(Sports Network) - The 2008 season for the Women's National Basketball Association will tip off on Saturday with an exciting lineup of six games on the schedule.

Diana Taurasi and the defending champion Phoenix Mercury will host rookie Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks in the most intriguing matchup of opening day. The Sparks, who finished just 10-24 last year, will have Lisa Leslie back on the team. The 6-5 Leslie, who rejoined the club after taking last year off, will be playing in her 11th season in the league and has career-averages of 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

Leslie, who is a seven-time All-Star, will see immediately if she is ready for the grind of the season. The 25-year-old Taurasi averaged 19.2 points per game last season for the Mercury, while Cappie Pondexter, Kelly Miller and Tangela Smith will be key for Phoenix in its quest to win back-to-back titles this season.

The game between Phoenix and LA could be an early preview of the Western Conference finals.

Cheryl Ford and the defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Shock open their season at home against the Houston Comets, who will definitely be affected by the loss of Sheryl Swoopes. The six-foot Swoopes now plays for Seattle. Swoopes is a six-time All-Star and played 262 games for Houston over 10 years.

Swoopes and new teammate Swin Cash will take the court against Sylvia Fowles and the Chicago Sky on day one of the new season, while San Antonio visits Sacramento, Indiana hosts Washington and Atlanta travels to Connecticut in the other games on the slate.

It should be an entertaining start to the 2008 WNBA season.