Lest we be accused of East Coast bias... ESPN's Miki Turner previews Sparks-Monarchs. Sacto knocked L.A. out of contention last summer, but L.A. won the season series this year.

Coach Jellybean: "What I remember last year when I took over is that we lost to Sacramento in the playoffs -- they swept us. The whole winter I sat around drawing up plays just to beat Sacramento."

Yo Griffith draws a contrast between the teams: "You have to be humble," she says. "You have to understand who you're playing against."

The Bee's Gutierrez looks at Leslie's hard work. LLL credits her regimen for her improvement, but Ticha Penichiero has another idea: "This year, she is married, and her fiery desire is back. [Her husband] is just a great guy, a great man. Sometimes when you are happy off the court, it shows in your game."