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As espnW.com previews the 2013 WNBA season, Mechelle Voepel takes a look at the Connecticut Sun.

The winds have shifted toward the East in the WNBA with Anne Donovan and Bill Laimbeer returning to the fold and longtime Sun coach Mike Thibault taking the reins in Washington.

When the Sun fired Mike Thibault, the coach wasn't totally caught off guard. "I was fired because we didn't win a championship this year," he told espnW on Tuesday.

After being out of the WNBA for two years, Erlana Larkins was just trying to lock up a job back in May. Now, she's trying to help Indiana finish one and could have a big impact on Game 3 of the East finals.

In the latest WNBA playoff game with down-to-the-wire drama, Shavonte Zellous' second field goal of the night helped the Fever beat the Sun and force the East finals to a decisive Game 3.

Katie Douglas was a big part of Connecticut's last trip to the WNBA Finals. Now, the Indiana Fever star will try to be a key part of keeping the Sun from playing for a league title.

With the league's best record and a pair of MVP candidates, defending champion Minnesota is the favorite when the 2012 WNBA playoffs open Thursday.

At 33, Indiana's Katie Douglas is playing as well as ever. And once again, she has her WNBA team in the hunt for a WNBA title.

The WNBA just had a month-long break, but the playoff push will be intense from the get-go when games resume Thursday.

Silver Spurs are the surprise 'buzz' team as the Olympics brings a month-long halt to the WNBA. Will the time off help or hurt?

Every team in the WNBA's Eastern Conference has some definite positives. But it's unclear who really might be the best.

The best teams tend to work well because there is a mix of personalities. But there also has to be that "even-keel" player who holds everything together. For the Sun, that's Asjha Jones, who has Connecticut back in playoffs after a two-year absence.

Seattle was the clear pick when the playoffs opened in 2010. This summer, while Minnesota might be tagged as the favorite, every team has reason to think it could be crowned the WNBA champion.

The Sun are headed back to the postseason after two years away, and the five former UConn Huskies on the roster have a lot to do with it.

Can the reigning WNBA champions "storm" back in the season's second half?

All-Star Game MVP Swin Cash, Seattle Storm look to regain their championship form going into the second half of the WNBA season.