Well, a 1-2 road trip wasn’t exactly what the Mercury had in mind. However, being just a 1/2 game out of 1st with the Storm on the horizon Wednesday certainly isn’t a bad place to be.

Phoenix has been back in town since Sunday after playing 3 games in 5 days on the road. Even though any player or coach will tell you that fatigue isn’t a factor in most losses, especially on the road, it does become more difficult to do the little things well when you are mentally (and to an extent, physically) worn out.

That’s not to say that their loss in Minnesota was due to the team being tired. “Oh they just beat us,” Gaines said after practice today. Sometimes, those games are best forgotten and not made into a big deal. “Just gotta take the wins and leave the losses,” Gaines says.

Being back in Phoenix for a week is obviously a benefit to the team. Sleeping in their own beds, not having to deal with some of the hassles of traveling, and having three days off before their next game can rejuvenate this Mercury team. “It helps. Being on the road for a long while can take it’s toll on you,” Gaines said after practice today. “Especially if there are any nagging injuries or players with colds. But at the same time, every team does the same thing.”

I made sure to ask Corey about the overall health of the team, any injuries we don’t know about? “I think Ohlde is still 4 minutes per quarter, that’s what the doctors say,” Gaines said. “But everybody else is fine that I know of.

The Mercury take on Seattle Wednesday and I’ll have a more in-depth preview of the game after shoot-around tomorrow.

June 30th, 2009 4:17 PM