Sacramento, San Antonio Should Put the Future First

The WNBA trading deadline is six weeks away, but there may not be much movement.

For one thing, the Aug. 24 deadline falls during the league’s monthlong Olympic hiatus. When teams return to play in September, there will be only 10 to 12 regular-season games left -- not a lot of time to integrate a new player into a system.

For another, the playoff races are tight, especially in the Eastern Conference. The 2004 rookie class and the last two dispersal drafts have leveled the WNBA landscape in several respects; it’s hard to imagine teams wanting to give competitors an edge.

But there are a couple of teams that should be thinking more about their future than the present -- Sacramento and San Antonio.

Of the two, the 6-14 Silver Stars are in worse shape and have the best trade bait.

Margo Dydek, their 7-foot-2 center, is not fitting into new Coach Dee Brown’s offensive scheme and isn’t showing an inclination to do so. Dydek, who is averaging 7.5 points and 6.0 rebounds a game, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and can leave without San Antonio getting anything in return.

Dydek, 30, has never averaged more than 13 points and may never be a dominant offensive player. But she can function better in the East’s halfcourt game than in the West’s running game and remains a factor on defense.

There are teams that should be willing to deal for her -- New York, Washington and Connecticut come to mind -- and give San Antonio the athletic flexibility Brown wants.

The Mystics can dangle guard Stacy Dales-Schuman, who would give the Silver Stars another scorer with Marie Ferdinand out because of a dislocated elbow. Or they could offer veteran center Chasity Melvin, who seems to have fallen out of favor because Nakia Stanford is starting.

New York is strapped for size because Ann Wauters and Tari Phillips are out because of injuries. It’s doubtful San Antonio can pry away rookie Shameka Christon, but the Liberty could part with Bethany Donaphin, who may be ready to start delivering on her potential as a rebounder and inside threat.

Connecticut, in pursuit of Charlotte for the East lead, brought in seven new players this year and is building for the future. But if Coach Mike Thibault believes one player might give his Sun the critical edge over the Sting, he’d probably listen to a trade involving Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

When the Silver Stars were in Los Angeles recently, Brown expressed frustration at his team’s lackluster showing.

“Individually, we have talented players. But ... you have to get your best players to play at their best every night,” he said. “Two years ago when there were 16 teams and the league wasn’t as deep in talent, sometimes you could get away with your best players not on top of their game and still win. Not now.

“I think we only understand that when we’re down. And that’s the disappointing part. We’ve had players who have been All-Stars, who on paper have lots of accolades. But we haven’t played together on a consistent basis, and that’s why we’re struggling.”

A trade -- or two -- could fix that.

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Even with the big win over defending champion Detroit on Monday, the 9-11 Monarchs need to change their chemistry.

Sacramento has invested a lot of time in their core of Yolanda Griffith, Tangela Smith, Ticha Penicheiro, Ruthie Bolton, Lady Grooms and Edna Campbell without reaching the league finals. Of the six, only Smith, who is averaging 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds, is younger than 30.

Smith and Griffith have the best trade value. And Griffith, who is averaging 14.0 points and 7.4 rebounds, deserves one final chance at getting a ring.

The biggest issue facing the Monarchs, says Sacramento Coach John Whisenant, is their lack of consistent scoring.

“It’s been hard for me to break the team up,” Whisenant said. “To be honest I didn’t get good offers from teams [before the draft]. Before I got here [last season], we had been a poor shooting team as far percentages. It’s evident we need perimeter shooting.

“[Trades] are something I’d have to consider. But I have a good bunch of players.... They’re trying and it’s hard for me to give them up. Besides, I don’t see any trades out there for us like the one that the Detroit Pistons made to get Rasheed Wallace and win a championship.”

The question is whether Whisenant, also the team’s general manager, is willing to start rebuilding, or if the owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, wary of fan backlash by dumping longtime favorites, let him.

But the flaws in Sacramento remain serious and numerous. At 6-6, center Chantelle Anderson is the biggest draft bust in recent memory. (It’s too soon to tell whether rookie Rebekkah Brunson is another underwhelming first-round selection.) As a team, seven of the 12 players who have worn a Monarch uniform this season average 4.6 points or less.

One thing is certain. Even if both teams wind up picking in the top five, the 2005 draft will be nowhere as rich as the 2004 draft. And it’s doubtful another WNBA team is going to fold in November and provide instant depth for the other teams.

If there’s a chance the Monarchs and Silver Stars can start reshuffling their decks, they ought to take it.