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Mercury-Storm Preview
After dropping six of seven to end the regular season and finishing with its worst record (15-19) since 2003, the second-seeded Phoenix Mercury completed a two-game sweep of San Antonio on Saturday to reach the conference finals for the third time in four years.
“Records don’t mean anything now,” coach Corey Gaines told the Mercury’s official website after Saturday’s 92-73 win. “It’s a three-game series now.”
Though the Seattle Storm won all five meetings with Phoenix this year, four were decided by six points or fewer and two went to overtime. The last matchup at KeyArena saw Seattle rally from an 18-point deficit to win 91-85 on July 27, and the most recent one in Phoenix was tied midway through the fourth quarter before the Mercury fell 78-73 on Aug. 20.…”We just have to change a couple of things,” reigning league and WNBA finals MVP Diana Taurasi said. “A few of the games just came down to a couple of possessions down the stretch, so we just have to be a little more consistent throughout the 40 minutes.”
Taurasi, who won her record fourth straight scoring title this season with 22.6 points per game, averaged 23.8 in four games versus Seattle this season, including a season-best 44 in a 111-107 triple-overtime home loss July 14.…Seattle which limited the Sparks to averages of 66.0 points and 39.0 percent shooting in the opening round, also looks to slow down Candice Dupree after the fifth-year forward averaged 25.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in her first playoff series.
Dupree and forward Penny Taylor, who averaged 16.0 points and 9.5 assists in the opening round, could face a stiffer challenge against the Storm frontcourt of Jackson, Swin Cash and Camille Little.
The trio averaged a combined 47.5 points and 18.0 rebounds in the first round.
1: PHX at SEA, 9/2, 7 p.m., NBA TV
2: SEA at PHX, 9/5, noon., ABC
3*: PHX at SEA, 9/8, 7 p.m., NBA TV
