NEW YORK -- WNBA president Val Ackerman believes play in the league this season has been the best yet, thanks to contraction.

In the offseason, the Miami Sol and Portland Fire were contracted, leaving the league with 14 teams. Utah moved to San Antonio and Orlando moved to Connecticut, which also gave the league a foothold in better markets.

Fewer teams means better players on each team. And for the first time in the league's history, the Eastern Conference leads the Western Conference in head-to-head games at the break.

"This is the most competitive league we have ever had,'' Ackerman said Saturday before the WNBA All-Star game.

"How quickly we expand or add teams going forward should, to some degree, depend on what we might do in terms of the quality of the competition.''

Ackerman does not have a timetable for expansion, but said the league is exploring city and ownership possibilities. Since there is a team in Connecticut -- where there is no NBA team -- Ackerman said cities like Pittsburgh, with a good women's basketball following and no men's professional team, could be under consideration.

"We are very interested in the future and seeing what additional cities might be good candidates to host a WNBA team,'' Ackerman said. "My hope is that over the course of the next couple of seasons, we go a little bit further along in identifying qualified ownership that would step forward.''

Players and coaches throughout the league also agree play has improved. All-Star Cynthia Cooper, who cannot play because of a shoulder injury, said before the game there was "no doubt'' the league is more competitive than it has been in previous years.

Earlier this week, West coach Michael Cooper said he thinks the days of teams like his Sparks and the Houston Comets winning consecutive titles is coming to an end.

"You see the slowly turning of the tide that everyone is ready to win the title,'' Cooper said. "I think this will be the last couple of times you'll see teams win back-to-back because the league is getting bigger and better.''

Ackerman also said the league has not decided what will happen next year when the Olympics coincide with the season. The most likely scenario would be to allow players to go with their national teams while the WNBA season continues with a reduced amount of games.

Players would return in time for the postseason.

Cooper planning another comeback
All-Star Cynthia Cooper said Saturday she will return to the Houston Comets next season.

The three-time WNBA scoring champion is out for the season after tearing her right rotator cuff during practice June 2. She played just four games after coming out of retirement this season.

It will be another three months before she can play again.

"I was pretty devastated when I got hurt,'' Cooper said. "I put in so much hard work in coming back. But since the operation I've only been thinking about positive things.''

T-spoon pays tribute to teammate
East starter Teresa Weatherspoon is paying tribute to Liberty teammate Becky Hammon, who cannot play in the All-Star Game after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee last month.

Weatherspoon has "Hammon'' and Hammon's No. "25'' written on her shoes. Hammon was averaging a career-best 14.7 points before the injury.

"Someone who was playing the way she was playing, you can't help but dedicate it to her,'' Weatherspoon said.

Hammon received the loudest cheers from the Madison Square Garden crowd during pregame introductions.