A look at how WNBA Finals foes Phoenix and Indiana match up heading into Tuesday's Game 1 (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET):
Backcourt
Both teams have their so-called star power at guard/wing. For Phoenix, Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter start alongside point guard Temeka Johnson. Indiana has Katie Douglas and point guard Tully Bevilaqua, with wing player Tamika Catchings also handling some traditional guard duties.
With most other matchups, you'd have to give Indiana the edge here, thanks to Bevilaqua's court savvy and experience and Douglas' scoring prowess. But
not when Taurasi and Pondexter are in the discussion. They were dominant forces in the 2007 championship season, and Taurasi and Pondexter have been even better this year.
Advantage: The edge goes to Phoenix.
Frontcourt
Tammy Sutton-Brown and Ebony Hoffman are the starting anchors inside for the Fever, with Catchings in the 3 spot. Expect them to have a similar rebounding advantage against Phoenix to what Los Angeles had (plus-14).
Catchings was an MVP candidate this season; Sutton-Brown was very solid despite dealing with a toe injury; and Hoffman played well despite battling tendinitis.
Tangela Smith and Le'coe Willingham start for Phoenix, with former starter Penny Taylor coming off the bench.
Smith, incidentally, thinks Taurasi is the best pick-and-roll partner in the world, and those two have indeed made that work time and again for Phoenix.
Advantage: With all that Catchings brings, the edge goes to Indiana.
Bench
The Mercury have the winner of this year's Sixth Woman award, rookie DeWanna Bonner. And with Taylor, who was a key starter on the 2007 team, now coming off the bench, the Mercury excel with those substitutions. Guard Ketia Swanier and center Nicole Ohlde have filled their roles all right off the bench, although injuries have kept Ohlde from being truly 100 percent.
Briann January has been a terrific rookie guard for the Fever, and she will bring in some fans: She went to college at nearby Arizona State. Tamecka Dixon, who won two WNBA titles with Los Angeles, provides veteran dependability at guard.
Advantage: Overall, the more dynamic reserves are with Phoenix, so the edge goes to the Mercury.
Intangibles
Both teams have a lot of good vibes. Including both having a Australian player who brings unfailingly positive energy in that way that Aussies do so well (Taylor and Bevilaqua).
This series doesn't have that borderline animosity feeling that both conference finals did. Phoenix had games in both its first two series in which the players really felt they didn't have the right energy, and that's a big thing the Mercury want to avoid.
Advantage: Although it's hard to quantify confidence, Phoenix seems to have a bit more of it.
Favorite
Indiana and Phoenix split their regular-season meetings, each on the other's home court.
The Mercury had the best record in the league this season and already have a WNBA title. Only twice this season did Phoenix lose two games in a row: in June and then in the middle of September (when Taurasi missed the regular-season finale because it essentially was meaningless, then a road opener at San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs). It seems hard to picture the Mercury losing three games to anyone.
The Mercury already have beaten Los Angeles, the team with the best group of post players, in the West finals. But Phoenix faces more effective and dependable guard play in Indiana. Still, Phoenix is the better overall team and has home-court advantage for the series.
Prediction: Phoenix in four games.
Mechelle Voepel, a regular contributor to ESPN.com, can be reached at mvoepel123@yahoo.com. Read her blog at http://voepel.wordpress.com.