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2011 WNBA Opening Night Open Thread: L.A. Sparks Vs. Minnesota Lynx 11 P.M. EST

Who: Los Angeles Sparks vs. Minnesota Lynx

Where: Staples Center

What: 2011 WNBA Opening Night

When: 11 p.m. EST (NBA TV/WNBA Live Access)

Season Previews:

DNS: Can He Swish Again? Dishin' out the 2011 WNBA Predictions

Ranking the WNBA Arenas

2011 WNBA Preview: Key To L.A. Sparks Success Lies In What Happened Last August Without Candace Parker

Storyline: There will be a natural impulse to reduce this game to Maya Moore's first game as a pro vs. Candace Parker's first game back from a season-ending injury last season. But ultimately there's more to this game than two players.

Minnesota Lynx: With or without Maya Moore, you know the Lynx have talent. The question is can they bring it together. I'll leave it at that, lest I start gushing as I did last season (before being proven wrong). What this game is as much as anything else is a first look at their rotations and how all of their new talent blends with their (now-healthy) previous talent.

Los Angeles Sparks: Similarly, the Sparks are extremely talented and balanced this season; moreover, they could be the league's most improved team this season. The question, as described at-length in a previous look at the Sparks, is how well the new pieces come together with the old pieces with a returning Parker.