With the draft and trades completed last week, Sol coach and general manager Ron Rothstein's next duty is to figure out how the new additions fit the puzzle and what combinations will make the Sol successful in its second WNBA season. It's quite different from the inaugural season last year, when the Sol coaching staff could not evaluate the team until the completion of the expansion draft, the regular draft and open tryouts. Even then, things weren't in place. This year, the Sol has three new draft choices, a player acquired by trade and the return of two players who did not play last season, to mesh with the group of returning players. Training camp, which opens on May 2, should be competitive.
Players have to come in and win a spot and defend their turf.
That may mean an overhaul of last year's lineup. Askamp will not report to training camp until mid-May, after taking the equivalent of the Bar exam in Germany. The Sol now has depth, height and talent at both center and power forward. Baranova, who is playing for Italy's Villa Pini Chieti and averaging 12.3 points and 27. 1 minutes a game, likely will miss the start of training camp.