Players to watch in 2012 WNBA playoffs

Nneka Ogwumike

The former Stanford star -- she was the top overall pick in this year's draft -- started all 33 games for the Sparks during the regular season, and was the league's player of the month for September.

Tamika Catchings

The reigning league MVP hopes to stay healthy this postseason after she suffered a plantar fasciitis injury in Game 2 of last year's Eastern Conference finals. Catchings averaged 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 34 regular season games.

Tina Charles

Charles, the star center for the Sun, won her first MVP award this year after finishing second in the race last year. She averaged 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds during the regular season and had 17 points in a Game 1 win over New York in the Eastern Conference semis.

Cappie Pondexter

One of the league's best offensive players, Pondexter was third in the WNBA in scoring (20.4) and New York's leader in assists (4.3) and steals (1.3). The guard struggled in a Game 1 Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Sun, scoring 14 points on just 3 of 16 shooting.

Angel McCoughtry

McCoughtry played in just enough games (24) to capture her first league scoring crown, with an average of 21.4 points. Her Dream are coming off back-to-back finals appearances.

Becky Hammon

The Silver Stars sharpshooting guard averaged 14.7 points during the regular season and shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range.

Candace Parker

The Sparks star finished second in the MVP voting behind Charles after averaging 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 33 games. She dropped 25 points in a Game 1 win over the Silver Stars on Sept. 27.

Maya Moore

If Moore (16.4 points and 6.0 rebounds during the regular season) and the Lynx run the table again, the 6-foot forward will become the first draft pick to win titles in her first two pro seasons since Tina Thompson in 1997.

Lindsay Whalen

Tops in the WNBA with 5.3 assists per game, Whalen is a nightmare to stop in transition, especially with options such as Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore. She averaged 11.5 points during the regular season.

Seimone Augustus

The Lynx star helped the defending champs finish with the league's best record (27-7) with her usual all-around solid play: 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Sue Bird

Bird (5.34 assists per game) finished the 2012 season barely behind Lindsay Whalen for league-best honors. She played in 29 regular season games and averaged 12.2 points.

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