Showing posts with label WNBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WNBA. Show all posts
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POD: Phoenix+2.0 @ Indiana (3K units) W
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Preview: Diana Taurasi hasn’t found her rhythm during the WNBA finals and the Phoenix Mercury are paying for it.
The Indiana Fever lead the series 2-1 and can win its first championship on Wednesday night in Game 4. Indiana’s odds of closing out the best-of-five series increase if Taurasi, the league’s MVP, has another poor shooting performance.
Taurasi is averaging 20 points per game in the finals, but she’s making fewer than a third of her shots while being hounded by defensive player of the year Tamika Catchings.
Indiana held Taurasi to 6-for-16 shooting and won Game 3 86-85 on Sunday. Catchings doesn’t expect another off night from the league’s regular-season scoring champion.
“She missed quite a few wide open shots,” Catchings said. “Don’t look for her to miss those next game.”
Indiana guard Katie Douglas said the Fever will continue to try to disrupt Taurasi and support Catchings with aggressive team defense.
“We’ve done a tremendous job on her, but at the same time, no one’s relaxing,” Douglas said. “She’s the MVP of the league, she’s a bomb waiting to go off. Just one 3-pointer or layup could erupt the volcano that she can become.”
Taurasi shot 46 percent in the regular season, but is at 33 percent in the finals. She recognized that she was in a slump and said she’s been spending extra time on her shot.
“I went back and watched the film yesterday, the whole game from minute one to the end,” she said. “It comes down to getting shots and knocking down shots.”
Phoenix coach Corey Gaines took responsibility for Taurasi’s struggles, saying he needs to get his scorers in better position.
“It’s an adjustment on my end, and we’re going to get that done,” he said. “She’s doing what she’s supposed to do.”
Gaines said his team remains confident that it can win its second title in three years. He said the Mercury had many good moments in Sunday’s loss and could have won.
Taurasi has drawn attention away from Cappie Pondexter, who is averaging 19.3 points and 5.0 assists in the series. The All-Star, who finished fourth in the MVP balloting, is causing headaches for the Fever.
“We have to do a better job with that,” Catchings said. “When she gets the ball up top in the middle, it destroys our defense and all our defensive principles. We’ve tried a little bit of everything. I think the biggest thing is just tightening it up.”
While Taurasi has struggled, the Fever have shot surprisingly well. Indiana was the worst shooting team in the league during the season, but has shot 50 percent during the finals.
Indiana has countered Phoenix’s high-scoring offense with balance. Catchings, the runner-up to Taurasi in the MVP balloting, is just fifth on her team in scoring during the finals. She is averaging 13.3 points and shooting 36 percent, but she also is averaging 9.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 2.7 steals.
“The thing that I’ve always tried to do is whatever it takes to make this team win, whether it be rebounding or distributing,” she said. “I think this year, our team has finally gotten the point.”
Taurasi said Indiana’s bench of Briann January, Jessica Davenport and Jessica Moore have been the difference. She singled out January, a rookie point guard who is averaging 15 points in the series. January scored 10 points in a 1:16 stretch at the end of the third quarter of Game 3 that gave the Fever a boost.
“She’s been their spark, she’s been their heart in a lot of ways,” Taurasi said. “She’s been coming into games, and not being shy of shooting, being aggressive, making winning plays. She has just been nails, really. She’s played like a 10-year vet with no conscience.”
The series has been entertaining, with close games and the highest-scoring game in WNBA history. The league says television viewership for the finals are up 51 percent compared to last year’s Detroit-San Antonio series through Game 3. The rating of 0.4 is up 33 percent from last year.
Taurasi said she relishes moments like these, being down 2-1 and facing a crowd that booed her in pre-game introductions before Game 3, a rarity in women’s basketball. Taurasi said the boos sound like cheers to her, and she looks forward to the challenge.
“You can’t be afraid of the moment, you can’t be tentative about it,” she said. “You have an opportunity to do something special.”
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Preview: Diana Taurasi hasn’t found her rhythm during the WNBA finals and the Phoenix Mercury are paying for it.
The Indiana Fever lead the series 2-1 and can win its first championship on Wednesday night in Game 4. Indiana’s odds of closing out the best-of-five series increase if Taurasi, the league’s MVP, has another poor shooting performance.
Taurasi is averaging 20 points per game in the finals, but she’s making fewer than a third of her shots while being hounded by defensive player of the year Tamika Catchings.
Indiana held Taurasi to 6-for-16 shooting and won Game 3 86-85 on Sunday. Catchings doesn’t expect another off night from the league’s regular-season scoring champion.
“She missed quite a few wide open shots,” Catchings said. “Don’t look for her to miss those next game.”
Indiana guard Katie Douglas said the Fever will continue to try to disrupt Taurasi and support Catchings with aggressive team defense.
“We’ve done a tremendous job on her, but at the same time, no one’s relaxing,” Douglas said. “She’s the MVP of the league, she’s a bomb waiting to go off. Just one 3-pointer or layup could erupt the volcano that she can become.”
Taurasi shot 46 percent in the regular season, but is at 33 percent in the finals. She recognized that she was in a slump and said she’s been spending extra time on her shot.
“I went back and watched the film yesterday, the whole game from minute one to the end,” she said. “It comes down to getting shots and knocking down shots.”
Phoenix coach Corey Gaines took responsibility for Taurasi’s struggles, saying he needs to get his scorers in better position.
“It’s an adjustment on my end, and we’re going to get that done,” he said. “She’s doing what she’s supposed to do.”
Gaines said his team remains confident that it can win its second title in three years. He said the Mercury had many good moments in Sunday’s loss and could have won.
Taurasi has drawn attention away from Cappie Pondexter, who is averaging 19.3 points and 5.0 assists in the series. The All-Star, who finished fourth in the MVP balloting, is causing headaches for the Fever.
“We have to do a better job with that,” Catchings said. “When she gets the ball up top in the middle, it destroys our defense and all our defensive principles. We’ve tried a little bit of everything. I think the biggest thing is just tightening it up.”
While Taurasi has struggled, the Fever have shot surprisingly well. Indiana was the worst shooting team in the league during the season, but has shot 50 percent during the finals.
Indiana has countered Phoenix’s high-scoring offense with balance. Catchings, the runner-up to Taurasi in the MVP balloting, is just fifth on her team in scoring during the finals. She is averaging 13.3 points and shooting 36 percent, but she also is averaging 9.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 2.7 steals.
“The thing that I’ve always tried to do is whatever it takes to make this team win, whether it be rebounding or distributing,” she said. “I think this year, our team has finally gotten the point.”
Taurasi said Indiana’s bench of Briann January, Jessica Davenport and Jessica Moore have been the difference. She singled out January, a rookie point guard who is averaging 15 points in the series. January scored 10 points in a 1:16 stretch at the end of the third quarter of Game 3 that gave the Fever a boost.
“She’s been their spark, she’s been their heart in a lot of ways,” Taurasi said. “She’s been coming into games, and not being shy of shooting, being aggressive, making winning plays. She has just been nails, really. She’s played like a 10-year vet with no conscience.”
The series has been entertaining, with close games and the highest-scoring game in WNBA history. The league says television viewership for the finals are up 51 percent compared to last year’s Detroit-San Antonio series through Game 3. The rating of 0.4 is up 33 percent from last year.
Taurasi said she relishes moments like these, being down 2-1 and facing a crowd that booed her in pre-game introductions before Game 3, a rarity in women’s basketball. Taurasi said the boos sound like cheers to her, and she looks forward to the challenge.
“You can’t be afraid of the moment, you can’t be tentative about it,” she said. “You have an opportunity to do something special.”
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POD: Phoenix+3.0 @ Indiana (5K units) W
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If the Fever have their way, they won’t board another flight this season. Indiana could clinch its first championship with two wins at home in the best-of-five series. The Fever defeated the Mercury 93-84 in Game 2 on Thursday night, and they will try to carry the momentum into Game 3 on Sunday at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Fever likely will need All-Star forward Tamika Catchings to avoid foul trouble if they are to celebrate at Conseco after Game 4 on Wednesday. Catchings had just eight points before fouling out with 2:42 left in overtime during a 120-116 loss in Game 1, but she bounced back with 19 points, a finals-record 11 assists and nine rebounds in Game 2. She fell one rebound shy of the first triple-double in WNBA finals history.
“I think the biggest thing for me was being able to be on the court for my team, and then definitely being more aggressive, going to the basket instead of settling for jump shots,” Catchings said.
Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said his team hasn’t played to its potential in the series. He said the difference between the first two games was simple.
“They were more aggressive than us and we missed shots,” he said.
The Fever lost the highest-scoring game in league history in Game 1, then returned to what got them to the finals in Game 2. All-Star guard Katie Douglas said the game plan didn’t change, but the execution and intensity improved.
“I think it was just the energy, the focus we had, the concentration on the defensive end,” Douglas said. “We just played with a lot more concentrated effort as a unit.”
Phoenix’s quick-strike offense has given Indiana trouble. The Fever led by 10 points with 1:53 left in the first quarter of Game 1, but lost that advantage by the end of the period, and the game went back-and-forth the rest of the way. In Game 2, the Fever led by 17 in the third quarter. Phoenix made a push, but never got closer than five points.
Phoenix is known for wearing teams down with its up-tempo style, but Catchings said the pace hasn’t been an issue for Indiana, and won’t be during the series.
“As much as we run in practice, I feel like we’re in great shape,” she said. “If you look at our team, we actually run quite a bit.”
Catchings, the league’s defensive player of the year, has been a reason league MVP Diana Taurasi has gone 12 for 39 for Phoenix in the series. Gaines wouldn’t say if Taurasi or Catchings was more responsible for his star’s shooting woes.
“We know Catchings is a great defensive player, and we know Taurasi is a great scorer,” Gaines said. “Why is (Taurasi) missing shots? It’s a matter of how you look at it.”
Taurasi’s sidekick, All-Star Cappie Pondexter, was 5 for 16 in Game 2. Catchings noted that Pondexter did what she wanted during much of the last game, but didn’t finish.
“We have to be more committed to keeping people out of the middle,” Catchings said. “Cappie, down the stretch, got to the middle way too much.”
Part of Indiana’s defensive strategy in Game 2 was to be patient on offense and make Phoenix play at an uncomfortable pace.
“We have to do what we did last game,” she said. “If they score a couple baskets, we have to slow it down, we have to pound the ball inside.”
Phoenix forward Penny Taylor is expected to play in Game 3 after being elbowed in the mouth during Game 2. Gaines said Taylor was doing fine after receiving treatment and will be ready to resume her role off the bench.
The Fever were all business on Thursday, showing no sign of celebration after their win in Phoenix. For just a few moments after their return Friday, Catchings and Douglas allowed themselves to enjoy the adulation that the team only recently has started to receive from fans. The reception at the Indianapolis International Airport offered a boost for the weary team.
“It definitely woke me up,” Douglas said. “I was kind of tired. There’s an energy and excitement, and people are now embracing this team.”
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If the Fever have their way, they won’t board another flight this season. Indiana could clinch its first championship with two wins at home in the best-of-five series. The Fever defeated the Mercury 93-84 in Game 2 on Thursday night, and they will try to carry the momentum into Game 3 on Sunday at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Fever likely will need All-Star forward Tamika Catchings to avoid foul trouble if they are to celebrate at Conseco after Game 4 on Wednesday. Catchings had just eight points before fouling out with 2:42 left in overtime during a 120-116 loss in Game 1, but she bounced back with 19 points, a finals-record 11 assists and nine rebounds in Game 2. She fell one rebound shy of the first triple-double in WNBA finals history.
“I think the biggest thing for me was being able to be on the court for my team, and then definitely being more aggressive, going to the basket instead of settling for jump shots,” Catchings said.
Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said his team hasn’t played to its potential in the series. He said the difference between the first two games was simple.
“They were more aggressive than us and we missed shots,” he said.
The Fever lost the highest-scoring game in league history in Game 1, then returned to what got them to the finals in Game 2. All-Star guard Katie Douglas said the game plan didn’t change, but the execution and intensity improved.
“I think it was just the energy, the focus we had, the concentration on the defensive end,” Douglas said. “We just played with a lot more concentrated effort as a unit.”
Phoenix’s quick-strike offense has given Indiana trouble. The Fever led by 10 points with 1:53 left in the first quarter of Game 1, but lost that advantage by the end of the period, and the game went back-and-forth the rest of the way. In Game 2, the Fever led by 17 in the third quarter. Phoenix made a push, but never got closer than five points.
Phoenix is known for wearing teams down with its up-tempo style, but Catchings said the pace hasn’t been an issue for Indiana, and won’t be during the series.
“As much as we run in practice, I feel like we’re in great shape,” she said. “If you look at our team, we actually run quite a bit.”
Catchings, the league’s defensive player of the year, has been a reason league MVP Diana Taurasi has gone 12 for 39 for Phoenix in the series. Gaines wouldn’t say if Taurasi or Catchings was more responsible for his star’s shooting woes.
“We know Catchings is a great defensive player, and we know Taurasi is a great scorer,” Gaines said. “Why is (Taurasi) missing shots? It’s a matter of how you look at it.”
Taurasi’s sidekick, All-Star Cappie Pondexter, was 5 for 16 in Game 2. Catchings noted that Pondexter did what she wanted during much of the last game, but didn’t finish.
“We have to be more committed to keeping people out of the middle,” Catchings said. “Cappie, down the stretch, got to the middle way too much.”
Part of Indiana’s defensive strategy in Game 2 was to be patient on offense and make Phoenix play at an uncomfortable pace.
“We have to do what we did last game,” she said. “If they score a couple baskets, we have to slow it down, we have to pound the ball inside.”
Phoenix forward Penny Taylor is expected to play in Game 3 after being elbowed in the mouth during Game 2. Gaines said Taylor was doing fine after receiving treatment and will be ready to resume her role off the bench.
The Fever were all business on Thursday, showing no sign of celebration after their win in Phoenix. For just a few moments after their return Friday, Catchings and Douglas allowed themselves to enjoy the adulation that the team only recently has started to receive from fans. The reception at the Indianapolis International Airport offered a boost for the weary team.
“It definitely woke me up,” Douglas said. “I was kind of tired. There’s an energy and excitement, and people are now embracing this team.”
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POD: Indiana @ Phoenix-4.5 (10K units) L
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The Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever have a tough act to follow in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
Phoenix’s record-shattering 120-116 overtime victory in Game 1 Tuesday night still had the Mercury’s Diana Taurasi shaking her head on Wednesday.
“It was huge shot after shot,” she said. “It was exciting to be in. It was really exciting to be in. I haven’t gotten a chance to see it and I don’t want to see it. I always say with games like that, I don’t want to go back and watch them.”
Instead, Taurasi and the rest of the Mercury will try to look ahead to Game 2 of the best-of-5 series on Thursday night, when they will look to avoid a letdown.
Phoenix coach Corey Gaines tried to paint his team as one “with a chip on our shoulder.”
“We’re still the team people don’t care for the way we play,” he said. “It’s not traditional play. There are still people who say you don’t win playing that way.”
It’s hard to believe anyone didn’t care for the way the teams played in Monday night’s opener, the highest-scoring game in WNBA history.
Everyone expected Phoenix to play at breakneck speed, but the Fever matched that tempo.
“They kind of hurt us with our own medicine at some points of the game,” Taurasi said.
Indiana coach Lin Dunn would like to see a bit more defense, and maybe not quite so much speed, from a team that ranked third in fewest points allowed in the regular season.
“I graded our defense a C-plus,” she said. “I didn’t think we did well some of the things we usually do well. I didn’t think our transition defense was as good as it could be, our two-man defense was as good as it could be. I didn’t think we defended the dribble drive as well as we can, and we certainly didn’t box out as well as we can.”
Still, the Fever tied it on Katie Douglas’ 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds to go to send the game into overtime.
Indiana obviously is not intimidated by the ultra-up-tempo Phoenix offense installed by Paul Westhead, coach when the Mercury won the WNBA title two seasons ago.
“I think that we showed we can play with this team,” said Douglas, who scored 30 in the game. They have tremendous firepower but we have some firepower as well.”
Douglas traced the Fever’s defensive problems to being accustomed to the slower play in the Eastern Conference.
“Because they (the Mercury) move at such a fast pace, we weren’t able to set it up, where in the Eastern Conference it’s a little more stagnant, set it up, grind it out power game,” Douglas said.
The Fever like the up-tempo game, too, she said.
“But we need now to recognize when to pull it back and make them work defensively as well,” Douglas said.
Phoenix improved to 10-0 in games this season when the Mercury scored at least 100 points. The Mercury are 22-2 overall in such games. On the other hand, it was only the second time Indiana had topped 100.
“Coach Dunn is an excellent coach, and I’m sure she’ll make some changes defensively against us, try to slow us down,” Phoenix point guard Cappie Pondexter said, “probably see a little more pressing on their end, kind of slow the point guard down and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of trapping. But we’ll make adjustments as well.”
Besides, Gaines said, the Mercury can only be slowed down so much.
“I don’t want to see 75-72,” he said. “That’s not our style.”
Indiana’s Tamika Catchings had just eight points, 10 below her average this season, but harassed Taurasi, the league’s MVP and leading scorer, into a 5-for-17 shooting night before fouling out in the overtime.
“I think Catch will play smarter tomorrow night,” Dunn said. “I thought she was a little overaggressive and maybe didn’t play as smart on defense as she can. I thought she should have driven to the basket more. I think you will see her do that tomorrow night.”
Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry was providing free tickets for the upper bowl at US Airways Center after their general manager Steve Kerr did the same for the opener.
While the place was loud, there still were many empty seats.
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The Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever have a tough act to follow in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
Phoenix’s record-shattering 120-116 overtime victory in Game 1 Tuesday night still had the Mercury’s Diana Taurasi shaking her head on Wednesday.
“It was huge shot after shot,” she said. “It was exciting to be in. It was really exciting to be in. I haven’t gotten a chance to see it and I don’t want to see it. I always say with games like that, I don’t want to go back and watch them.”
Instead, Taurasi and the rest of the Mercury will try to look ahead to Game 2 of the best-of-5 series on Thursday night, when they will look to avoid a letdown.
Phoenix coach Corey Gaines tried to paint his team as one “with a chip on our shoulder.”
“We’re still the team people don’t care for the way we play,” he said. “It’s not traditional play. There are still people who say you don’t win playing that way.”
It’s hard to believe anyone didn’t care for the way the teams played in Monday night’s opener, the highest-scoring game in WNBA history.
Everyone expected Phoenix to play at breakneck speed, but the Fever matched that tempo.
“They kind of hurt us with our own medicine at some points of the game,” Taurasi said.
Indiana coach Lin Dunn would like to see a bit more defense, and maybe not quite so much speed, from a team that ranked third in fewest points allowed in the regular season.
“I graded our defense a C-plus,” she said. “I didn’t think we did well some of the things we usually do well. I didn’t think our transition defense was as good as it could be, our two-man defense was as good as it could be. I didn’t think we defended the dribble drive as well as we can, and we certainly didn’t box out as well as we can.”
Still, the Fever tied it on Katie Douglas’ 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds to go to send the game into overtime.
Indiana obviously is not intimidated by the ultra-up-tempo Phoenix offense installed by Paul Westhead, coach when the Mercury won the WNBA title two seasons ago.
“I think that we showed we can play with this team,” said Douglas, who scored 30 in the game. They have tremendous firepower but we have some firepower as well.”
Douglas traced the Fever’s defensive problems to being accustomed to the slower play in the Eastern Conference.
“Because they (the Mercury) move at such a fast pace, we weren’t able to set it up, where in the Eastern Conference it’s a little more stagnant, set it up, grind it out power game,” Douglas said.
The Fever like the up-tempo game, too, she said.
“But we need now to recognize when to pull it back and make them work defensively as well,” Douglas said.
Phoenix improved to 10-0 in games this season when the Mercury scored at least 100 points. The Mercury are 22-2 overall in such games. On the other hand, it was only the second time Indiana had topped 100.
“Coach Dunn is an excellent coach, and I’m sure she’ll make some changes defensively against us, try to slow us down,” Phoenix point guard Cappie Pondexter said, “probably see a little more pressing on their end, kind of slow the point guard down and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of trapping. But we’ll make adjustments as well.”
Besides, Gaines said, the Mercury can only be slowed down so much.
“I don’t want to see 75-72,” he said. “That’s not our style.”
Indiana’s Tamika Catchings had just eight points, 10 below her average this season, but harassed Taurasi, the league’s MVP and leading scorer, into a 5-for-17 shooting night before fouling out in the overtime.
“I think Catch will play smarter tomorrow night,” Dunn said. “I thought she was a little overaggressive and maybe didn’t play as smart on defense as she can. I thought she should have driven to the basket more. I think you will see her do that tomorrow night.”
Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry was providing free tickets for the upper bowl at US Airways Center after their general manager Steve Kerr did the same for the opener.
While the place was loud, there still were many empty seats.
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POD: Indiana @ Phoenix-4.5 (5K units) L
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The Phoenix Mercury are all about offense, with All-Stars Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter leading a talented cast of scorers in search of the team’s second WNBA title in three years.
The Indiana Fever built their identity on defense, a team that finally ended Detroit’s dominance in the East and has the league’s defensive player of the year, Tamika Catchings, geared up for a one-on-one showdown with Taurasi.
“Those are two amazing players,” said Indiana rookie and ex-Arizona State standout Briann January. “Olympians going head-to-head, going hard. They are two of the hardest-working women in this game. They go at it. Their passion for the game is clear when you watch them play.”
The teams open their best-of-5 series Tuesday night at US Airways Center, where Indiana beat the Mercury earlier this season.
To help make certain Phoenix has a loud homecourt advantage, Suns general manager Steve Kerr bought all 7,000 upper-level tickets and planned to give them away. Kerr said he took a cue from Larry Bird, who bought 9,000 upper level seats for Indiana’s deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals against defending WNBA champion Detroit.
“Both of us were part of championship teams and understand the importance of a packed house,” Kerr said. “For anyone who doubts the WNBA level of play, this is an opportunity to see for yourself. I challenge any doubters to come see the talent, skill and intensity on the court.”
While the Mercury have been here before, this is all new for Catchings, who has spent all eight of her pro seasons with Indiana.
“Oh my gosh, it seems like forever,” Catchings said before the Fever worked out on Monday. “… We’ve worked so hard and it’s finally paying off.”
The Fever defensive standout says she always looks forward to facing Taurasi, who led the WNBA in scoring for the third time and is averaging 23.8 points per game in the playoffs.
“I love playing against the best offensive players,” Catchings said. “Being a defensive player and priding myself in defense, I definitely love the challenge. We and ‘D’ go way back. Even when she makes a good move or gets a shot in my face, it’s all in love.”
Mercury coach Corey Gaines uses the same ultra up-tempo style that his predecessor, Paul Westhead, installed in guiding Phoenix to the league championship two years ago. Five players remain from the squad that beat Detroit in five games two years ago.
“We take into this our experience from 2007, which is such a positive for us and knowing that we can get it done,” Pondexter said, “and knowing what it took to get it done in 2007 is so important and gives me a lot of confidence in this team.”
Catchings calls Phoenix “a great running team.”
“They’re very quick, move the ball, with 3-point shooters in Penny (Taylor), DT (Taurasi) and Cappie, and Tangela (Smith) has been shooting the ball very well,” Catchings said. “We’re going to have to step up our defensive intensity and try to knock more baskets down.”
Taurasi calls the Mercury’s preferred style “chaos”
Phoenix led the WNBA in scoring at 92.8 points per game. The Mercury allowed a league-high 89.1 points per contest. That’s for a 40-minute game.
“We’re not getting enough shots up, really,” Gaines said. “We’re getting around 85. I want to get like 90 or 95. Really 100, that’s my goal. I need 48 minutes. You give me 48 minutes, I’ll get 100 shots.”
Indiana allowed 73.6 points per game, third-fewest in the league, but Fever coach Lin Dunn believes that it’s more than her team’s defense against the Mercury offense.
“I don’t know that it’s a clash in styles,” she said. “They may emphasize offense a little bit more than we do, and we may emphasize defense a little bit more. But we both want to push the ball. The night we beat them here was a very up-tempo game.”
That 90-83 victory on Aug. 9 gives Indiana confidence it can win a playoff game in Phoenix, something the Fever has to do to claim the championship.
“You’ve got to steal one. When you get one on somebody’s home court, you’ve stolen it,” she said, “because you’re supposed to protect serve. That’s the way it is.”
Phoenix won at Indiana 106-90 on Sept. 2, one of only three Fever home losses. Indiana’s No. 2 scorer, Katie Douglas, missed that game with an ankle injury. (Y! Sports)
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The Phoenix Mercury are all about offense, with All-Stars Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter leading a talented cast of scorers in search of the team’s second WNBA title in three years.
The Indiana Fever built their identity on defense, a team that finally ended Detroit’s dominance in the East and has the league’s defensive player of the year, Tamika Catchings, geared up for a one-on-one showdown with Taurasi.
“Those are two amazing players,” said Indiana rookie and ex-Arizona State standout Briann January. “Olympians going head-to-head, going hard. They are two of the hardest-working women in this game. They go at it. Their passion for the game is clear when you watch them play.”
The teams open their best-of-5 series Tuesday night at US Airways Center, where Indiana beat the Mercury earlier this season.
To help make certain Phoenix has a loud homecourt advantage, Suns general manager Steve Kerr bought all 7,000 upper-level tickets and planned to give them away. Kerr said he took a cue from Larry Bird, who bought 9,000 upper level seats for Indiana’s deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals against defending WNBA champion Detroit.
“Both of us were part of championship teams and understand the importance of a packed house,” Kerr said. “For anyone who doubts the WNBA level of play, this is an opportunity to see for yourself. I challenge any doubters to come see the talent, skill and intensity on the court.”
While the Mercury have been here before, this is all new for Catchings, who has spent all eight of her pro seasons with Indiana.
“Oh my gosh, it seems like forever,” Catchings said before the Fever worked out on Monday. “… We’ve worked so hard and it’s finally paying off.”
The Fever defensive standout says she always looks forward to facing Taurasi, who led the WNBA in scoring for the third time and is averaging 23.8 points per game in the playoffs.
“I love playing against the best offensive players,” Catchings said. “Being a defensive player and priding myself in defense, I definitely love the challenge. We and ‘D’ go way back. Even when she makes a good move or gets a shot in my face, it’s all in love.”
Mercury coach Corey Gaines uses the same ultra up-tempo style that his predecessor, Paul Westhead, installed in guiding Phoenix to the league championship two years ago. Five players remain from the squad that beat Detroit in five games two years ago.
“We take into this our experience from 2007, which is such a positive for us and knowing that we can get it done,” Pondexter said, “and knowing what it took to get it done in 2007 is so important and gives me a lot of confidence in this team.”
Catchings calls Phoenix “a great running team.”
“They’re very quick, move the ball, with 3-point shooters in Penny (Taylor), DT (Taurasi) and Cappie, and Tangela (Smith) has been shooting the ball very well,” Catchings said. “We’re going to have to step up our defensive intensity and try to knock more baskets down.”
Taurasi calls the Mercury’s preferred style “chaos”
Phoenix led the WNBA in scoring at 92.8 points per game. The Mercury allowed a league-high 89.1 points per contest. That’s for a 40-minute game.
“We’re not getting enough shots up, really,” Gaines said. “We’re getting around 85. I want to get like 90 or 95. Really 100, that’s my goal. I need 48 minutes. You give me 48 minutes, I’ll get 100 shots.”
Indiana allowed 73.6 points per game, third-fewest in the league, but Fever coach Lin Dunn believes that it’s more than her team’s defense against the Mercury offense.
“I don’t know that it’s a clash in styles,” she said. “They may emphasize offense a little bit more than we do, and we may emphasize defense a little bit more. But we both want to push the ball. The night we beat them here was a very up-tempo game.”
That 90-83 victory on Aug. 9 gives Indiana confidence it can win a playoff game in Phoenix, something the Fever has to do to claim the championship.
“You’ve got to steal one. When you get one on somebody’s home court, you’ve stolen it,” she said, “because you’re supposed to protect serve. That’s the way it is.”
Phoenix won at Indiana 106-90 on Sept. 2, one of only three Fever home losses. Indiana’s No. 2 scorer, Katie Douglas, missed that game with an ankle injury. (Y! Sports)
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POD: Indiana+2.0 @ Detroit (5K units) L
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The Indiana Fever are one step away from the WNBA finals. The remaining obstacle, though, is one they’ve never been able to overcome.
The Fever open the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday against the Detroit Shock, the defending champion and the team that has eliminated Indiana in each of the last three postseasons. All three times, Detroit went to the finals and won titles twice.
“We know they’ve put us out, and, in a way, it is better for us to play Detroit,” said MVP candidate Tamika Catchings of the Fever. “All we’ve talked about this year is Detroit owning the East, and now we’ve got to go there and beat them if we want to win the championship.”
FILE - In this June 21, 2009, file photo, Indiana Fever's Jessica Moore, left, and Detroit Shock's Alexis Hornbuckle battle for a loose ball during the first quarter of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis. There was no doubt that the Fever were the Eastern Conference's best team this year. Now in the Eastern Conference finals, they will face Detroit _ the defending champion and the team that has knocked them out of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
Catchings has been on the losing side of all three series and is desperate to end the streak.
“All of those series are on my mind right now,” she said. “Every year, we’ve thought it was going to be our year, and they’ve been the ones to knock us out, so this year, our focus is even better.”
Last year, the teams played in the first round, and Indiana forced a decisive Game 3 at the Palace in Auburn Hills. Detroit looked vulnerable, having lost Cheryl Ford to a midseason knee injury and then seeing Plenette Pierson go down with a shoulder injury in Game 2.
As it turned out, though, the game was no contest. The Shock led 41-10 midway through the second quarter and wound up winning easily, 80-61.
This year, the circumstances are somewhat similar. Pierson is in street clothes again, having missed the entire season after aggravating the shoulder injury in the first game. The Shock are also missing Katie Smith with a back injury.
Detroit has also had to overcome the surprise departure of longtime head coach Bill Laimbeer, who resigned early in the season to pursue an NBA coaching job. He is now an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Shock started the year 9-14, but won nine of their last 11 games to finish as the third seed in the East, then swept Atlanta in the first round.
“We got through the adversity, the injuries and coaching change and then just started playing Shock basketball again,” Ford said. “We picked up our defense and started to jell.”
Detroit also won the last regular-season meeting between the teams, holding the Fever to 27 percent shooting in a 70-63 overtime victory Sept. 4.
“This is just another challenge,” said Rick Mahorn, who took over as coach after several years as Laimbeer’s top assistant. “Indiana is a tough ball club — they were the best team in the East—so we know we’ve got our work cut out, but this is a very resilient group of ladies.”
Catchings agrees, having seen what the Shock have done to her team year after year.
“They didn’t start the season well,” she said. “They were in a slump, but they finished the season like a championship team. It’s going to be a great series.”
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The Indiana Fever are one step away from the WNBA finals. The remaining obstacle, though, is one they’ve never been able to overcome.
The Fever open the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday against the Detroit Shock, the defending champion and the team that has eliminated Indiana in each of the last three postseasons. All three times, Detroit went to the finals and won titles twice.
“We know they’ve put us out, and, in a way, it is better for us to play Detroit,” said MVP candidate Tamika Catchings of the Fever. “All we’ve talked about this year is Detroit owning the East, and now we’ve got to go there and beat them if we want to win the championship.”
FILE - In this June 21, 2009, file photo, Indiana Fever's Jessica Moore, left, and Detroit Shock's Alexis Hornbuckle battle for a loose ball during the first quarter of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis. There was no doubt that the Fever were the Eastern Conference's best team this year. Now in the Eastern Conference finals, they will face Detroit _ the defending champion and the team that has knocked them out of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
Catchings has been on the losing side of all three series and is desperate to end the streak.
“All of those series are on my mind right now,” she said. “Every year, we’ve thought it was going to be our year, and they’ve been the ones to knock us out, so this year, our focus is even better.”
Last year, the teams played in the first round, and Indiana forced a decisive Game 3 at the Palace in Auburn Hills. Detroit looked vulnerable, having lost Cheryl Ford to a midseason knee injury and then seeing Plenette Pierson go down with a shoulder injury in Game 2.
As it turned out, though, the game was no contest. The Shock led 41-10 midway through the second quarter and wound up winning easily, 80-61.
This year, the circumstances are somewhat similar. Pierson is in street clothes again, having missed the entire season after aggravating the shoulder injury in the first game. The Shock are also missing Katie Smith with a back injury.
Detroit has also had to overcome the surprise departure of longtime head coach Bill Laimbeer, who resigned early in the season to pursue an NBA coaching job. He is now an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Shock started the year 9-14, but won nine of their last 11 games to finish as the third seed in the East, then swept Atlanta in the first round.
“We got through the adversity, the injuries and coaching change and then just started playing Shock basketball again,” Ford said. “We picked up our defense and started to jell.”
Detroit also won the last regular-season meeting between the teams, holding the Fever to 27 percent shooting in a 70-63 overtime victory Sept. 4.
“This is just another challenge,” said Rick Mahorn, who took over as coach after several years as Laimbeer’s top assistant. “Indiana is a tough ball club — they were the best team in the East—so we know we’ve got our work cut out, but this is a very resilient group of ladies.”
Catchings agrees, having seen what the Shock have done to her team year after year.
“They didn’t start the season well,” she said. “They were in a slump, but they finished the season like a championship team. It’s going to be a great series.”
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POD: San Antonio+9.0 @ Phoenix (4K units) W
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With their season on the line, the top-seeded Phoenix Mercury felt a sense of urgency as they tried to force a deciding Game 3 against the San Antonio Silver Stars.
After accomplishing that goal, Phoenix doesn’t plan on becoming less aggressive.
Coming off a dominant performance, the Mercury try to advance to the Western Conference finals when they host the Silver Stars on Monday night.
Phoenix went 23-11 in the regular season while San Antonio finished 15-19, but the Silver Stars opened this best-of-three, first-round series with a 92-91 win at home Thursday.
The Mercury, though, came out strong in Game 2 at home Saturday night, outscoring San Antonio 14-2 in the final 3:41 of the first quarter after the game was tied 21-all. Phoenix led 64-42 at halftime and won 106-78 to avoid elimination.
“We were aggressive,” said forward Penny Taylor, who scored 14 off the bench. “I think that’s the key word. We were aggressive offensively and defensively at all times.”
Diana Taurasi had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots for the Mercury, whose 35 points broke the WNBA record for most in the first quarter of a playoff game.
“I thought we came out offensively getting some things done,” Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said. “But defensively, just had no answer to getting the game under control from a tempo standpoint. I thought Taurasi was the lead character in that, establishing that kind of story line for the game.”
Taurasi went 10 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from 3-point range, but she was more pleased with Phoenix’s ability to shut down Sophia Young. The fourth-year forward had 19 points but went 6 for 18 from the field after scoring 24 and shooting 10 for 19 in Game 1.
“Tonight we did a better job of making it difficult,” Taurasi said. “We made it difficult for Sophia. You look at the stat sheet and she has 19, but we made her work a little bit more. That’s what it’s about - making adjustments and trying to execute them on the court.”
Coach Corey Gaines was happy to see the Mercury get back to their high-scoring, fast-breaking ways.
“When you make shots, things seem easier,” he said. “It’s amazing how it gets easier - defense gets better, everything gets easier.”
Phoenix shot 63.9 percent from the field and 56.2 from beyond the arc (9 of 16).
“It didn’t help us that they couldn’t miss anything,” Young said. “But I thought they attacked us in every aspect, and we were kind of on our back heels a lot during the whole game. If you are going to win, you can’t let that happen.”
If the Silver Stars are going to advance to the conference finals for the third straight year, they’ll likely need Becky Hammon to step up her play. Hammon, the second-leading scorer in the WNBA this season behind Taurasi at 19.5 a game, was held to 13 in 29 minutes Saturday.
San Antonio has lost all three visits to Phoenix this season after winning both meetings there in 2008, en route to an appearance in the WNBA finals. (Y! Sports)
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With their season on the line, the top-seeded Phoenix Mercury felt a sense of urgency as they tried to force a deciding Game 3 against the San Antonio Silver Stars.
After accomplishing that goal, Phoenix doesn’t plan on becoming less aggressive.
Coming off a dominant performance, the Mercury try to advance to the Western Conference finals when they host the Silver Stars on Monday night.
Phoenix went 23-11 in the regular season while San Antonio finished 15-19, but the Silver Stars opened this best-of-three, first-round series with a 92-91 win at home Thursday.
The Mercury, though, came out strong in Game 2 at home Saturday night, outscoring San Antonio 14-2 in the final 3:41 of the first quarter after the game was tied 21-all. Phoenix led 64-42 at halftime and won 106-78 to avoid elimination.
“We were aggressive,” said forward Penny Taylor, who scored 14 off the bench. “I think that’s the key word. We were aggressive offensively and defensively at all times.”
Diana Taurasi had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots for the Mercury, whose 35 points broke the WNBA record for most in the first quarter of a playoff game.
“I thought we came out offensively getting some things done,” Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said. “But defensively, just had no answer to getting the game under control from a tempo standpoint. I thought Taurasi was the lead character in that, establishing that kind of story line for the game.”
Taurasi went 10 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from 3-point range, but she was more pleased with Phoenix’s ability to shut down Sophia Young. The fourth-year forward had 19 points but went 6 for 18 from the field after scoring 24 and shooting 10 for 19 in Game 1.
“Tonight we did a better job of making it difficult,” Taurasi said. “We made it difficult for Sophia. You look at the stat sheet and she has 19, but we made her work a little bit more. That’s what it’s about - making adjustments and trying to execute them on the court.”
Coach Corey Gaines was happy to see the Mercury get back to their high-scoring, fast-breaking ways.
“When you make shots, things seem easier,” he said. “It’s amazing how it gets easier - defense gets better, everything gets easier.”
Phoenix shot 63.9 percent from the field and 56.2 from beyond the arc (9 of 16).
“It didn’t help us that they couldn’t miss anything,” Young said. “But I thought they attacked us in every aspect, and we were kind of on our back heels a lot during the whole game. If you are going to win, you can’t let that happen.”
If the Silver Stars are going to advance to the conference finals for the third straight year, they’ll likely need Becky Hammon to step up her play. Hammon, the second-leading scorer in the WNBA this season behind Taurasi at 19.5 a game, was held to 13 in 29 minutes Saturday.
San Antonio has lost all three visits to Phoenix this season after winning both meetings there in 2008, en route to an appearance in the WNBA finals. (Y! Sports)
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POD: Slovenia-6.0 @ Croatia (3K units) L
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Slovenia and Croatia both bid to reach the last four of the EuroBasket for the first time in their histories when they face off in the last quarter-final in Katowice on Friday.
Since their independence in 1991, Slovenia have never finished better than sixth in the EuroBasket. However, they have shown some consistency in recent years as they are in the last eight for the third straight time.
In 2005, they reached the quarter-finals in Belgrade but lost to eventual finalists Germany 76-62 and recorded their best finish to date, by beating Lithuania 79-70 in the 5th-6th place game.
Two years ago in Spain, Slovenia had a 12-point lead over Greece with 2:30 left to play in their quarter-final game. However, the then defending champions closed on a 14-1 run and Theo Papaloukas' driving lay-up with 6.7 seconds gave the Greeks a 63-62 lead and they held on for the win. The Slovenians would go on to finish seventh.
With those results in mind, it's no wonder that Jure Zdvoc's side hope the third will prove to be the charm.
And the same is true of Croatia, who are also reaching the quarter-finals for the third time in a row and are just as eager to come up with a win at this stage of the competition.
At EuroBasket 2005, the Croats were very close to reaching the semi-finals, losing to Spain in overtime and ultimately came in seventh.
In their quarter-final against Spain, Croatia led 73-70 with 12 seconds remaining. They fouled Juan Carlos Navarro, who hit the first free-throw but missed the second and his team-mate Fran Vasquez was quickest to the ball, scoring in the lane to tie the game with three seconds left.
Croatia had a chance to win but Gordan Giricek missed a three-pointer at the buzzer. The game was close early in the extra session but Spain pulled away in the last two minutes for a 101-85 win.
And the manner in which they lost out on a semi-final spot in Spain in 2007 was just as heart-wrenching. Croatia trailed Lithuania 74-72 in their quarter-final encounter. With one second left, Zoran Planinic had a chance to tie the game with a pair of free-throws but he missed both and they had to settle for sixth place.
Slovenia head into this game with a bit of uncertainty as they have been without several key players in stretches during the tournament. Captain Matjaz Smodis has played sparingly in only two games and rumour has it he will not play again. However he has been a great influence just by his presence on the bench and around the players.
Goran Dragic, who has provided a huge lift off the bench, sat out the last two games through injury and his status is uncertain. Starting guard Domen Lorbek has also been out of action since picking up a knock in the win over Poland on Monday.
On a positive note, Zdovc will be pleased to see Uros Slokar's solid play as it has enabled Slovenia to monitor the minutes of starting center Primoz Brezec.
Croatia will be hoping for a return to form from Nikola Vujcic. The 2.07m center started the tournament strong with 46 points in the first three games but has added just five to that tally in the last three contests.
Head to head: These two teams have played twice before and the series is split. At EuroBasket 1995, Croatia beat Slovenia 91-83 in their Group B opener thanks to Toni Kukoc's 20 points and six assists. Current Slovenia head coach Jure Zdovc had eight points and three rebounds in a losing cause. Ten years later, Jaka Lakovic had a game-high 20 points in the 89-80 win that saw the Slovenians clinch the final place for the World Championships in Japan.
Last time out: Slovenia handed Turkey their first defeat of the tournament 69-67 and in the process took top spot in Group F from them. Croatia capitalised on Germany's flurry of mistakes late in the game to beat them 70-68 and seal fourth place in Group E.
Key match-up: This game will feature two teams who are very deep in the backcourt. Slovenia have Jaka Lakovic, Domen Lorbek, Samo Udrih and hope to get Gordan Dragic back at some point. Each one has hit his fair shair of big shots so far in the tournament. Meanwhile, Croatia can count on Roko-Leni Ukic, Zoran Planinic and Sixth Man extraordinaire Marko Popovic, who leads the team in scoring with 12.5 points per contest in just 21 minutes of play.
X-factor: Players available for Zdovc. While it may have looked as though Slovenia are doing just fine without Dragic and Domen Lorbek, both players are sorely missed and must return and play their parts as soon as possible. Samo Udrih has done a great job in their absence but does not provide the same intangibles (athleticism and size) they do.
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POD: Indiana-3.0 @ Washington (5K units) W
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PREVIEW:
The Indiana Fever looked like obvious Eastern Conference favorites for most of the regular season. Going into the playoffs, they look more like the walking wounded.
A number of injuries to key players will be a primary concern for the top-seeded but reeling Fever as they open the postseason on the road Thursday night against the Washington Mystics, who could also be dealing with a weakened top scorer as they try for their first playoff victory in five years.
An 11-game winning streak June 9-July 17 gave Indiana a stranglehold on the East, but the Fever (22-12) hobbled down the stretch, losing seven of their final 10 games.
They played some of that time without leading scorer Katie Douglas (ankle) and starting center Tammy Sutton-Brown (toe), although both are expected to suit up Thursday. There’s less certainty surrounding All-Star defensive whiz Tamika Catchings, who left Sunday’s regular season finale - a 95-85 loss at Connecticut - after a collision.
The Fever aren’t making any excuses for their lackluster finish, which came with little at stake in the standings, but they’re hoping to quickly shift back into gear with much more on the line.
“It is a change of mentality,” Catchings said, “but I think the last 10 games we really tried to focus into changing into a playoff mentality and even though we have not won all of them, I think going in we are going to have to use the positive things that came out of it. Our bench played more minutes and getting them accustomed to playing, hopefully they will be ready for us.”
Indiana will be trying to advance further than it did last year, when the club lost in the first round to eventual league champion Detroit. The Fever have never reached the WNBA finals, but they’ve also never entered the playoffs as the top seed.
“We know that if we don’t bring our ‘A’ game, then we might be exiting early and that is certainly not on the plan,” guard Tully Bevilaqua said.
Washington (16-18) could be an ideal opponent for the Fever considering the Mystics backed into the East’s fourth and final playoff spot after losing three of their final four games and nine of their last 14.
They’ve played some of their recent games without leading scorer Alana Beard, who is dealing with a sprained ankle. Even with Beard in the lineup for all four meetings with Indiana this year, however, the Mystics couldn’t come up with a win.
“They’re an excellent defensive team, they force a lot of turnovers,” Washington coach Julie Plank said of the Fever. “Tamika Catchings is a great player, one of the best in the league, and they have a great inside-outside game.”
The Mystics were swept out of the first round in their last postseason appearance in 2006, and they haven’t won a playoff game since 2004, but they won’t have a chance to do so in their home arena. With the Verizon Center booked, the game will be played at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center. Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) are in Indianapolis.
The Fever will be playing one day after team co-owner Melvin Simon died at 82.
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PREVIEW:
The Indiana Fever looked like obvious Eastern Conference favorites for most of the regular season. Going into the playoffs, they look more like the walking wounded.
A number of injuries to key players will be a primary concern for the top-seeded but reeling Fever as they open the postseason on the road Thursday night against the Washington Mystics, who could also be dealing with a weakened top scorer as they try for their first playoff victory in five years.
An 11-game winning streak June 9-July 17 gave Indiana a stranglehold on the East, but the Fever (22-12) hobbled down the stretch, losing seven of their final 10 games.
They played some of that time without leading scorer Katie Douglas (ankle) and starting center Tammy Sutton-Brown (toe), although both are expected to suit up Thursday. There’s less certainty surrounding All-Star defensive whiz Tamika Catchings, who left Sunday’s regular season finale - a 95-85 loss at Connecticut - after a collision.
The Fever aren’t making any excuses for their lackluster finish, which came with little at stake in the standings, but they’re hoping to quickly shift back into gear with much more on the line.
“It is a change of mentality,” Catchings said, “but I think the last 10 games we really tried to focus into changing into a playoff mentality and even though we have not won all of them, I think going in we are going to have to use the positive things that came out of it. Our bench played more minutes and getting them accustomed to playing, hopefully they will be ready for us.”
Indiana will be trying to advance further than it did last year, when the club lost in the first round to eventual league champion Detroit. The Fever have never reached the WNBA finals, but they’ve also never entered the playoffs as the top seed.
“We know that if we don’t bring our ‘A’ game, then we might be exiting early and that is certainly not on the plan,” guard Tully Bevilaqua said.
Washington (16-18) could be an ideal opponent for the Fever considering the Mystics backed into the East’s fourth and final playoff spot after losing three of their final four games and nine of their last 14.
They’ve played some of their recent games without leading scorer Alana Beard, who is dealing with a sprained ankle. Even with Beard in the lineup for all four meetings with Indiana this year, however, the Mystics couldn’t come up with a win.
“They’re an excellent defensive team, they force a lot of turnovers,” Washington coach Julie Plank said of the Fever. “Tamika Catchings is a great player, one of the best in the league, and they have a great inside-outside game.”
The Mystics were swept out of the first round in their last postseason appearance in 2006, and they haven’t won a playoff game since 2004, but they won’t have a chance to do so in their home arena. With the Verizon Center booked, the game will be played at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center. Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) are in Indianapolis.
The Fever will be playing one day after team co-owner Melvin Simon died at 82.
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POD: Seattle @ Los Angeles-5.0 (8K units) W
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PREVIEW:
The Seattle Storm have seen their last four seasons end in the first round of the playoffs. Two of those exits have come at the hands of the Los Angeles Sparks.
This time around, the Storm will be looking to overcome a rash of injuries when they visit the Sparks on Wednesday night to open a best-of-three series.
Seattle (20-14) finished second in the Western Conference to earn a first-round series against third-seeded Los Angeles (18-16). It’s the third time in four years the rivals will meet in the opening round, with the Sparks taking the previous two in three games in 2006 and ’08. The Storm also fell to Los Angeles in the first round in 2002.
The last two playoff exits to the Sparks have come during a four-year stretch that has seen the Storm fail to advance out of the first round after winning the WNBA title in 2004.
Seattle also enters this series with three players injured.
Guard Sue Bird (neck), forward Lauren Jackson (back stress fracture) and reserve guard-forward Katie Gearlds (knee) didn’t play in Saturday’s season-ending 64-55 win at San Antonio. Bird was the only of the three to travel, while forward Swin Cash also stayed home for personal reasons.
“We just tried to get the win, which was the most important thing and trying to get that 20th win for our season,” guard Shannon Johnson said after scoring a season-high 16 in her sixth start. “It was about giving other players an opportunity to play basketball.”
Seattle is hoping to have at least Bird and Cash back Wednesday, giving the team two of its top players.
Bird led the league with 5.8 assists per game and is second on the Storm with 12.8 points, while Cash averages a team-high 6.7 rebounds and adds 12.2 points a contest.
The Storm split four season meetings with the Sparks with the home team winning each time. Seattle has dropped its last five visits to Staples Center, including a matchup in last year’s playoff series.
The Sparks are looking to reach the West finals for the third time in four years. They closed the regular season with three consecutive victories, winning 81-78 at conference-champion Phoenix on Sunday.
“It’s nice to go into the playoffs on a winning note,” coach Michael Cooper said.
Lisa Leslie, the team leader with 15.4 points per game, will try to help Los Angeles get past Seattle again before retiring.
The veteran center has only faced Seattle once this year, shooting 7 for 14 and scoring 15 in a 79-75 win Aug. 6. She averaged 12.0 points and 9.7 rebounds against the Storm in the playoffs last year.
The winner of this series will face the Mercury or Silver Stars in the conference finals.
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PREVIEW:
The Seattle Storm have seen their last four seasons end in the first round of the playoffs. Two of those exits have come at the hands of the Los Angeles Sparks.
This time around, the Storm will be looking to overcome a rash of injuries when they visit the Sparks on Wednesday night to open a best-of-three series.
Seattle (20-14) finished second in the Western Conference to earn a first-round series against third-seeded Los Angeles (18-16). It’s the third time in four years the rivals will meet in the opening round, with the Sparks taking the previous two in three games in 2006 and ’08. The Storm also fell to Los Angeles in the first round in 2002.
The last two playoff exits to the Sparks have come during a four-year stretch that has seen the Storm fail to advance out of the first round after winning the WNBA title in 2004.
Seattle also enters this series with three players injured.
Guard Sue Bird (neck), forward Lauren Jackson (back stress fracture) and reserve guard-forward Katie Gearlds (knee) didn’t play in Saturday’s season-ending 64-55 win at San Antonio. Bird was the only of the three to travel, while forward Swin Cash also stayed home for personal reasons.
“We just tried to get the win, which was the most important thing and trying to get that 20th win for our season,” guard Shannon Johnson said after scoring a season-high 16 in her sixth start. “It was about giving other players an opportunity to play basketball.”
Seattle is hoping to have at least Bird and Cash back Wednesday, giving the team two of its top players.
Bird led the league with 5.8 assists per game and is second on the Storm with 12.8 points, while Cash averages a team-high 6.7 rebounds and adds 12.2 points a contest.
The Storm split four season meetings with the Sparks with the home team winning each time. Seattle has dropped its last five visits to Staples Center, including a matchup in last year’s playoff series.
The Sparks are looking to reach the West finals for the third time in four years. They closed the regular season with three consecutive victories, winning 81-78 at conference-champion Phoenix on Sunday.
“It’s nice to go into the playoffs on a winning note,” coach Michael Cooper said.
Lisa Leslie, the team leader with 15.4 points per game, will try to help Los Angeles get past Seattle again before retiring.
The veteran center has only faced Seattle once this year, shooting 7 for 14 and scoring 15 in a 79-75 win Aug. 6. She averaged 12.0 points and 9.7 rebounds against the Storm in the playoffs last year.
The winner of this series will face the Mercury or Silver Stars in the conference finals.
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POD: Washington @ New York-4.0 (5K units) W
The Washington Mystics can rest a little easier knowing they’re headed to the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The Mystics will try to close the regular season with a .500 record and end a four-game road skid when they visit the last-place New York Liberty on Sunday.
Washington (16-17) finished with the second-worst record in the league in 2008, going 10-24. Only expansion Atlanta was worse with a 4-30 mark.
Both teams are surprisingly headed to the playoffs after the Mystics won 82-64 over the Dream on Saturday. Washington clinched the fourth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth later that night when Chicago lost at home to Detroit.
The Mystics, who have won only one playoff series in their existence, will face top-seeded Indiana.
Lindsey Harding scored 25 points and Chasity Melvin added 12 on Saturday for the Mystics, who never trailed and led by as many as 20. Washington built an 11-point lead nearly six minutes into the game.
“We came in, we battled, it was a great team win, and we got it done,” guard Alana Beard said. “We handled our business.”
Washington is 2-1 against New York this year, winning 78-75 at Madison Square Garden on July 30 behind 28 points from Beard, who is averaging 19.7 points against the Liberty in 2009.
“We have to win one more game in New York,” Mystics coach Julie Plank said. “We’re definitely on a mission. They took one from us and we’ve got to take one back from them. We’ve got to be ready to go.”
New York (12-21) will finish with the second-worst record in franchise history ahead of the 2006 club that went 11-23. The Liberty fell one game shy of reaching the WNBA finals after losing in three games to eventual champion Detroit last year in the conference finals before stumbling badly this season.
After a 6-11 start, coach Pat Coyle was fired and replaced by interim coach Anne Donovan on July 31. The Liberty have lost four straight and are 6-10 under Donovan.
New York played without injured center Janel McCarville (ankle) on Thursday and rallied from a 14-point deficit to force overtime in a 94-87 road loss to the Shock. Essence Carson scored a career-high 28 points.
“We were just looking to win a game,” Donovan said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve won a game, and at this point in the season, with us not qualifying for the playoffs, we’re just looking to perform well.”
The Washington Mystics can rest a little easier knowing they’re headed to the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The Mystics will try to close the regular season with a .500 record and end a four-game road skid when they visit the last-place New York Liberty on Sunday.
Washington (16-17) finished with the second-worst record in the league in 2008, going 10-24. Only expansion Atlanta was worse with a 4-30 mark.
Both teams are surprisingly headed to the playoffs after the Mystics won 82-64 over the Dream on Saturday. Washington clinched the fourth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth later that night when Chicago lost at home to Detroit.
The Mystics, who have won only one playoff series in their existence, will face top-seeded Indiana.
Lindsey Harding scored 25 points and Chasity Melvin added 12 on Saturday for the Mystics, who never trailed and led by as many as 20. Washington built an 11-point lead nearly six minutes into the game.
“We came in, we battled, it was a great team win, and we got it done,” guard Alana Beard said. “We handled our business.”
Washington is 2-1 against New York this year, winning 78-75 at Madison Square Garden on July 30 behind 28 points from Beard, who is averaging 19.7 points against the Liberty in 2009.
“We have to win one more game in New York,” Mystics coach Julie Plank said. “We’re definitely on a mission. They took one from us and we’ve got to take one back from them. We’ve got to be ready to go.”
New York (12-21) will finish with the second-worst record in franchise history ahead of the 2006 club that went 11-23. The Liberty fell one game shy of reaching the WNBA finals after losing in three games to eventual champion Detroit last year in the conference finals before stumbling badly this season.
After a 6-11 start, coach Pat Coyle was fired and replaced by interim coach Anne Donovan on July 31. The Liberty have lost four straight and are 6-10 under Donovan.
New York played without injured center Janel McCarville (ankle) on Thursday and rallied from a 14-point deficit to force overtime in a 94-87 road loss to the Shock. Essence Carson scored a career-high 28 points.
“We were just looking to win a game,” Donovan said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve won a game, and at this point in the season, with us not qualifying for the playoffs, we’re just looking to perform well.”
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The Silver Stars will likely need all of the regular season to make it into this year’s playoffs, and they will try to close in on that berth Thursday night against the host Sacramento Monarchs.
San Antonio (14-18) comes in tied with Minnesota for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot and owns the tiebreaker.
acramento (11-21), which will miss its first postseason since 2002, had a three-game home win streak snapped with 98-90 loss to Atlanta on Friday.
Nicole Powell, the Monarchs’ leading scorer (16.3 ppg), scored 23, and DeMya Walker had 19 points for the second straight game.
POD: San Antonio-2.5 @ Sacramento (5K units) W
San Antonio (14-18) comes in tied with Minnesota for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot and owns the tiebreaker.
acramento (11-21), which will miss its first postseason since 2002, had a three-game home win streak snapped with 98-90 loss to Atlanta on Friday.
Nicole Powell, the Monarchs’ leading scorer (16.3 ppg), scored 23, and DeMya Walker had 19 points for the second straight game.
POD: San Antonio-2.5 @ Sacramento (5K units) W
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With two meetings in the final eight days of the regular season, the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock and Chicago Sky both have the chance to play their way into the postseason.
The Shock and Sky look to take a major step towards the playoffs Sunday night when they meet at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Detroit (15-15) has won six of seven to reach .500 for the first time since it was 1-1. The Shock have moved up to third place in the Eastern Conference, and are within striking distance of second-place Atlanta in the race for home-court advantage in the first round.
The Shock have won two straight over the top two teams in the league, beating Phoenix 101-99 on Tuesday and Indiana 70-63 in overtime on Friday.
POD: Chicago @ Detroit-6.0 (4K units) W
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The Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky are locked in a tight race for two of the Eastern Conference’s final three playoff spots, but they could have something else in common heading into the final stretch.
Both teams might not have an All-Star in their lineups for Friday night’s game in Chicago.
Washington’s Alana Beard and Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles are suffering from sprained left ankles and their statuses are unknown.
Beard, the Mystics’ leading scorer at 16.6 points per game, missed her team’s 78-67 victory over visiting Seattle on Thursday night. Fowles, who has averaged 12.0 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds, has sat out the past five contests.
Both teams likely have their fingers crossed for a speedy return. Entering Friday’s play, four games separate second-place Atlanta to last-place New York, but the race for the final two spots is even more contentious with 1 1/2 games separating four clubs.
With its latest win, Washington (15-15) moved a half-game in front of Detroit for third place. Chicago (14-16) is only one game back in fifth, with Connecticut in sixth. (Excerpts from Y! Sports)
Chicago is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 head-to-head matches.
POD: Washington vs. Chicago-4.0 (3K units) W
Both teams might not have an All-Star in their lineups for Friday night’s game in Chicago.
Washington’s Alana Beard and Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles are suffering from sprained left ankles and their statuses are unknown.
Beard, the Mystics’ leading scorer at 16.6 points per game, missed her team’s 78-67 victory over visiting Seattle on Thursday night. Fowles, who has averaged 12.0 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds, has sat out the past five contests.
Both teams likely have their fingers crossed for a speedy return. Entering Friday’s play, four games separate second-place Atlanta to last-place New York, but the race for the final two spots is even more contentious with 1 1/2 games separating four clubs.
With its latest win, Washington (15-15) moved a half-game in front of Detroit for third place. Chicago (14-16) is only one game back in fifth, with Connecticut in sixth. (Excerpts from Y! Sports)
Chicago is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 head-to-head matches.
POD: Washington vs. Chicago-4.0 (3K units) W
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The "Best of the West" will battle the "Beast of the East" in a possible preview of the WNBA Finals. Indiana has already clinched the Eastern Conference title but suffered an embarrassing loss to the Sacramento Monarchs in their last game. While Phoenix is coming off a 2-point loss to the Detroit Shock in their first of back-to-back games.
The Fever leads their head-to-head match-up, 7-3, including straight wins in their last 4 games.
POD: Phoenix @ Indiana-3.5 (5K units) L
The Fever leads their head-to-head match-up, 7-3, including straight wins in their last 4 games.
POD: Phoenix @ Indiana-3.5 (5K units) L
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I hope you cashed-in on the San Antonio pick yesterday. Los Angeles is in a similar situation as San Antonio was against Detroit. Connecticut has been the Sparks tormentor for 8 out of the last 10 head-to-head games between the two teams.
Candace Parker is expected to be back after missing the last game versus Phoenix. Kristi Harrower who also missed the last game will still be out for two more games. While Connecticut is expected to miss the services of Asjha Jones who is averaging 16.7 points per game this season and scored 24 points in the Sun's last game against LA.
POD: Connecticut @ Los Angeles-2.5 (3K units) W
Candace Parker is expected to be back after missing the last game versus Phoenix. Kristi Harrower who also missed the last game will still be out for two more games. While Connecticut is expected to miss the services of Asjha Jones who is averaging 16.7 points per game this season and scored 24 points in the Sun's last game against LA.
POD: Connecticut @ Los Angeles-2.5 (3K units) W
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It will be a battle of hot and cold teams when Detroit visits San Antonio. The Shocks have won their last 4 games while the Silver Stars lost their last four. One of these losses came from an 84-99 beating at Detroit. San Antonio is in a position to conclude their 4-game slide as well as end Detroit's dominance over them. San Antonio is a woeful 3-7 ATS in their head-to-head matchup for the last 10 games they played.
With the playoffs just around the corner, expect both teams to go all out and secure a slot. Detroit and San Antonio are currently in the fifth spot of the Eastern and Western conference, respectively. The key here is for Becky Hammon to set the tempo of the game and play their inside-outside offense.
It is also interesting to note that majority of the "Faves" in the WNBA have been covering the games recently.
POD: Detroit @ San Antonio-3.0 (4K units) W
With the playoffs just around the corner, expect both teams to go all out and secure a slot. Detroit and San Antonio are currently in the fifth spot of the Eastern and Western conference, respectively. The key here is for Becky Hammon to set the tempo of the game and play their inside-outside offense.
It is also interesting to note that majority of the "Faves" in the WNBA have been covering the games recently.
POD: Detroit @ San Antonio-3.0 (4K units) W
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The LA Sparks will stake their 6-game winning streak (5-1 ATS) against Phoenix. The Mercury which are already assured of a playoff spot defeated LA in their 2 previous game this season. Phoenix also leads the head-to-head matchup, 6-4, in their last 10 games.
However, both Leslie and Parker were not able to play together in those 2 losses. The Sparks also tries to improve their playoffs position and gain homecourt advantage.
POD: Phoenix @ Los Angeles-3.5 (3K units) L
However, both Leslie and Parker were not able to play together in those 2 losses. The Sparks also tries to improve their playoffs position and gain homecourt advantage.
POD: Phoenix @ Los Angeles-3.5 (3K units) L
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The LA Sparks look to avenge their 63-75 loss to the Chicago Sky in their first match-up this season. With Fowles listed as day-to-day, expect the Sparks to clamp down on Dupree and Perkins. I would want Fowles to suit-up for this game though to boost the chance of this game going Under.
In their last 10 games, both teams had 7 games go Under.
POD: Chicago @ Los Angeles Under 141.5 (10K units) W
In their last 10 games, both teams had 7 games go Under.
POD: Chicago @ Los Angeles Under 141.5 (10K units) W
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The Los Angeles has a 5-game streak going UNDER the total. In their previous two match-ups, both games also went under. Atlanta's high octane offense will be tested by the Sparks' defense.
POD: Los Angeles @ Atlanta Under 153.5 (3K units) L
POD: Los Angeles @ Atlanta Under 153.5 (3K units) L
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