Little Mistakes Add Up To Big Loss For Mercury

By Mandi Hardcastle: SPM AZ Writer
Posted Monday, July 28, 2008

Indiana's Katie Douglas (23) drives on Cappie Pondexter. Photo by Bruce Yeung.

PHOENIX - The final stats will show that the Phoenix Mercury both outrebounded and committed fewer turnovers than their opponent, but the 7,924 fans in attendance at U. S. Airways Center on Sunday night know it will be one missed rebound and one unforced turnover that the team will remember most from Sundays night’s game against the Indiana Fever.

Coming into the game the Fever had the league’s second-worst field goal percentage at 39.3 -- but none of that was evident as the Fever hit 58 percent of their attempts from the field in the first quarter, led by 11 points from Olympian Tamika Catchings.

Despite 12 points from fellow Olympian Diana Taurasi; including three 3s, the Mercury trailed at the end of one, 31-23.

With the Fever struggling from the field in the second quarter the Mercury received some help from their bench. Rookie Latoya Pringle came off the bench to chip in three points, four rebounds and a steal in a five-minute stint. More help was on the way as sharpshooter Kelly Mazzante not only provided hustle plays, deflections and all-around pesky defense, but also went 3-4 from three-point land, pulling the Mercury to a 46-46 tie at halftime.

The third quarter saw a battle of runs. The Fever struck first with a 13-5 run to start the quarter. The Mercury responded to pull even with just over four minutes remaining. Then the Fever went on a 10-4 run to take a 69-63 lead into the final stanza.

Within the first two minutes of the fourth quarter the Mercury had pulled to within one, but then allowed the Fever to go on a 7-0 run and regain an eight-point lead. The Mercury battled back to take the lead, 82-81, with two minutes remaining.

But the advantage was short-lived as the Mercury defense allowed Fever guard Tan White to hit an open 3-pointer. With less than one minute remaining and the Mercury trailing by only two points, point guard Kelly Miller lost her handle on the ball, causing a back-court violation. The Fever had possession of the ball with 57 seconds on the clock. A foul on Indiana center Tammy Sutton Brown led to two made free throws, and with 38 seconds left Phoenix was down by four.

Olympian Cappie Pondexter made a quick layup to keep it a one-possession game, but when the Mercury failed to corral a rebound off a missed 3-pointer on Indiana’s next possession, they were forced to foul. Catchings made both free throws and the Fever took the win, 88-84.

While the Fever will use the win to continue holding off Washington for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Mercury will try to regroup for a final push to dig themselves out of last place in the Western Conference.

The team will have plenty of time to work on things as the league takes a month-long break while players head to Beijing to compete in the Olympics. Taurasi, Pondexter and Catchings will all be in Beijing.

When play resumes on August 28th, both teams will host tough conference rivals. Indiana will host the first-place Connecticut Sun and Phoenix will host last year’s Western Conference Finals opponent and current conference leader San Antonio. Both games will be televised locally on Fox Sports Net and nationally on NBATV.

The Mercury hosted a special pre-Olympic interview with their two all stars to get their feelings on the switch from the WNBA to Team USA right in mid-season, and how they plan to prepare for the games in less than a week while their opponents have been preparing together for months.
Diana Taurasi didn’t think the midseason shift would affect the team.

“It’s a little strange with a month off,” she said. “Tomorrow we go play on another team. We’re used to it; we’ve been playing basketball for a long time. There’s a different mindset when you go play USA basketball. That’s when you bring 12 great players together; you have to give a little bit for the good of the team. I think that’s one thing that the USA has always been great at, that when we come together it’s all about winning.”

Cappie Pondexter spoke about the team’s expectations and how they will prepare in such a short time.

“To win a gold medal is always our goal,” Pondexter said. “We expect it. We work hard for it, and when 12 great athletes come together it’s gonna be on us to bring home a gold medal. We’re gonna work hard as much as we can, the three or four days we’re together. We’re gonna go to that gym and work hard. The good thing about us is I feel like we’re the best athletes in the world.”

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