Sun the favorite, but votes mixed on MVP

Updated: August 17, 2006, 9:49 AM ET

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As we close the book on the regular season and prepare for the playoffs, ESPN.com's experts took some time to reflect on which players deserved the annual WNBA awards -- and which teams would still be standing when the WNBA Finals arrive next month.

EXPERTS' PICKS AND PREDICTIONS
	GRAHAM HAYS ESPN.com staff	NANCY LIEBERMAN ESPN analyst	MECHELLE VOEPEL ESPN.com columnist
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS MATCHUP	Connecticut Detroit	Connecticut Indiana	Connecticut Indiana
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS MATCHUP	Los Angeles Sacramento	Los Angeles Sacramento	Los Angeles Sacramento
WNBA FINALS MATCHUP	Connecticut Los Angeles	Connecticut Los Angeles	Connecticut Los Angeles
2006 WNBA CHAMP	Connecticut	Connecticut	Connecticut
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER	Lisa Leslie Sparks	Katie Douglas Sun	Lisa Leslie Sparks
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR	Cappie Pondexter Mercury	Cappie Pondexter Mercury	Cappie Pondexter Mercury
COACH OF THE YEAR	Mike Thibault Sun	Mike Thibault Sun	Joe Bryant Sparks
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR	Tamika Catchings Fever	Tamika Catchings Fever	Tamika Catchings Fever
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER	Erin Buescher Monarchs	Erin Buescher Monarchs	Tamika Whitmore Fever
ALL-LEAGUE FIRST TEAM	Tamika Catchings Fever Katie Douglas Sun Lauren Jackson Storm Lisa Leslie Sparks Diana Taurasi Mercury	Tamika Catchings Fever Katie Douglas Sun Lauren Jackson Storm Lisa Leslie Sparks Diana Taurasi Mercury	Tamika Catchings Fever Katie Douglas Sun Lauren Jackson Storm Lisa Leslie Sparks Diana Taurasi Mercury
ALL-LEAGUE SECOND TEAM	Seimone Augustus Lynx Alana Beard Mystics Cheryl Ford Shock Cappie Pondexter Mercury Taj McWilliams- Franklin Sun	Seimone Augustus Lynx Alana Beard Mystics Cheryl Ford Shock Cappie Pondexter Mercury Tina Thompson Comets	Alana Beard Mystics Cheryl Ford Shock Sheryl Swoopes Comets Tina Thompson Comets Taj McWilliams- Franklin Sun