INJURIES TAKING TOLL IN WNBA PRESEASON
By Dave Wohlhueter

Knee injuries have always been an obstacle that women playing basketball have encountered, and the WNBA is finding that out already this season. With just eight preseason games played so far in 2008, three teams will miss potential starters for possibly the entire year.

Sacramento forward DeMya Walker is gone for the year, and she didn't even make it to the WNBA preseason. Walker, an eight-year WNBA veteran, broke her right kneecap while playing in Russia. She will undergo surgery on May 9, and will be missing the action for six months.

This is the second setback for Walker, who tore a tendon in her right knee just five games into last season with Sacramento. She had undergone rehabilitation and cleared to play for a team in Orenburg, Russia. Walker was an all-star in 2005, when the Monarchs won the WNBA championship. She was the team's top scorer that year even though she missed half of the season with right knee injuries.

Last year's No. 1 draft choice, Lindsey Harding of Minnesota, is also on the injury shelf, after suffering a stress fracture of her left kneecap. Harding was playing with the U.S. Senior National team in China earlier in April. Her return to the Lynx is undetermined. In 2007, Harding led all rookies in scoring with 11.7 ppg. before tearing her ACL in the left knee. The most recent injury did not do any damage to the surgically repaired ligament.

Also gone for the 2008 season is Seattle Storm center Janelle Burse, who will miss the entire '08 campaign because of multiple injuries. The 6-5 Burse averaged 8.8 ppg. and 5.3 rpg. last year for the Storm. She set league records for rebounds in a quarter (10) and a half (16) vs. Phoenix on May 23, 2007.

Although healthy, Phoenix veteran forward Penny Taylor, a key cog in the Mercury winning the championship last summer, will miss a majority of the 2008 season because she will represent the Australian National team in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Taylor was one of only two WNBA players (Lauren Jackson was the other) ranked in the top 11 in points (17.8 ppg.), rebounds (6.3 rpg.), field goal percentage (.499) and free throw percentage (.884).

Although still having to ice her shoulder, Los Angeles rookie forward Candace Parker made her debut for the Sparks and did just that¡¦. sparkled. Pulled from the game with three minutes left in the third quarter, Parker scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out eight assists in LA's 86-80 exhibition win at Atlanta last Saturday night. Parker injured her left shoulder while helping Tennessee win the NCAA title at the Final Four.

Veteran center Lisa Leslie showed that she is back. Having missed all of last year on maternity leave, the three-time league MVP scored 18 points and corralled seven caroms in less than 20 minutes playing time for the Sparks.

Leading the expansion Atlanta team in its first competition in the WNBA was veteran forward Carla Thomas and rookie guard Tamera Young with 15 points apiece. The Dream was outscored 18-6 on the fast break, and 38-18 in the paint. An announced crowd of 7,932 watched the first WNBA game in Atlanta.

One of the most talented teams in the league this year should be Seattle. The Storm picked up three all-star forwards through a trade and free agency during the winter. In its opening exhibition, Seattle lost at Chicago, 66-46. Veteran all-star acquisitions Yolanda Griffith and Sheryl Swoopes started for the Storm and scored nine and three points, respectively, while playing briefly. Second-year guard Katie Gearlds grabbed seven rebounds vs. the Sky, and then tallied 11 points in a reserve role at Sacramento in a 70-68 loss to the Monarchs. Veteran forward Swin Cash, picked up by Seattle in a trade with Detroit, had 17 points in the loss to Sacramento, forward Shyra Ely and Griffith added 16 and 12 points, respectively. Kara Lawson, of ESPN fame, topped the Monarchs with 18 points.

Chicago is the surprise team during the early going. The Sky is 2-0 with the previous mentioned win over Seattle, and an 81-71 triumph vs. visiting Indiana. Rookie guard Quianna Chaney led Chicago with 11 points and second-year forward Brooke Queenan added 10 in the win over Seattle. Rookie center Sylvia Fowles, a teammate of Chaney's at LSU, played just 10 minutes, but grabbed six rebounds to go with six points in her WNBA debut. Fowles recorded her first pro double-double vs. Indiana with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a starter's role, playing nearly half the game. Second-year center Kasha Terry topped the Fever with 12 points.

Connecticut has also played two exhibition contests with mixed results. The Sun opened the season by losing 68-57 at Minnesota. Kerri Gardin, a rookie out of Virginia Tech, led a balanced Connecticut attack with eight points. Another rookie, the No. 3 pick in the draft, guard Candice Wiggins from Stanford, topped Minnesota with 18 points in 28 minutes of playing time. Rookie center Nicky Anosike, from Tennessee, grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lynx.

The Sun defeated visiting Phoenix 94-66 behind 15 points from rookie forward Amber Holt out of Middle Tennessee State. Veteran guard/forward Barbara Turner added 14. The Mercury did not play any starters from last year's championship team, and was led by rookie forward Willnett Crockett (UConn) with 12 points.

In the only other exhibition, Houston journeyed to San Antonio and defeated the Silver Stars 74-68. Rookies, guard Matee Ajavon out of Rutgers, and center Marcedes Walker from Pitt, each scored 13 points, and the former added six rebounds. Third-year forward Sandora Irvin and rookie guard Adrianne Ross, who played at TCU, topped San Antonio with 13 points apiece.

The exhibition season winds up on Tuesday, May 13.

Opening night is Saturday, May 17, with defending champ Phoenix entertaining the revitalized Los Angeles Sparks. Other games on opening night are Houston at Detroit, Atlanta traveling to Connecticut, Indiana entertaining Washington, San Antonio at Sacramento, and Chicago in the Northwest vs. Seattle.

Dave Wohlhueter is Gball's WNBA and women's college game expert. He is a former Sports Information Director at Cornell University, as well as a member of the school's Hall of Fame. He worked in media relations at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He recently was named the winner of College Sports Information Directors of America's 2007 Bob Kenworthy Good Person Award, which annually is awarded to a CoSIDA member for civic involvement and accomplishments outside the sports information office.