Chicago stocks its new WNBA franchise

CHICAGO, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The WNBA's Chicago Sky has selected 13 players from the league's expansion draft pool.

Chicago chose Jia Perkins (Charlotte); Brooke Wyckoff (Connecticut); Elaine Powell (Detroit) Kiesha Brown (Houston); Deanna Jackson (Indiana); Laura Macchi (Los Angeles); Stacey Lovelace (Minnesota); DeTrina White (New York); Ashley Robinson (Phoenix); Bernadette Ngoyisa (San Antonio); Chelsea Newton (Sacramento); Francesca Zara (Seattle); and Stacey Dales-Schuman (Washington).

"I've been told by the other general managers and coaches that this is probably the best expansion draft the WNBA has ever had and we were the beneficiary of that," said Coach Dave Cowens on the team's Web site. "I think next year we will be able to be a fairly competitive team if all our players show up in good shape and ready to go to work."

The Sky will have the sixth selection in every round of the 2006 WNBA Draft and will join the Eastern Conference with Charlotte, Connecticut, Detroit, Indiana, New York and Washington.