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With an infusion of talent, several teams are expected to step it up and some key coaching moves, the 2013 WNBA season promises to be a page-turner.

No one wants to see one of the league's top players miss an entire season. But sitting out 2013 -- even if it leaves Seattle scrambling right now for what appears to be a very competitive Western Conference race -- just might be exactly what Lauren Jackson needs.

David Sherman/NBAE via Getty ImagesKristi Toliver and the Sparks host the Lynx in a must-win Sunday (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET).In the immediate aftermath of falling surprisingly flat to open the Western Conference finals Thursday, the Los Angeles Sparks had...

In the immediate aftermath of falling surprisingly flat to open the Western Conference finals Thursday, the Los Angeles Sparks had different ideas about what had gone wrong in a 94-77 loss to Minnesota. Candace Parker was irritated by her team's ind...

Fatigue. Injured point guard. Loss of momentum. Minnesota could have bought into a big list of excuses and flopped Thursday. Instead, Lindsay Whalen set the tone from the opening tip.

The Sparks are well-rested. The Lynx, meanwhile, had to gut out a three-game series with Seattle. Will it impact Thursday's Game 1 of the Western Conference finals?

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.

The first few weeks of this WNBA season, it appeared Minnesota undoubtedly was on its way to a second championship. Then the Lynx had a hiccup in early July, losing three in a row. Well ... maybe not so fast on that repeat thing. But, now, it aga...

After battling back from a chronically injured left ankle that forced her to miss two seasons, Alana Beard's WNBA journey isn't over yet.

It was supposed to be the night Tulsa welcomed back its 6-foot-8 center. Instead, 5-6 Ivory Latta was the star of the night, helping the Shock win back-to-back games for the first time this season and snap L.A.'s nine-game win streak.

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?

Defending WNBA champion Minnesota is expected to rule again. But where do the rest of the West teams fall behind the Lynx?

The start of any WNBA season hinges on how quickly teams jell with new combinations and how players perform after their overseas experiences. But which teams deal best after the monthlong break for the Olympics might have the biggest impact this season.

The sure thing in this year's WNBA draft -- Stanford senior Nneka Ogwumike -- wasn't sure until recently that she was headed toward a pro career. But she's ready now, and was Monday's No. 1 overall pick.

From the big winners (Tulsa) to head-scratching picks (New York), Mechelle Voepel takes a team-by-team look at Monday's WNBA draft.