Indianapolis, Aug. 14 - The Fever is playing in the WNBA’s postseason for the first time in franchise history. The first opponent is a team of veteran playoff performers, the New York Liberty.

The top-seeded Liberty is making its fifth postseason appearance in the WNBA’s six-year existence. All-Star point guard Teresa Weatherspoon, who has led the Liberty to the WNBA Finals three times previously, will once again spearhead New York’s offense.

Weatherspoon, a quintessential floor leader, leads the Liberty and is third in the entire WNBA with 5.7 assists per game. She also averages 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, respectively.

Weatherspoon

“At this point, its not about skill, in the playoffs, everybody can play,” Weatherspoon said. “It’s all about the team. It’s all about the heart. It’s all about the will to win.”

Tari Phillips, the 6-1 center who led the Liberty in scoring and rebounds throughout the regular season with 14.1 points and 7.0 boards per game, could be in for a big series against the Fever, whose regular starting center, Olympia Scott-Richardson, was forced to sit out the Fever’s season finale against the Cleveland Rockers.

In the three regular season games against the Fever, Phillips helped the Liberty outscore Indiana 102-56 in the paint.

The Liberty is hardly a one-front attack, however, as it has four players that averaged double-digit in regular-season play. Along with Phillips are Tamika Whitmore (12.7), Crystal Robinson (11.8) and Vickie Johnson (11.6). Guard Becky Hammon, a three-point shooting ace, also puts in an average of 8.0 points per game.

Hammon

“The playoffs give everybody a completely clean slate,” Hammon said. “We have to start as if this is a whole new season and we are going to fight from the very first ball. We want to keep the momentum we had from the second half of the season, and take it to the next level."

Of the three times the Liberty and the Fever met during the regular season, the Liberty came away with two wins. The lone Fever victory, a 71-62 win, came on the hands of a 32-point, 14-rebound performance from Tamika Catchings.

Even with all the success the Liberty has experienced throughout the regular season, the veteran roster is playing with a sense of urgency, and will not be satisfied with anything other than a championship.

“We met our goal of getting the No. 1 seed, and now we want it all,” Johnson said. “We want to take full advantage of this opportunity. Its time to seize the moment and try to take this team all the way to Labor Day.”