Icons clash: Phoenix v. Indiana playoff preview

Setting the Scene

No. 5 or No. 8?

Diana Taurasi or Tamika Catchings?

Indiana Fever (5) or the Phoenix Mercury (8)?

Survive and advance or lose and go home?

Only time will tell how the first round of the WNBA Playoffs will shake out.

Series History

May 18: Fever 97, Mercury 93 (at Indiana)

July 8: Fever 78, Mercury 60 (at Phoenix)

August 30: Mercury 79, Fever 65 (at Indiana)

By the Numbers

- In three games against the Fever, Diana Taurasi has averaged 21.3 points.

- In three games against the Fever, Brittney Griner has averaged 13 points 6.3 rebounds.

- The Fever had three players notch 16 points against Phoenix the first time the two squads faced off.

- The Fever’s Erlana Larkins averaged 12.5 points and 9 rebounds in the last two games against the Mercury.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Stat Phoenix Indiana

PPG 84.6 80.5

FG% 45.3% 44.7%

3P% 34.3% 32.1%

REB 32.4 30.9

TO 13.8 14.7

Post-Rio

- The Mercury is 6-4 since the Olympics and have won three of their last five.

- The Fever is 5-5 since the Olympics and have also won three of their last five.

- Griner has averaged 17 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 blocked shots per game since returning home from the Olympics. Before then, she was averaging 13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.

Final Thoughts

Will Tamika Catchings make up for any slack the Fever has on paper when you put the two squads head-to-head? Or will Taurasi and Griner step up even more with the season on the line? The Fever has the edge when looking at the 2016 series record (2-1) despite what the stat book says, but Phoenix has the most recent win. It’s bound to be a game full of surprises.