Capsule preview for the WNBA finals

Sep 29, 2009 - 12:26 AM By VIN A. CHERWOO AP Sports Writer

A look at the best-of-5 WNBA finals, which start Tuesday:

Phoenix Mercury (23-11) vs. Indiana Fever (22-12)=

Season series: Tied 1-1, with the road time winning each game.

Indiana: The Fever are in the finals for the first time after getting past defending champion Detroit in three games to win the Eastern Conference. The Fever lost seven of 10 to close the season, but are 5-1 in the playoffs. Katie Douglas led the offense in the regular season with averages of 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists, and perennial All-Star Tamika Catchings added 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Catchings (18.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, and 4.2 apg), Tammy Sutton-Brown (13.4 ppg) and rookie Briann January (9.2 ppg) have increased their production in the postseason. The Fever set a WNBA record with 373 steals, and kept up that pace with 56 in five postseason games against Washington and Detroit. Catchings, who had a league-best 99 - one short of the league record - while earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, has 17 in the postseason. Tully Bevilaqua (Seattle in 2004) and Tamecka Dixon (Los Angeles, 2001-02) have won championships, and Douglas (Connecticut, 2004-05) is the only other player to have previously appeared in a WNBA finals. Catchings averaged 21.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 5.0 apg in the two games against Phoenix during the season. Douglas had 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the Fever's win on Aug. 8, but sat out the second game with an ankle injury.

Phoenix: The Mercury are seeking their second title in three years after missing the playoffs last season. Phoenix won five of seven down the stretch to secure home-court advantage throughout the postseason, then outlasted San Antonio in three games in the first round and Los Angeles in the Western Conference finals - cruising to an 85-74 victory over the Sparks in the decisive Game 3. Diana Taurasi, who won her second straight scoring title in the regular season at 20.4 ppg, has increased her production and is leading all players in the playoffs at 23.8 ppg to go along with 5.2 rpg and 6.0 apg. Cappie Pondexter's scoring (16.0 ppg) has dipped about 3.1 ppg in the playoffs, but Penny Taylor (13.2 ppg) has increased hers by about 2.3. DeWanna Bonner (10.0 ppg) is a strong rookie of the year candidate. Taylor, a key cog in the Mercury's championship run in 2007, sat out last year but returned for the final 14 games this season. The Mercury have maintained their high-octane offense in the postseason after leading the league in scoring (92.8 ppg), field-goal shooting (46 percent), free-throw shooting (86 percent) and assists (18.4) during the regular season. Pondexter averaged 18.5 ppg in the two games against Indiana, and Taurasi and Bonner were at 15.0 ppg.

Prediction: Mercury in 5.