Game Preview:

When asked what he thought of Mercury legend Jennifer Gillom’s return to Phoenix, Corey Gaines smiled and said, “well, at least she’s not playing in the game!”

Though Gillom isn’t suiting up for the Lynx, they are still an incredibly dangerous team. We know Minnesota likes to score points, but I asked Corey what else they do well. “They like to crash the offensive glass,” Gaines said. “They also want to keep the attack on you by throwing the ball ahead. They have great wings and Gillom has given them the freedom to take the shots they want to take.”

Last night, they squeaked out a win in Sacramento 86-83 with Seimone Augustus scoring 30 points (14 in the 4th) and making huge plays down the stretch.  Said Gillom after the game, “We have a back-to-back and play Phoenix tomorrow so I didn’t want to play Seimone that many minutes tonight.” Seimone played just under 34 minutes last night.  “She’s a great player,” Gaines said after shoot-around this morning. “She’s gonna get her shots and she’s on that Olympic team for a reason. She does things that Cappie can’t do and Cappie does things that Seimone can’t do - same thing with Diana.”

Everyone will talk about each team’s offense, but the real key is who makes the least mistakes.  Both teams can put up points better than anyone in the league, but it’s when they start making mistakes and miscues that ultimately lead to losses.

It will be a given that Cappie, Diana, and Seimone get their points but the game will be decided upon who on their respective teams is going to step up their output tonight. Whether that be offensively of defensively, each team will need significant minutes from their role players to seal the deal.

“We’re a running team, they’re a running team,” Gaines said. “It should be a great game, tell the fans to come out and watch.”

Kelly Miller’s Return:

“It’s going to be great seeing them,” Tangela Smith told me after practice today. “I played with Kelly for a few years and got to know her a bit and she’s a really nice person. I enjoyed playing with her and it’s going to be weird seeing her on a different team. We definitely still want to get the win though.”

“When Kelly was here we loved her to death, it wasn’t anything personal,” Gaines said. “It’s a business and we needed to bring our game up more and make some changes. It’s nothing against anybody and Meek was someone I felt we needed.”

Keys to the Game

• Slowing down or trying to contain the Lynx’s offense (Seimone)
• Preventing big scoring runs from Minnesota (or match them with runs of their own)
• Bench play must be huge (DeWanna, Mazz, Ketia etc.)
• Crashing the glass (rebound differential must be limited or stopped)
• Limit mistakes on both ends of the floor (must watch for missed coverages on defense and turnovers on offense)

Key Match-Up: Meek vs. Miller

There was some unrest when the Mercury unloaded Kelly Miller to Minnesota in January, which ultimately cleared the way for the Temeka Johnson trade in March.  Tonight, Miller will undoubtedly want to have a solid return to Phoenix against Temeka and the Mercury.

However, in my opinion, Meek has already proven her value to this team and why she is a much better fit for the Mercury.  Take a look at their respective stats so far and keep in mind how both offenses are similar in tempo and pace.

Meek: 8.0 points, 6.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 44% FG’s, in just under 30 minutes

Miller: 4.3 points, 2.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 35% FG’s, in just under 25 minutes

In just 4 games, Meek is well on her way to winning over the Miller fans with her hustle, passing, and determination on defense.

June 17th, 2009 12:25 PM