PHOENIX -- On Wednesday, the day after her team lost its overtime track meet to Phoenix in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Indiana coach Lin Dunn said that's the way it's supposed to be."They are supposed to hold serve. You're supposed to win at home," Dunn said. "We just need to steal one."
And Thursday night, in front of 16,758 hostile partisans at the US Airways Center, the Fever did just that.
Slowing the pace, picking up the defensive pressure and getting a stellar game from Tamika Catchings, Indiana not only stole a 93-84 victory, but they stole home-court advantage in the series.
These two teams are even-steven now at 1-1, and Indiana gets to go home for two in a row, with the distinct possibility of playing two games in front of their own sell-out crowds at Conseco Fieldhouse with the team's first WNBA championship on the line. Indiana owned the best home record in the league this season, but Phoenix was one of the three teams to win there.
"This was HUGE, huge for us," said Catchings, who finished the night with 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, narrowly missing the first triple-double in the history of the WNBA Finals.
Equally important was the work she did on the defensive end, harassing league MVP Diana Taurasi into a 7-for-22 night from the field (2 of 10 from the 3-point arc).
"I thought we did tonight what I wish we'd done the other night, we had a great defensive effort," said Dunn. "The difference in 84 points and 120 (from Tuesday) is – I'm not a math major, but it's a significant amount of points."
It makes all the difference to the Mercury, who don't wear low-scoring games very well. Phoenix is 1-8 this season in games in which it has scored less than 85 points.Phoenix coach Corey Gaines wasn't ceding much to Indiana, wouldn't concede that the Fever had stepped up things defensively. He laid the loss at the feet of his own team, which shot 39.7 percent from the floor and were out-rebounded 40-24.
"They played the same type of defense, we just missed shots," Gaines said. "We missed more shots and we tried to get to the basket and we missed those shots too."
Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, the Mercury's 1-2 punch, finished 12 for 38 from the floor and a combined 2-for-14 from beyond the arc.
Indiana had it going on both ends, with six players in double figures and a big night off the bench from former Arizona State product Briann January, who contributed 16 points and some key defensive plays.
The Fever also cut off the Mercury's ability to get second-chance points, and when Penny Taylor went out of the game with a split lip with 3:33 to go in the third quarter, an already struggling offense (Phoenix was 5 of 20 in the third quarter) was at a further disadvantage.
"A lot of people question whether we can get up and down with them," Catchings said. "We do run. I think the key for us is they want to run all the time and we have to learn when to slow it down."
The Mercury played from behind most of the game. Indiana led 48-45 at the half and went on a 12-2 to expand its lead to 71-55 in the third quarter.
Phoenix rallied to get within 85-80 with 1:25 to go, but couldn't finish the job.
"Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't and that's the way it goes sometimes," Taurasi said. "There is no panic. There is no second guessing of any sorts."
The Mercury can afford to come across as unfazed by a costly loss. Phoenix has lost two in a row only once this season.
"We didn't play with that sense of urgency," Taurasi said. "And now we have to get that back. We have two days to prepare. The home court is on their side now. They get to go home with two to close it out. Series can swing either way really quick."
