WNBA playoff preview: Liberty vs. Indiana Fever
New York Liberty's Leilani Mitchell, right, drives past Phoenix Mercury's Temeka Johnson. (June 10, 2009) Credit: AP
MVP MATCHUP:
The Fever’s Tamika Catchings’ averaged 18.2 points per game to Cappie Pondexter’s 21.4 - second in the WNBA. The two are neck-in-neck in field goal percentage, but Catchings’ .448 percentage behind the arc is second only to the Liberty’s Leilani Mitchell. Cappie, though, is a game-changer and improves those around her. She’s won three Player of the Week honors in the past five weeks and was key in defeating the Fever earlier this month despite scoring only 13 points. Meanwhile, the Fever is 1-3 this month in games where Catchings scores fewer than 20 points.
PLAYOFF PEDIGREE:
The Liberty has made the playoffs 11 times in its 13-year history, but has never won a WNBA title — going 1-6 in WNBA Final games. The Fever has gone to the postseason seven times in 10 years and took 2009 champion Phoenix to five games after coming in first in the East. The Liberty has six new players this year, hoping to turn the mojo to its favor.
BENCH:
The Fever retained the services of Shavonte Zellous from the Tulsa Shock to bolster its reserves earlier this season. Though the bench is only averaging about four points per game, leaders like Jessica Davenport (7.4 ppg) and Zellous (5.9 ppg) create depth. On the other side, there’s Plenette Pierson, a one-woman wrecking ball.
In 2007, Pierson was the first ever winner of the Sixth Woman of the Year. She, along with rookie Kalana Greene and Essence Carson have given coach Anne Davenport the flexibility to sit even Pondexter for a few minutes.
MASCOT:
The Liberty’s Maddie is a statue of Liberty crown-wearing puppy who can dunk (with the help of a trampoline) and stares down opposing players before games. Her individualized handshakes with all the Liberty players — including an intricate double fist-bump and explode number with center Janel McCarville — is no joke, either. She dances. She cartwheels. She shouldn’t be messed with. Freddy Fever is a Philly Phanatic rip-off with blue Oscar the Grouch eyebrows. Clear advantage.
WILD CARD:
The Liberty cannot sleep on Zellous. Despite limited playing time, she's notched has seven games in double-digits and scored 11 points in seven minutes against Atlanta in early August. She also scored a career-high 23 points against the Liberty in June. She’s a shooting guard who can create shots off the dribble and can also play guard and small forward. At 5-5, the Liberty’s Leilani Mitchell doesn’t look like too much of a threat, but the point guard leads the WNBA with a .486 three-point field goal percentage. Mitchell, known for driving, aggressive style of play, struggled last year after the loss of her mother, but has had a renaissance this season, including a career-high 20 points against Tulsa.
QUICK HITS:
STREAKING: The Liberty has won 11 of its last 12. The Fever has lost its last three.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: The teams split the regular season series, 2-2, but the Liberty has outscored the Fever by 24 points.
City Tunes:
New York: Empire State of Mind — Jay-Z, Alicia Keys
Indiana: Small Town — John Mellencamp
Nosh:
New York: Hot dogs in stale water, Tums
Indiana: Pork tenderloin, fried biscuits, Tums
Archie Manning Spawn:
New York: Eli
Indiana: Peytonz
Death-defying mode of transportation:
New York: Taxis, pedi-cabs
Indiana: Indy 500 open wheel race cars, flatbed trucks
Sports Movie Memories:
New York: Pride of the Yankees, He Got Game, Mad Hot Ballroom.
Indiana: Major League, Hoosiers
