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The Indiana Fever let a golden opportunity slip away at Conseco Fieldhouse on Wednesday night when they fell 90-77 against the Phoenix Mercury.
It could have been their first WNBA title and it could have come in front of a sold out home crowd. More than 18,000 people were ready to celebrate with Tamika Catchings at Co.
Luckily for Indiana, there is another chance.
Indiana and Phoenix meet again tonight but this time it will be in front of an Arizona crowd that would love to see its Mercury steal a title from the Fever.
Game 5, ready or not. It all comes down to this.
Back in the late spring in early summer months, I was predicting a championship run for the Fever. This is the year.
After all, the WNBA may not exist in 2010.
Can the Fever win in Phoenix like they did in Game 2? Here are some keys to the game.
1. Continue to force 3's
Fever coach Lin Dunn looked bad on Wednesday when she employed a game plan that allowed Phoneix to shoot 3-pointers, but that is exactly the strategy Indiana must keep to win this game. The Mercury couldn't miss in Game 4, but those are shots that Phoenix does not normally hit. Dunn must stick with her game plan tonight.
2. Catchings over Taurasi
Diana Taurasi may have won the MVP Award, but Catchings has outplayed her for the majority of this series. That has to continue Friday night. Catchings was brilliant on Wednesday night when she poured in 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, but she also has to be determined on the defensive end. Taurasi is one of the great players to ever play in the WNBA and she can go off without warning.
3. Balance
Indiana had the worst field goal percentage in the regular season, but the Fever made it to this point because of their consistent scoring balance. Besides Catchings and Ebony Hoffman, nobody did anything in Game 4. Katie Douglas had a dreadful night and she must step up if Indiana is going to bring a title back to Indy.
4. Fight
No, not a physical fight. Not a head-butt to the chest. The fight I'm talking about is a mental one. Indiana is going to get down at times tonight. Phoenix will go on quick runs and the crowd will erupt. The important thing for the Fever will be to keep coming back like they have all season. They erased a huge deficit against Detroit in the regular season to win. They know how to do it, but this is a much bigger stage.
Game 5 tips off at 9 p.m. tonight from Phoenix. You can watch the game live on ESPN2, but check back here throughout the night for updates. Can the Fever win a championship? That question will be answered soon.
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