WNBA FINALS Sun, Storm begin title series tonight

The two teams bring fresh faces to the finals of the eight-year-old league.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) -- Nykesha Sales and Sue Bird know what it feels to like to win a championship: They won NCAA titles at the University of Connecticut. Each is about to get her first taste of the WNBA Finals -- as are their Connecticut and Seattle teammates.
Four-time WNBA champion Houston didn't make it to the post-season. Los Angeles, which won it all twice, was eliminated in the first round. The fresh faces of the Sun and Storm are a good sign for the 8-year-old league, Sales said.
"That's telling a lot about the league and how the competition is spread around a lot more," Sales said. "Instead of one player on each team that's really, really good, you have two or three franchise players on each team. A lot of people picked us to finish last."
Sales is one of two original members of the Orlando Miracle, who moved to Connecticut last season. She has been averaging 12 points and five steals in the Sun's run through the playoffs.
Won four straight
After dropping the opener of the first round at Washington, Connecticut won four straight -- including a sweep of the New York Liberty in the conference finals. The best-of-3 championship series begins tonight at the Mohegan Sun casino.
It will be the Sun's only finals appearance in a state accustomed to winning women's basketball championships and the expected sellout crowd will include Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
Rookie guard Lindsay Whalen is averaging 15.4 points in the postseason for the Sun, an increase of 6.5 points from the regular season.
Sun reserve guard Debbie Black has been playing professional ball for 15 years and wondered if she'd ever make it to a title game.
"I'm 38 years old. This is a dream come true," she said.
Veteran leadership
Center Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the other original Miracle, averaged 16 points and 9.5 rebounds in the East finals. She and Sales have provided coach Mike Thibault's squad some much-needed veteran leadership on a team that began the season with five rookies and two off-season acquisitions.
The Storm's Bird and Lauren Jackson, last season's league MVP, have emerged as the leaders for Seattle coach Ann Donovan.
A day after surgery to repair a broken nose, Bird scored 10 points and had a playoff-record 14 assists in Seattle's 82-62 Western Conference final win over Sacramento.