Names & Faces: Diana Taurasi, Darryl Sutter

The Phoenix Mercury player has returned to the WNBA, which begins its 20th season Saturday, after a year off to rest, and she has promptly been voted by the media as the preseason player of the year.

The media are the people who follow every game and follow our careers.

The Mercury, however, finished second to the defending champion Minnesota Lynx in the first Associated Press WNBA poll.

The former Sharks coach has agreed to a multiyear contract extension with the Los Angeles Kings, the team he has led to two Stanley Cup championships.

Re-signing him was the first major task general manager Sean Lombardi faced this offseason.