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Sky-Liberty Preview

May 15, 2010 - 11:58 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Chicago (0-0) at New York (0-0), 4:00 p.m. EDT

Although they are one of the league's eight charter franchises, the New York Liberty are still seeking their first WNBA title. The Liberty are hoping the addition of some championship talent can help them change that.

New York opens its season at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, when it faces former Liberty forward Shameka Christon and the Chicago Sky.

The Liberty have won four Eastern Conference titles, but haven't advanced to the finals since 2002 and have missed two of the last four postseasons. New York finished a conference-worst 13-21 in 2009.

Looking to move past that disappointment, the Liberty made a major offseason splash with the acquisition of three-time All-Star guard Cappie Pondexter from Phoenix. Pondexter finished fourth in the league with 19.1 points per game last season and helped the Mercury win their second title in three years.

"I was interested after the end of our championship run in Phoenix to start a new career in New York," Pondexter told WNBA.com after the three-team deal that sent Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld to the Sky. "I'm more than excited and I'm ready to take this adventure on and bring a winning mentality to the Liberty."

All-Star forward Nicole Powell, who won a title with Sacramento in 2005, hopes to bring that same mentality to New York after being selected first overall by the Liberty in the dispersal draft after the Monarchs folded.

New York also added six-time All-Star Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who won a title with Detroit in 2008 and is averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in her career. The 39-year-old center averaged 9.8 points and 7.2 boards last season with the Shock.

"With Cappie and the addition of Nicole Powell, Taj McWilliams-Franklin and the rest of our core group on this club, we will believe we have positioned ourselves to get back on top of the Eastern Conference and challenge for the WNBA championship this season," team president and general manager Carol Blazejowski told the Liberty's official website.

Second-year coach Anne Donovan will try to make the new talent mesh, but the Hall of Famer doesn't have much time to do so. Donovan agreed during the offseason to take over the Seton Hall program once the WNBA season concludes.

While the Liberty are trying to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the fifth-year Sky are seeking their first postseason bid.

Chicago did not take a step in that direction in Saturday's season opener, falling 74-61 at Connecticut. Christon, who led the Liberty with 16.1 points per game last season, had 11 in her Sky debut, while Kraayeveld scored six. They combined to shoot 1 for 8 from 3-point range as Chicago missed 14 of 15 attempts from beyond the arc.

"They both are outstanding shooters," said Sky center Sylvia Fowles, who had 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. "We just have to find a rhythm that is good for them and we have to be on the same page as well."

Former Rutgers star Epiphanny Prince had seven points and five steals off the bench for the Sky in her WNBA debut

New York and Chicago split four meetings last season with each team winning once on the other's home court. Christon led New York with 18 points in the Sky's last visit to Madison Square Garden - a 77-63 Liberty victory Aug. 30.