Like the NBA, the best teams in the WNBA are in the Western Conference. Two-time defending champion Los Angeles is still the favorite, but Houston, which won the first four titles in league history, is a close second.

And while Houston fans are happy to see the Big Three -- Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson -- back together again, most of the West coaches probably don't mind not having to face Natalie Williams in conference play after San Antonio traded away the four-time all-star to Indiana in the East.

Still, the West is loaded with talent. Swoopes, L.A.'s Lisa Leslie and Mwadi Mabika and Seattle's Sue Bird were each named to last season's All-WNBA first team.

Our take on how each Western Conference team is shaping up as tipoff approaches (in predicted order of finish):

LOS ANGELES SPARKS

In 2002: Finished 25-7; swept both Seattle (conference semifinals) and Utah (conference final) in the West before going 2-0 against New York to win its second consecutive WNBA title. Skinny: The Sparks are a great team that's stacked at every position with a good mix of youth and experience. And if you look at Los Angeles' roster, you could say the Sparks have about eight of the best players in the world. Lisa Leslie is the best post in the world, and just when you think you might be closing the gap, she just gets better, by hiring a new personal trainer or working out with Magic Johnson. Leslie, who continually impresses us with her undying desire to improve her game, can play the 5 or even the 3 because she can hit from inside and outside, hit the 3 or even dunk (last summer, she became the first player to dunk in the WNBA). The Sparks also have Mwadi Mabika, a great 3-point shooter who's also unbelievable off the dribble and only getting better, and DeLisha Milton, a great defensive player who has a great attitude and is so professional on the floor. Tamecka Dixon is another great player at both ends of the floor, although she must concentrate on shot selection to get her game back to an all-star level. And Nikki Teasley had no problem taking her game to the next level. L.A.'s only major loss is Vedrana Grgin-Fonseca, the 6-foot-1 Croatian forward who suffered a torn ACL. Jennifer Gillom -- the second-leading scorer in WNBA history behind Leslie who was signed as a free agent after years in Phoenix -- will help fill that void, and although she'll probably be coming off the bench, Gillom will be able to come in and give the Sparks some quality minutes. The bench also is loaded with veterans such as Latasha Byears, who's tough and as good an offensive rebounder as there is. Sophia Witherspoon has been to the playoffs every year except one, and Nicky McCrimmon is a solid role player who can shoot the 3. Although L.A.'s draft picks haven't worked out so far -- Jackie Stiles (final pick in the dispersal draft) will miss the season to recover from surgery to correct the bursitis in her heel, and Schuye LaRue was suspended shortly into training camp -- the Sparks are in excellent shape and eyeing a threepeat. They are very well-coached and have all the key ingredients back. The only thing L.A. should probably focus on is cutting down on its turnovers.

HOUSTON COMETS

In 2002: Finished 24-8 (second-most wins in the league behind L.A.); lost 2-1 to Utah in the Western Conference semifinals; was a league-best 14-2 at home. Skinny: The WNBA held two drafts last month (college and dispersal), but nobody got a better addition than Houston, which will see its "Big Three" reunited as Cynthia Cooper comes out of retirement to team up once again with Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, who combined to lead Houston to the first four titles in WNBA history. Cooper, who retired in 2000, is a four-time all-star and two-time league MVP who led the WNBA in scoring three times. She averaged 21.1 points in her four previous seasons, and although the 40-year-old might not be as dominating as she has been in the past, she'll still be very effective, similar to Michael Jordan's impact at Washington. Swoopes, the reigning MVP, was great last year, and like most players, should be even better this season in her second year back after the torn ACL. Janeth Arcain also is a big part of this team and is largely unsung. The X-factors here, however, might be Dominique Canty and Ukari Figgs. Canty is a great slasher and rebounder and one of the best defenders in this league. She's not a 3-point shooter, but she can hit consistently from 15 or 16 feet and in. Canty gives the Comets a lot of versatility, and although she won't start, she should see a lot of minutes. Same goes for Figgs, who was set to retire -- she's an engineer for Toyota and was going to start fulltime there in September -- until Van Chancellor talked her into playing and worked out some sort of way to make both work. Houston has plenty of depth. Michelle Snow, a difficult matchup who will cause problems for opponents this season, is going to be a great pro. Mfon Udoka, who is reminiscent of a young Latasha Byears with an outside shot, is a great rebounder who can play the 3, 4 or 5. The bottom line is that Houston is not only a contender for the West title but also for the league crown. The Comets are very talented and one of the best defensive teams in the WNBA. Houston, which had most of its players working together in the NWBL in the offseason, just needs more scoring and to continue to be a dynamic defensive team.

SACRAMENTO MONARCHS

In 2002: Finished 14-18 after winning 12 of final 16 games. Skinny: Injuries played a big part of the Monarchs' losing record last season, but this is a very talented team that should be just fine. Yolanda Griffith, a perennial all-star and former WNBA MVP, played in just 17 games, Ticha Penicheiro sat out eight games and Edna Campbell missed all but one game as she battled cancer. So you can't say Sacramento didn't play well; it just didn't have its stars. The Monarchs should be healthy this season, however, and field a pretty unbelievable roster, including additions DeMya Walker and Adrienne Johnson, who both had great seasons last year for Portland and Orlando, respectively. I love these types of players. Both had been written off and cut from teams, but they went back into the gym and worked hard to reinvent their games. Johnson sat on Cleveland's bench for two years, then became an all-star for Orlando last summer. And Walker, who's 6-4, tough to defend and has the ability to face up or post you, now joins Griffith and several other vets in the starting lineup. Griffith is one of the most athletic posts in the world; she's a great defender and is constantly altering the opponents' shots. Then there's La'Keshia Frett, who is such a savvy veteran and one of the best utility players around, and Penicheiro, one of the world's best point guards. Sacramento's backcourt, in fact, is incredibly deep. In addition to Lady Grooms and Kara Lawson, the Monarchs still have Ruthie Bolton, who provides plenty of spark off the bench and plays her role to perfection. Although she was just 1-for-9 in a recent exhibition game, her six assists and no turnovers were a crucial part of the win. She just doesn't make mistakes, and that's so important in a reserve. Rookies Chantelle Anderson and Kara Lawson just need to get some minutes to adjust to this level. And lastly, it's great to see Campbell, who has battled so much adversity, back on the court. This is a great team that is going to run, push tempo, get after it defensively and contend. And coach Maura McHugh is good for them. She's very intense and a no-nonsense coach who doesn't hesitate to get in her players' faces if needed.

SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS

In 2002: The former Utah Starzz finished 20-12; beat Houston to advance to Western Conference finals, where they were swept 2-0 by L.A. Skinny: At first, a lot of people didn't understand the wisdom behind San Antonio trading away four-time all-star Natalie Williams to Indiana. But for Candi Harvey and her staff, it might prove to be a very smart move. Both Williams and Margo Dydek played the 5, and when the Starzz came down the court in transition, Williams would run to the block, and Dydek would end up at the high post. You don't want a 7-footer at the top of the key, taking the ball side to side for you. So in acquiring Sylvia Crawley, Harvey got a 4 who can hit the 3, attack off the dribble and reverse the dribble. And in addition to getting younger, Harvey also added a little depth by getting Gwen Jackson in the deal, who can play the 3 or 4. If Dydek needs a break, they can now put Jackson at the 4 and put Crawley at the 5. And if Harvey wants to put Jackson at the 3, Crawley at the 4 and Dydek at the 5, that's a pretty good-sized front line. Add in the Jennifer Azzi and Adrienne Goodson to the mix, two remarkable players (plus, Goodson had her best season ever last summer), and San Antonio really has all the right stuff to challenge Houston and Los Angeles. The key for the Silver Stars is defense, which they are emphasizing in practice. They gave up a league-worst 73 points per game last season, yet still won 22 games. San Antonio also needs to take better care of the ball and get more production from its bench (this team must go more than six- or seven-players deep like it did last year). This has been one of the league's most talented teams for years, and it proved it last summer, finally beating the Comets. Now they just need to believe they can do it again against the conference's elite.

SEATTLE STORM

In 2002: Finished 17-15; swept 2-0 by L.A. in Western Conference semifinals. Skinny: The Storm have a new coach and a new system, and if you're playing for Seattle this season, you'd better get used to playing defense. Anne Donovan is a superb coach who will make sure this team plays great defense. Seattle gave up just 65 points per game last season and that number should go down even more this summer. The Storm's core players are very talented. All-Stars Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson combined for nearly 32 points per outing last year, and both players are only getting better. Kamila Vodichkova had her best season last summer, and Simone Edwards is a tremendous 6-4 player whose versatility gives Seattle a neat mix at the 4, 5 and even 3. Tully Bevilaqua is a smart backup for Bird at the point. Jackson and Alisa Burras -- and perhaps South Korea's Jung Sun-Min, a versatile 6-1 forward who can put the ball on the floor or face up -- will look to give the Storm the legitimate low-post presence that Donovan wants (a la Tammy Sutton-Brown), and Sandy Brondello should be able to add the perimeter shooting that Seattle missed last season. After suffering from a handful of nagging injuries the past couple seasons, Brondello is finally injury-free and seems very excited to be in Seattle, which will benefit from this new, great coaching staff that includes Jessie Kenlaw and Jennie Boucek. Seattle should be a young, maverick team that's fun to watch. The Storm will push tempo and be able to shoot from outside. They have a deeper bench this year, and are a better defensive team that will continue to get better and build. The key is finding that third player who can consistently be a scoring threat. Seattle struggled last season when Jackson and Bird weren't on. Look for Vodichkova and Brondello to up their averages; Vodichkova needs to get into double-figures.

PHOENIX MERCURY

In 2002: Finished 11-21, seventh in the West. Skinny: Last year, the Mercury were a disaster. From a coaching standpoint, they were very unstable, and by the end of the year, 12 different players had started at least once. The team looks very different this season, however. Jennifer Gillom, which Phoenix relied on heavily last year, is now in Los Angeles. Guard Kristen Veal has opted to return to Australia and forego this season. And like Detroit, Phoenix is one of the inaugural franchises which no longer has a single player left from the team's original roster in 1997. But this is a much better team than Phoenix fielded a year ago, and the Mercury proved it last week with exhibition wins over Charlotte and Indiana, which were playoff teams last year. Both squads failed to score more than 61 points against Phoenix, which won despite missing its two veterans (Lisa Harrison and Adrian Williams are out with groin and hamstring injuries). The Mercury are much improved at both ends of the floor, but the team's tremendous team speed and new defense -- Shumate has implemented the old pressure defense the Seattle SuperSonics used under defensive guru Bob Kloppenburg -- has been the difference. Although I'm a fan of Gillom's, I'm not sure she would have fit into Shumate's defense-oriented system. The Mercury are playing fullcourt, getting into the passing lanes, applying good ball pressure and denying the post. Tamicha Jackson is really the X-factor in Phoenix. In most cases, you don't want your point guard to be your leading scorer, but Jackson is a great scoring guard who has that capability. Jackson has jets; her first step is very explosive, like Allen Iverson's, which makes her tough to defend. Jackson also has a great handle, is a good passer and can shoot the ball well. She also can dominate a game defensively, which is something a lot of players aren't able to do, and her speed really jumpstarts the Mercury's defense. Shumate's ability to continue to get Jackson to mature and make her teammates better is the key to Phoenix's season. First-round draft pick Plenette Pierson is a good addition. She brings a lot of intensity and already has improved her shooting technique. Phoenix really has tremendous balance, but the Mercury are young and unproven in the post, so Williams needs to step up and give them a double-double when she's healthy. With a real solid coaching staff leading the way, this should be a fun group to watch. Yes, they are young, but they will be look to run and play uptempo and be competitive. It might not always show in the win column, but they will be better than last year. The other key for Phoenix is finding that perimeter scorer. Lisa Harrison, who is a rock, might be the answer. She's not a superstar, but Harrison is the type of player you need to have on a team to win, and as one of the team's veterans, she should have a positive influence on all the younger players. So far, Anna DeForge has been the surprise of training camp. She went 5-for-5 from downtown and scored 25 points with no turnovers in 32 minutes against Indiana on Saturday. DeForge gives Phoenix firepower and leadership, and Shumate and Seth Sulka deserve some kudos for finding this great free agent.

MINNESOTA LYNX

In 2002: Finished 10-22, last in the West. Skinny: I'm thrilled that Teresa Edwards is playing in the WNBA this summer. American has been deprived of one of the greatest players in history, and it's about time the masses of little kids get a chance to watch one of the game's greatest icons. Minnesota needed a point guard and couldn't have gotten a better one. Edwards immediately makes her teammates better, and her intensity and leadership are exactly what Minnesota needed at the point guard position. I like this team and I'm anxious to see what first-year coach Suzie McConnell Serio can do with the Lynx, who have always been young and talented but never had the chance for any continuity because of so many trades over the years. Katie Smith is one of the all-time greats who can do it all at both ends of the floor, and Svetlana Abrosimova, Georgia Schweitzer and Tamika Williams are already solid pros who are only going to continue to get better. Abrosimova is a tough matchup for a lot of opponents; she's very smart with the ball and can do a myriad of things -- rebound, pass, score -- a lot of other players can't do at such a high level. Schweitzer's game has benefited from her time on the sidelines at Duke, where she's an assistant coach. That's a wonderful gift for any young player, and she's smart enough and young enough to apply everything she's learning both as a coach and player to her game. Sheri Sam, who was picked up in the dispersal draft, might be the X-factor. Sam, who can take people off the dribble, could work her way into the starting lineup and needs to have a solid season. Under Brian Agler, Minnesota was always very physical, but the Lynx never ran their offense through the post. But Minnesota might look to do that more often with Janell Burse and Jordan Adams -- the surprise of the preseason in Minnesota -- on board. This is a good group of players who have the potential to be a pretty solid defensive team.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.