Two teams that didn't live up to preseason hype square off Wednesday, when Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury visit the Indiana Fever for a win-or-go-home, first-round playoff battle at Bankers Life Fieldhouse that could mark the final game of veteran star Tamika Catchings.
One of the WNBA's all-time greats, Catchings has announced that she will retire when the Fever's season ends, which could be Wednesday.
The first two rounds of this season's playoffs are single-elimination, so there is no tomorrow for Wednesday's loser. The winner advances to the second round and will face either the New York Liberty or the Chicago Sky on the road.
The Fever, after reaching last year's WNBA Finals, were expected to be among the top-tier of contenders again this season. But Indiana (17-17) struggled with inconsistency, especially on the offensive end and didn't secure home court in the first round of the playoffs until an 83-60 win over the Dallas Wings in their regular season finale.
Indiana is 11th in the league in scoring, averaging 80.5 points per game, and last in the league in rebounding.
The Mercury (16-18) also experienced a disappointing regular season. With Taurasi returning from a one-year hiatus to join with Brittney Griner and Penny Taylor, Phoenix was expected to be a top-tier contender. Instead, the Mercury barely got into the playoffs, winning three of their last four to secure the eighth seed.
Their struggles, for the most part, haven't come on the offensive end of the court. Taurasi leads five Mercury players averaging in double figures at 17.8 points per game. She scored 19 points in Phoenix's 79-65 win at Indiana on Aug. 31, the teams' most recent meeting.
Indiana won two of three overall against Phoenix this season, but will have their hands full with Griner, who has emerged as the league's premier shot-blocker. Her 107 blocks led the WNBA this season and were 28 more than second-place Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream.
