The only other team besides Houston that has made the playoffs all three seasons, Charlotte hopes this year it can finally get past the WNBA semifinals. But optimism is low at the outset with Dawn Staley recovering from knee surgery and Shalonda Enis (Achilles' sprain) and Summer Erb (broken left foot) expected to miss the opening of the season.

Staley and Andrea Stinson make up one of the best backcourts in the league, but are on their own as very little help is available off the bench. Once Erb and Enis return they will provided much-needed help for Rhonda Mapp, who has not come through in clutch games. The Sting's lack of consistency in the paint has led to their playoff exits and opposing guards have penetrated into the lane with ease at times in big spots.

The basics

Coach: T.R. Dunn, first year, former Sting assistant

1999 finish: 15-17, tied for 2nd in Eastern Conference; lost to New York 2-1 in East finals.

Arena: Charlotte Coliseum

Average home attendance: 7,081

Story Lines

New head coach T.R. Dunn has a talented team, but he will have to prove himself. He has never served as a head coach before, and last season was his first experience coaching women.

The Sting roster is loaded with familiar faces from the Atlanta Coast Conference: Dawn Staley, Virginia; Peppi Browne, Duke; Summer Erb, NC State; Sonia Chase, Maryland; Rhonda Mapp, NC State; Tracy Reid, North Carolina; Charlotte Smith, North Carolina; Andrea Stinson, NC State

Players to watch

Dawn Staley: A U.S. national team member and the new head coach at Temple, the point guard is a busy person. But a bigger factor for the Sting's leader will be off-season knee surgery.

Rhonda Mapp: The Sting's starting center is back and in better shape.

Andrea Stinson: She's been Charlotte's leading scorer each of its three season, and will need to do the same again.

Games to watch

July 12 at New York, 7:30 p.m.: They have been the two best teams in the East.

July 26 vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m.: Charlotte faces the biggest star in the East -- Chamique Holdsclaw.

What you didn't know

Susan Yow, the sister of NC State coach Kay Yow, joins the Sting staff as an assistant this year.

Sports Ticker contributed to this report.

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