Coach/general manager Brian Agler will either look like a genius or something far less by season's end. He traded his top two scorers from last season -- Brandy Reed and Tonya Edwards -- and made other deals that resulted in eight draft picks, including three of the top 10.

The frontcourt will once again be the focus for Minnesota, which just missed the playoffs last year in its inaugural campaign. Katie Smith, Andrea Lloyd-Curry and Kristin Folkl will shoulder most of the load up front, but Maylana Martin also should see plenty of minutes. Grace Daley and Betty Lennox will step in right away in the backcourt and hopefully provide a spark for a Lynx squad that shot a league-worst 39 percent from the floor last season. Agler has succeeded before with a pair of ABL championships and has the talent for a postseason berth this year. But the highly-touted draftees must produce early and often in order for Minnesota to make some noise.

The basics

Coach: Brian Agler, second year, former ABL's Columbus Quest head coach

1999 finish: 15-17, Tied for fourth in Western Conference

Arena: Target Center

Average home attendance: 10,494

Story Lines

Minnesota is one of the youngest teams in the WNBA. The Lynx had three of the first 10 picks in the WNBA Draft and used them to choose Tulane's Grace Daley, Louisiana Tech's Betty Lennox and UCLA's Maylana Martin. All three should see significant action, giving Minnesota added quickness, depth and versatility.

The Lynx addressed their lack of height in the draft after having just three players 6-foot-2 or taller last season. Minnesota had six players 6-2 or taller going into training camp this season.

Players to watch

Katie Smith: One of the few remaining Lynx veterans. Smith is looking to come back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury from last season. She must add some stability and leadership to a young Lynx squad.

Grace Daley: The Lynx selected Daley, a third-team All-American from Tulane, with the fifth overall pick in the WNBA draft. She could end up as Minnesota's starting point guard, even though she didn't play the position in college.

Maylana Martin: Minnesota lost its top two frontcourt scorers from last season so Martin, a UCLA All-American, could be another rookie with a prominent role.

Games to watch

July 28 vs. Miami, 8 p.m.: New-look Lynx take on new team in expansion Sol

July 31 vs. Los Angeles 6:30 p.m.: Lynx lineup gets late test against Lisa Leslie and the Sparks.

What you didn't know

Minnesota rookie Kate Paye, a veteran of the now defunct ABL, is also a first-year law student at Stanford. During training camp she balanced basketball and the books and even arranged to take her final exams off campus.

Sports Ticker contributed to this report.

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