Sue Bird isn’t afraid of leaking any strategic secrets the Seattle Storm might employ when opening defense of its WNBA title tonight at KeyArena against the Phoenix Mercury.
As the All-Star point guard sees it, there are simply no secrets remaining to leak in a rivalry that has become as fierce as any in the league.
“We know them very well, they know us very well, even down to the play calls,” Bird said. “At this point, it’s just about who can execute and who can impose their will on the other team.”
Heading into the opener of the best-of-three Western Conference semifinal series, it’s the Storm that has done most of the imposing lately.
Seattle has won 10 of the past 11 against the Mercury. That includes a two-game playoff sweep of last season’s conference finals and an overall run of nine straight victories that ended Aug. 16, when the Mercury prevailed, 81-79, in Phoenix.
“Most of these games come down to the last two or three minutes,” Phoenix star and WNBA scoring leader Diana Taurasi said after the Mercury lost Friday in Seattle, forfeiting home-court advantage for the first round. “We have to find a way to get stops and good offensive possessions.”
Phoenix, with the league’s best offense (89 points per game), and Seattle, with the stingiest defensive average (69.9 ppg), are both aiming for a third title. The defending champion Storm also won in 2004, while Phoenix took it all in 2007 and 2009.
Seattle (21-13) is surging into the playoffs, winners of eight of its last nine, all since three-time MVP Lauren Jackson returned on Aug. 20 after missing 20 games for hip surgery.
Jackson has averaged 14 points since then. Before her surgery, she averaged 9.1.
“The last eight games have helped me get involved with the team on offense and defense and everything,” Jackson said. “It was just more of a mental thing, just getting through that. Staying out for so long, obviously, I was burning to get back into it.”
Storm coach Brian Agler said the time off might actually have been a blessing for Jackson with the postseason looming.
“She doesn’t have that baggage (of 20 extra games),” Agler said. “She’s going to be fresh.”
Phoenix (19-15) is trying to shake off a late-season slump, having dropped two straight and three of its final five.
“The last couple of games, I don’t think we’ve been making our transition, pushing the ball. And that’s how we beat teams,” said Candice Dupree, the Mercury’s leading rebounder at 8.2 per game. “So we have to revert … to that, and we should be OK.”
The Storm is counting on its vocal fans for an added edge. The Mercury says bring it on.
“We have to come out and attack,” Dupree said. “I don’t know about everyone else, but I enjoy playing there. The fans are great, but that should give us some motivation to come out and beat them.”
Just as the Storm benefits from having Jackson back on the court, the Mercury is counting on the return of an Australian, Penny Taylor. The forward from Melbourne averages 16.7 points and 4.9 rebounds but missed five of the last six with back spasms.
WNBA PLAYOFF SERIES PREVIEW
NO. 2 SEED SEATTLE STORM (21-13) VS. NO. 3 PHOENIX MERCURY (19-15)
Season series: Seattle won 3-1.
Seattle: The defending champion overcame the loss of three-time MVP Lauren Jackson for a 20-game stretch due to a hip injury. The Storm won eight of its last nine games, securing the No. 2 seed with a win against the Mercury last Friday. That also gave Seattle a tie for the league’s best home mark – 15-2 – one year after going 17-0 en route to the WNBA title. The victory Friday was Seattle’s 10th in the last 11 meetings against Phoenix, including a sweep in the West finals last year. Sue Bird (14.7 ppg, 4.9 apg) led the offense in Jackson’s absence, hitting several clutch shots. Jackson averaged 14.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg in eight games after returning. Swin Cash (13.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Tanisha Wright (10.1 ppg) and Camille Little (9.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) round out a formidable starting lineup, and Katie Smith provides a veteran reserve presence. With Jackson out, the Storm finished 10th in scoring (71.7) and ninth in rebounding (31.7). However, the team was tops in scoring defense (69.9) and third in field-goal-shooting defense (41.8 percent). Bird averaged 17.5 ppg and 7.8 apg against the Mercury.
Phoenix: The Mercury had a stretch in which it won 10 of 11, then proceeded to lose five of six. Phoenix, which won WNBA titles in 2007 and 2009, had a chance to be the No. 2 seed after winning four of five down the stretch until the loss at Seattle last Friday gave the seed and home-court advantage to the Storm. Once again, the Mercury’s high-octane offense is led by Diana Taurasi (21.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.6 apg), who won her fourth straight scoring title. Penny Taylor (16.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.7 apg) was seventh in scoring but missed five of the last six games because of back spasms. Candice Dupree (14.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and DeWanna Bonner (10.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg) had strong seasons again, and Temeka Johnson added 6.4 ppg and 4.4 apg running the point. Phoenix led the league in scoring (89.0 ppg) for the fifth straight year. The Mercury was tops in field-goal shooting (46 percent), free-throw shooting (85 percent) and assists (19.2). Phoenix gave up a league-high 85.9 ppg, and was fourth in rebounding (35.1) and last in steals (6.6). Taurasi averaged 29.3 points against the Storm.
Prediction: Seattle in three.
The Associated Press
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