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Mercury need win in Detroit to keep hopes alive
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For the Mercury, it's beginning to feel a lot like 2007.
With Phoenix one loss away from having its championship dreams shattered, a September game in Detroit awaits.
Last year, the Mercury went into the Motor City facing the same scenario and came away with a 108-92 victory in Game 5 of the WNBA finals to claim their first title.
Today, they will need more than just a win if their chances for a repeat are to remain afloat. In order to avoid being eliminated from the playoff race, Phoenix must not only defeat Detroit, but also have Sacramento lose to first-place Seattle later tonight.
The longer odds lie in the first part of the equation, as the Shock have the second-best record in the East and Phoenix is 5-9 on the road.
However, over the last two years, the Mercury have played their best basketball with no margin for error. Phoenix has won three straight to stay in playoff contention this year and is 4-0 in elimination games the past two seasons.
"We have strong-willed people on this team," guard Diana Taurasi said.
Still, the Mercury know that even if they continue to win, there is no postseason guarantee.
"It's definitely not a situation we want to be in, but it's the hole we put ourselves into," Taurasi said. "It's up to us to get ourselves out of it. We're going to need help, but if we take care of our end, we can go to sleep happy."
Mercury at Shock
When: 4 p.m. Tuesday
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich.
TV: ESPN2
Live audio: www.phoenixmercury.com
Scouting report: Mercury This is the first of three straight road games for the Mercury, who have lost their last five away from home. Guard Diana Taurasi was named the Western Conference player of the week for the fourth time this season, the most of any player. In three games, Taurasi averaged 30.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.3 blocks and 2.0 steals.
Shock Detroit has won three of four since returning from the Olympic break. The Shock are headed to the postseason for the sixth straight year and are in contention for the East's No. 1 seed. Deanna Nolan leads the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game.
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