For the Indiana Fever, Sunday's season opener at Seattle is the start of a new era.
The Fever have a new coach in Pokey Chatman and will be without Tamika Catchings for the first time since 2001.
Catchings, the second-leading scorer and top rebounder in WNBA history, retired after last season and joined the organization's front office. That led the Fever to make an offseason trade for five-time All-Star Candice Dupree.
"Every year, I want to win," Fever president and general manager Kelly Krauskopf told the Indianapolis Star. "So you can't fill your roster with all 35-year-olds, and you can't fill it with all 23-year-olds.
"My goal is to have somebody in the pipeline that's ready to take over the next spot. Those are your second-, third-year players. You can't have too many of one or the other. Otherwise, you will be in rebuild mode. We could do that, but I like staying at the top."
The Fever have made 12 consecutive playoff appearances, a league record.
The Storm will be looking for a fresh start after two of their biggest stars, point guard Sue Bird and forward Breanna Stewart, were ruled out of their season-opening, 78-68 loss on Saturday at the defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks because of injuries.
Bird (left knee) and Stewart (right knee) were both listed as day-to-day, meaning they might be available for Sunday's home opener.
"Sue and Breanna have not been cleared to play and continue to be listed as day-to-day," Storm president and general manager Alisha Valavanis said in a statement prior to Saturday's game. "They will be evaluated again in advance of (Sunday's) home opener against Indiana."
Bird, 36, second in league history in career assists, had arthroscopic surgery in the offseason and only returned to practice Tuesday. Stewart was last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year after a stellar collegiate career at Connecticut.
"More than anyone, I would love to be out there for opening weekend," Bird told The Seattle Times. "At the same time, I know it's a 34-game season, so I'm just trying to make the right choices and make the right decisions for myself and my body and also for the team."
