Marynell Meadors hopes to provide a spark to her new players in Atlanta, much like she did the past two seasons in Washington. Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images

WNBA.com caught up with the new woman in charge to discuss her plans for the team and her hopes for its debut season in the league.

Q. First of all, Coach, congratulations on the new gig. What were your thoughts when it was first announced that there was a WNBA expansion team coming to Atlanta? Was the coaching position there something that you were intrigued by from the get-go?

A. I was definitely intrigued. No. 1, I'm a Southern girl… from Nashville, Tennessee, so to get back into the area, close to family, was really huge. I also loved thinking about what the city of Atlanta offers. It's such a great city and I think it's the kind of town that WNBA players would like to come play in. I was also impressed with the committee to bring a team here, Ron Terwilliger and the whole crew. It's been a fantastic experience. I just can't say enough about how elated I am to have this opportunity to go into Atlanta and jump-start another WNBA franchise.

Q. Having spent so much time coaching in the Southeast at Tennessee Tech and Florida State, how important is it for the WNBA to be returning to the region?

A. Over the years, I've had so many people come up to me and ask me to do whatever I can to bring a WNBA team back to the Southeast. And there is so much support here for women's basketball… it's the confluence of the SEC and the ACC, two of the biggest women's basketball conferences in the nation. They all sit right around here in the greater Atlanta area.

So with a WNBA team right there in the middle of things, I think that will make this team a pretty appealing destination for any WNBA player with Southern ties.

Q. How do you think the fans in Atlanta and the surrounding areas will receive a new professional women's team?

A. I think it's going to be a hit. There will be a lot of curious people who want to see what the WNBA is all about. There was a lot of curiosity with the fans back when I helped start the Sting franchise in Charlotte. The fans couldn't believe how talented the players were then, and believe me, the players now are even more talented than that first group.

I think the fans get a taste of really good basketball with the SEC and ACC, but I think the WNBA is going to take things to a new level and win a lot of converts… especially with how well-versed the women's hoops fans are down here. They understand the game… they appreciate it… and they understand what it takes to be a great athlete. And with the WNBA coming to town, they'll be seeing the ultimate in women's basketball.

Q. What would you say to the critics who say that the city hasn't done very well in supporting the Hawks over the last several years?

A. Now I'm not saying that the Hawks aren't winners… I think they're a team that's on the rise. But to be fair, they've had a rough couple of seasons. And I think that if you have a winning team, you're going to get some fannies in those seats.

But to be honest, I think our product is so different from the NBA's. Our players are so fan friendly. People can talk to them face to face, have real conversations and get a sense of their personalities. They can get autographs and smiles from their heroes. That just doesn't happen as often in the NBA. In fact, it's interesting… the NBA seems to have made an effort to go more in that fan-friendly direction. I think that's testament to how well that approach has worked in our league.

Q. What are your thoughts on joining an expansion franchise like this without a name, without a staff around you and without any players? Is it exciting to have a blank slate to paint on? Or is it daunting to have to build everything from the ground up?

A. Throughout my career -- both in college and in the WNBA -- I've always been a start-up person. I would absolutely prefer to build from the ground floor up to a championship team. One of the things I'm proud of is that every team I've been with has become a winner. That's one of my hobbies: I love to win (laughs)! I will do whatever I have to -- working 24 hours straight… whatever -- to win. And I can see us building another winner here in Atlanta.

Q. What are the main differences you see in this situation from the one in Charlotte during their debut season in 1997?

A. Well, the main difference is that here in Atlanta, we don't have any players yet. Whereas in Charlotte, when the league was starting up, there was already a framework of staffers and a couple of players who were already part of the team.

But I think the bigger difference is in the league as a whole. This league is still pretty new, but that initial excitement has worn off a bit over 11-plus years. And I think that's actually a good thing, because now the focus can be on the basketball and on keeping this the best women's league in the world. The competition has gotten considerably better, we have better coaches now than we ever did… coaches who have coached on the professional level before… and the best part is that they all really want to be here!

For example, here's a little story for you. When I started in Charlotte and was trying to install an offense, I tried to teach my players the offense I had run in college. It was all I knew! But now, after working on several different levels and with a good assortment of fellow coaches, I feel like I've learned so much and gotten so much better at my job. Now I consider myself to be a pretty good coach because I have the best of both the pro and college games to build upon. I'm trying to blend it all together and make a good team.

And you never know exactly how to put a team together, but I have a good sense of what I think is going to work here and I'm going to do everything I can to do it right. You never know for certain that you have that perfect combination of people, but that's what trades are for.

Q. Speaking of putting a team together, what about players? There will be an expansion draft at some point in the near future and we don't yet know which current players are going to be available, but do you have any sense of the kind of players you'll be pursuing? Are there any particular traits on the court that you'll be looking to bring in right off the bat?

A. Well, I think you have to have scorers to win. You're going to have a lot of shooters because everybody likes to shoot, but you really need people who can score. Getting a solid point guard and low-post five player is very important. And then you have to fill in the gaps with shooters on the wings.

But I think scoring in the key. I can teach players to play defense. I can teach them how to rebound. But they have to already know how to put that ball in the hoop.

Q. Have you given any thought yet to assistant coaches?

A. Yes, I've thought about several people, but I haven't contacted them yet. But I do have several people in mind, and now that this announcement is over with, tomorrow we'll go to work on getting in touch with some people and trying to build a staff.

Q. How difficult was it to leave Washington and the Mystics, where you've spent the last two seasons?

A. It was difficult, most definitely. But I've always been a head coach… at least until I went down to Miami with the Sol to become their director of advance scouting and player personnel. I thoroughly enjoyed that because I got to see a lot of collegiate games and build the team that way. And I think we did a great job.

Anyway, when the Sol folded, I went back to college for a couple of years where I helped out in Pittsburgh. We brought in some terrific players and really helped to restart that program that had won only four or five games in each of the last few seasons.

But when the assistant position opened up in Washington, I called Linda Hargrove and talked with her about it. I knew that I always wanted to go back to the WNBA. You see, I absolutely love this league. I have to be one of the best ambassadors that the WNBA has, because I talk to people all over the place -- in restaurants, on the plane, in airports… wherever -- just to hype our league here.

Q. So, finally, what are your hopes for the 2008 season? There is obviously a lot of building still to be done, but what are your goals for the coming year? Is there a win total you have set as a goal?

A. I never set goals based on win totals, but believe me, I want to win every game that we play. We're going to do everything we can to win games this year.

But aside from that, I know that as the coach of this team, I'll have to get out into the community to talk to people and build up the excitement around this team. I did that in Charlotte, and I know we had a really great fan base there. And when you're legitimately excited about your team, it's easy to get out there and talk them up and get other people to want to come watch us play. Once the fans get in there and enjoy the product, then they're going to go out and tell their friends about their experience. And off the court, that's my main goal for this coming season.