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Voepel: No clear favorite in the East

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

May 17 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Handicapping the Western Conference

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

May 16 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: WNBA season as wide open as ever

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.

May 14 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Little hopes to step up a lot for Storm

With a revamped roster that'll be missing Lauren Jackson early on, everyone on the Storm needs to step up. An offseason spent as a go-to player might have Camille Little ready to deliver.

May 10 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Goodlett making good impression with Fever

Four years ago, Sasha Goodlett left her tiny hometown to head to Georgia Tech, where she redefined her body and helped lead the Yellow Jackets to their first Sweet 16. Now she's looking to land on Indiana's roster.

May 7 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Warlick shaped by father's influence

From her father's early influence in sports to learning how to deal with life without him, Tennessee coach Holly Warlick has been motivated and shaped by her relationship with her dad.

May 3 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Granny's Got Game

Former Vanderbilt player Angela Gorsica Alford was looking for a story to tell. Judy Barton and her senior women's basketball teammates had a story that really needed to be told. The result? A documentary called "Granny's Got Game."

Apr 30 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: What Asjha Jones adds to Team USA

Before anyone starts grumbling about the U.S. Olympic women's hoops roster looking like a case of college nepotism, it seemed likely this team would be Huskies-heavy no matter who the coach was.

Apr 24 2:14 AM ET | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Even stepping down, Summitt larger than life

As Pat Summitt graciously stepped down Thursday, she displayed all the qualities that made her a likable, larger-than-life coach who brought legitimacy to the sport.

Apr 19 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Summitt stepping down is wise, practical decision

Despite all the emotion involved in Pat Summitt's stepping down and Holly Warlick's taking over at Tennessee, this is a wise, practical and timely decision.

Apr 18 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Draft winners and losers

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

Apr 16 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Sparks select Ogwumike with No. 1 overall pick

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.

Apr 16 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Redemption common thread for Tulsa, draft picks

After going 9-59 in two seasons in Oklahoma, Tulsa is trying to turn into a competitive franchise. Monday, the Shock picked up some players looking for a little redemption, as well.

Apr 16 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Miami's Johnson ready to take game to WNBA

Monday, Miami's Shenise Johnson might go among the top five picks in the WNBA draft. But it wasn't that long ago that there was actually some question the 5-foot-11 guard would even make it through high school.

Apr 15 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: WNBA draft class full of questions

History has shown that the first half of the first round of the WNBA draft tends to produce players with the most staying power. But Monday, after Nneka Ogwumike, it's hard to tell which players will hear their names called.

Apr 12 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Mulkey, staff should have been more careful

At a time when Baylor should be celebrating a perfect season and a coach who has done so much to aid the growth of women's basketball, there are clouds around the entire athletic department that could bring more storms.

Apr 10 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Aston begins new era in Austin

Barely more than two weeks after Gail Goestenkors stepped down, Texas hired Karen Aston to take over the Longhorns. And Austin is exactly the place Aston, a former Jody Conradt assistant who also was a head coach at North Texas and Charlotte, longed to be.

Apr 7 | By Mechelle Voepel

Baylor's Griner named recipient of Wade Trophy

The trophy cases at Baylor might need to be expanded. Monday, Baylor center Brittney Griner picked up a trio of honors: the Wade Trophy, the Naismith Trophy and the WBCA defensive player of the year award.

Apr 2 11:34 PM ET | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: On and off court, Griner rises above

From the physical pushing and pulling in the paint to the personal attacks on Internet message boards and social media, Baylor's Brittney Griner perseveres.

Apr 2 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Griner finally captures her first title

Behind Brittney Griner, a post player for the ages, Baylor staked its claim as one of the best teams ever and the first to go 40-0.

Apr 2 | By Mechelle Voepel

40 for 40: Baylor Lady Bears' perfect season

Baylor won more than any other hoops team in NCAA play. Now as we look back on the run to perfection that concluded at 40-0, we offer a "40 for 40" compilation of notes, quotes and anecdotes about the NCAA champs who reached this numerical peak in the Rockies.

Apr 2 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Baylor makes history with 40-0 season

In a Women's Final Four that featured all No. 1 seeds, there was really only one No. 1. And now Baylor has made history as the only team in women's or men's history to go 40-0.

Apr 2 | By Mechelle Voepel

Voepel: Both Baylor, Notre Dame chasing history

In the past 20 years, no program besides UConn and Tennessee has won multiple NCAA championships. That will end Tuesday, as either Baylor or Notre Dame wins its second title, and either the Lady Bears become the first team to go 40-0 or the Irish become the first to knock off a perfect team in the title game.

Apr 2 | By Mechelle Voepel

Hayes finishes UConn career

Apr 1 | By Mechelle Voepel