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Liberty-Fever Preview

Jun 5, 2010 - 3:56 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

New York (2-2) at Indiana (3-3), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Indiana Fever have dominated the New York Liberty with five consecutive wins and 12 straight at home.

The Fever will try to continue those streaks Saturday night when the Liberty complete a set of back-to-back games with a visit to Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indiana (3-3) is feeling better about itself by winning three of four after an 0-2 start. The Fever held a team meeting Wednesday, and responded with Thursday's 79-57 rout of San Antonio.

"We just talked about the things that we wanted to do as a team and how we wanted to be known throughout the league," star forward Tamika Catchings said. "Last year, we were that defensive team that everybody knew. That's the one thing that we have to get back to. Tonight was a huge night for us from that standpoint."

Catchings has long been a nemesis to the Liberty (2-3), averaging 18.0 points and 10.3 rebounds in last year's three-game season sweep. That included a 63-54 home victory June 27, 2009.

That was a familiar result for New York, which hasn't won a regular-season game at Conseco Fieldhouse since July 19, 2002.

The defending Eastern Conference champion Fever could once again be without point guard Briann January, who sat out with a sprained medial collateral ligament in her right knee. She said it won't require surgery and expects to return soon.

Katie Douglas took over the point guard duties and scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting. She entered the contest shooting 33.3 percent.

"I'm looking forward to Bri coming back because it's just not my natural position," Douglas said. "But my teammates are definitely encouraging me."

Indiana fans will see an opponent that has tormented them in the past in Liberty newcomer Cappie Pondexter, who averaged 20.2 points in the 2009 WNBA finals to help Phoenix beat the Fever before she demanded a trade to New York in the offseason.

Pondexter, though, turned in her worst game of the season with eight points on 3-of-14 shooting in Friday's 75-68 loss at Connecticut. She entered averaging a team-high 19.5 points.

The Liberty fell behind by 16 points early in the second half, and pulled within two late but never came all the way back.

"We dug ourselves out of it, but it's tough to be that lopsided and come out of the game with a win," coach Anne Donovan said.

New York's run of four straight road games concludes at Chicago on Tuesday.