Before tonight's game Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was convinced that this would be the night Mercury Sun star Penny Taylor would return to action.
Moments later, Mercury coach Corey Gaines squelched that rumor. "She's close, she's close," Gaines said of Taylor, who is still working to return from ACL surgery on her left leg that caused her to miss the 2012 WNBA season. "Not 83, 87, 92 but 100 percent. I think we have time. We've lost two games, but there is no panic button yet."
Yes, even with Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi and Candice Dupree and DeWanna Bonner, the Mercury – preseason favorites to win the league – have come out of the gate 0-2. Part of that is getting used to Griner in the post. But Reeve is convinced that a lot of it has to do with the Mercury playing without their star forward.
"When they get everybody back and get it all together, they're going to be really, really good," Reeve said. "People don't realize (Taylor) is one of the best players in the world. When you have Taurasi and Taylor, two of the best players in the world – not in the league, but in the world – it has to help you. (With Taylor) you might have the best starting five in the league when it's all together."
But tonight it won't be.
But that doesn't mean it will be easy for the Lynx. The Mercury figures to be highly motivated to avoid starting 0-3. And even without Taylor the Mercury can score.
Keys to the game according to Reeve?
"Our defense has to be on point and our rebounding has to be on point," Reeve said. "If that happens that means we're playing well. When we do that we usually get a good flow to the offense.''
