The two best teams in the WNBA are meeting head to head, and the contrast in the teams could not be more apparent with Phoenix opposing Detroit. The Mercury swept Seattle and San Antonio, averaging 99 points a game, to make it to their first finals since 1998. That is up from regular season average of league leading 89 PPG. Phoenix only had four players average in double figures, but the trio of Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor and Cappie Pondexter are as dangerous as the sport has seen, scoring 66.6 PPG in the playoffs. Coach Paul Westhead prefers his players to go all out offensively, draining three point shots and spreading out the offense to work backdoor cuts when forced into the half court.

Detroit was pushed to the max in each of there series and come in a worn out team having to start series playing fourth game in six days. The Shock’s strength is power and rebounding. With five players scoring in double digits for the defending WNBA champions, they will start the series without one of there stalwarts Cheryl Ford, who is broken down from a long season and a variety of maladies that has left her body just plain worn out. Fortunately no team in the league has greater depth than Detroit having a number of players to turn to, none as physically tough or a rebounding monster like Ford.

Detroit won both games played this season, proving they are adaptable to a change in styles. We can play both ways,” said coach Bill Laimbeer said. "We can play a fast-paced game but I just want to win the game. We will do whatever it takes to win the game. Sometimes the game turns out totally different than you thought it was going to. It's just a matter of how the game flows and how successful you are at what you're doing."

Not surprisingly, the last four games between these teams have played over the total. With Detroit such a powerful rebounding team, Phoenix might have the formula to negate this tremendous edge they hold, make shots. The Mercury makes better than 44 percent of all shot attempts and over 36 percent from beyond the arc, while cashing in on 82.4 percent of all shots from the charity stripe. "Rebounding is a great strength of theirs," Westhead said. "If teams figured out how to limit their effectiveness rebounding the ball, the Shock might not be in the Finals. We don't have a magic formula. We're just going to be as attentive to getting missed shots as we can and hopefully limit their second efforts."

Phoenix arrives on a roll, having won nine in a row and 15 of 16. With Detroit getting by more on guile and courage, the Mercury will turn up the heat and end Detroit’s reign as champs in four games.