny Toler Toler hired Henry Bibby, one of the universally disliked coaches and someone with no experience in the women's game, to coach the Los Angeles Sparks. Five All-Stars, and Bibby still couldn't get the team to win.
Worst General Manager move (player): Pick one from the Charlotte Sting's Trudi Lacey. Signing Sheri Sam to a three-year deal worth over $70,000, when no one else was expressing interest at that level? Taking Janel McCarville over Tan White, in a deep frontcourt with Tangela Smith and Tammy Sutton-Brown? Moving Allison Feaster to the two, only to lose her midway through the season due to pregnancy (and not having Tan White to replace her)? Trading away Nicole Powell and watching her become the Most Improved Player?
Most Notable Statistic: Phoenix was 11-4 with Russian center, Maria Stepanova, and 5-14 without Espionage Barbie. Any questions?
Barry H. Uhrman is an attorney practicing with the Phoenix office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.