New York, for the most part, has dominated the Eastern Conference since the WNBA's inception.

And come season's end, the Liberty might be on top yet again. But with some key returners, and a newly added four-time all-star, the Indiana Fever might heat up the East race.

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

INDIANA FEVER

In 2002: Finished 16-16; fell 2-1 to New York in Eastern Conference semifinals. Skinny: Indiana made all the right moves in the offseason and went from being regarded as a playoff team to a contender for the East title. The Fever would have been in good shape had they held on to Gwen Jackson (first-round pick in college draft) and Sylvia Crawley (dispersal draft). But in one of the biggest trades in WNBA history, Indiana then sent both those two players to San Antonio for four-time all-star Natalie Williams. After Olympia Scott-Richardson blew out her knee in the offseason, Indiana obviously needed a big, powerful player to help in the paint. The Fever got one of the best in the world, and Williams is virtually a guaranteed double-double every night. Former UNC guard Coretta Brown, who went way to low in the college draft, also lands in Indiana via the trade with San Antonio, and now she and Niele Ivey have the benefit of learning from Coquese Washington and Nikki McCray. With Williams on board, Tamika Catchings can slide to the 3, with Williams at the 4 and Kelly Schumacher, a great role player, at the 5. That is a tough lineup. Add in Tamika Catchings, who is easily one of the best players in the league -- no one matches her intensity level and she will dominate this league for as as long as she wants -- and the Fever have high expectations this summer. Indiana, which should see some good minutes from Stephanie White off the bench, needs to improve its rebounding. In a preseason game against Charlotte, the Sting outrebounded the Fever 48-24. WNBA.com's Indiana Fever profile | Official site

NEW YORK LIBERTY

In 2002: Finished 18-14 (first in the East); after losing first games in each series, beat Indiana 2-1in the Eastern Conference semifinals and Washington 2-1 in the finals; swept 2-0 by L.A. in WNBA Finals. Skinny: Sue Wicks is retired, but the nucleus -- Tari Phillips, Tamika Whitmore, Teresa Weatherspoon, Crystal Robinson and Vickie Johnson -- is back and ready to continue its quest for that elusive ring. New York's starting five is pretty electric, and most everyone in the league would give their right arm to have Johnson -- who was in good shape last summer but lost some weight and arrived at camp in incredible shape -- on both ends of the court. Nobody has a bigger heart than Weatherspoon, and who's a better shooter than Robinson? Phillips is a bonafide all-star, and Whitmore could be. Last season, the only bench players that consistently scored were Wicks and Becky Hammon, which puts a lot of pressure on the starters, especially since Weatherspoon attempted just 3½ shots and averaged only 3.4 points per game last season. That means at least three -- if not four -- of the starters need double-digit games every night. So finding some sort of balance is crucial. Whitmore and Phillips came of age last year, combining for almost 27 points per game. Scoring in the post is a must, because it will open things up for Johnson and Robinson outside and get them some open looks. But the bottom line is that the Liberty and coach Richie Adubato can never be underestimated. They are three-time conference champions with the heart of a lion who are very experienced. WNBA.com's New York Liberty profile | Official site

WASHINGTON MYSTICS

In 2002: Finished 17-15; swept Charlotte in the Eastern Conference semifinals before falling 2-1 to New York in finals. Skinny: The Mystics were a solid playoff team a year ago and are only getting better. Chamique Holdsclaw was probably the frontrunner for last season's MVP award until she suffered an injury, but she's healthy this summer and already dropped an impressive double-double in the preseason. Though Vicky Bullett retired (which means Murriel Page will probably return to the starting lineup), the Mystics are very deep and have flourished in coach Marianne Stanley's system. It's open and free and allows the player to react to certain situations. Stacey Dales-Schuman, who had a solid rookie season, will continue to get better. Annie Burgess and Coco Miller, who should continue playing at a high level after last season's breakout performance, help round out a solid backcourt. Washington was the league's most improved team last year offensively as the Mystics' field-goal percentage, free-throw shooting and 3-point accuracy each jumped tremendously. Stanley is a future Hall of Famer. WNBA.com's Washington Mystics profile | Official site

CHARLOTTE STING

In 2002: Finished 18-14 (second) in the East; swept by Washington in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Skinny: With the exception of L.A. and maybe San Antonio, nobody is as strong or deep at every position as Charlotte, which is loaded with talent. Charlotte Smith-Taylor, Andrea Stinson, Kelly Miller and Dawn Staley are playing fantastic basketball. Charlotte will look to keep utilizing its 3-point shooters; last season, the Sting shot a WNBA-record 40 percent from downtown, sinking 211 treys and averaging 70 points (fourth in the league). Tammy Sutton-Brown had a spectacular season, and the classic post -- an old-school, big girl in the middle who can post up, drop-step and go hard to the basket -- truly had a breakout year. Smith-Taylor keeps getting better every season and expanding her game, and Allison Feaster should be as good as usual. The key for Charlotte is to keep developing its young players, such as Sheila Lambert and Jocelyn Penn. Look for them to keep pushing the tempo, too, and to continue to get a lot of minutes out of their starters. With new ownership and new leadership with coach Trudi Lacey, Charlotte -- which reached the WNBA Finals in 2001 -- has the potential to make a deep run in the playoffs. WNBA.com's Charlotte Sting profile | Official site

CONNECTICUT SUN

In 2002: The former Orlando Miracle finished 16-16, fifth in the East. What they have: With a dynamic nucleus and several former all-stars returning, the Sun could contend for the East title. There aren't many players who are better than Shannon Johnson, the league's best offensive rebounding guard who is one of the best point guards in the nation. Nykesha Sales is another all-star who has been pretty incredible and consistent -- and only getting better. Rebecca Lobo has been the biggest surprise so far, giving the Sun some quality minutes in that preseason win over Charlotte, where Connecticut showed off its balance right away. We've said before that everything goes through the 4 in the WNBA, and Lobo is a perfect fit -- she can trail on the break and shoot the 3, take a dribble or two, attack the defense and then pass to a shooter in transition or reverse the ball. She doesn't have the quickness that Tamika Catchings has off the bounce, but Lobo can be very effective here. Katie Douglas and Taj McWilliams-Franklin are the X-factors. McWilliams-Franklin, a three-time all-star, played in just 13 games last season before she announced she was pregnant and would sit out the rest of the summer. She'll need time to settle in, but if she's healthy that's a huge bonus for the Sun, who bolstered their inside game and are now pretty deep in the post. Douglas, who averaged 8.5 points last season, already has seen a lot of minutes in the preseason, and seems to be in great shape with the potential to break into the starting lineup. Don't underestimate new coach Mike Thibault. He was a finalist for the Portland job a couple years ago, and has been following the league very closely since. WNBA.com's Connecticut Sun profile | Official site

CLEVELAND ROCKERS

In 2002: Finished 10-22, seventh in the East. Skinny: The Rockers boast a very deep roster and are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league. Cleveland can really cause problems for opposing offenses. You have to have some continuity in women's basketball, but the Rockers are very athletic and physical and hold you up offensively, altering the angles of your cuts and interfering with your timing. Dan Hughes is an excellent coach, and the team will get a boost with Helen Darling's return. After giving birth to triplets last year, the former Penn State guard is back, which will probably put Jen Rizzotti back on the bench. LaToya Thomas, the No. 1 draft pick, will probably see a lot of playing time and will grow up quickly; she must continue to focus on her ballhandling and work ethic. Chasity Melvin had her best season as a pro last summer and her game will continue to round into shape. Same goes for Penny Taylor, who is young but has been very impressive. Mery Andrade suffered through several injuries last season but should be healthy this year and will be able to provide some extra defensive presence. Rushia Brown has gotten better every year she's been in the league.

DETROIT SHOCK

In 2002: Finished 9-23, last in the East. Skinny: Nobody fared better in the dispersal and college drafts than Bill Laimbeer, who must have thought it was Christmas in April when he added Ruth Riley, Cheryl Ford and then traded for Kedra Holland-Corn all within a few days. With Elaine Powell and Swin Cash also on board, this is a young, athletic and explosive team that should be exciting to watch. The Shock are going to push tempo, be aggressive, get up and down the court and get after it defensively -- all trademarks of Laimbeer. Detroit, which doesn't have a single player on its roster from the inaugural team, has several great perimeter players, but the unsung player in Detroit is 6-foot-3 post Barbara Farris. She's got great footwork, is very tough in the paint and the type of player you just love having on your team. Laimbeer reportedly also is high on Ayana Walker, and it will be interesting to see how she and fellow Louisiana Tech alum Cheryl Ford play together. Laimbeer will allow this young group to play through its mistakes, and it will pay off.

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.