Coach Carrie Graf jokes that with an abundance of tough, physical players, the Mercury has a lot of "practice bait."

The intense practice sessions have been paying off. The team has reeled off three consecutive victories and there is renewed hope for the playoffs.

Things took a turn for the Mercury (11-12) when Gwen Jackson was acquired in a trade with San Antonio for Adrian Williams, a former All-Star but more of a finesse player.

With Jackson and Plenette Pierson, the Mercury has a bookend set of power forwards who constantly challenge each other in practice and carry that intensity over to games.

The Mercury can position itself well for a September playoff run with victories on the road Friday at San Antonio and Sunday at Washington. The team then will have a month off for the Olympic break.

"We have a similar style, and there's natural competition in both of us," Pierson said. "We're both competitive players, and we just try to get after each other. It's just not that we play the same position. If we were guarding someone else, we would do the same thing."

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Both are second-year players. The 6-foot-2 Pierson starred at Texas Tech, and the 6-3 Jackson did likewise at Tennessee. Pierson is the usual starter, but both are getting into the act. Pierson is averaging 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and Jackson is averaging 6.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg.

"With her here, it helps improve my performance, definitely," Pierson said. "To have somebody next to me like Gwen and the caliber of player she is, and the intensity level she brings to a team, that makes me step up my game."

Jackson said the practice battles help her improve her overall game.

"Everyone on the team is challenging each other," she said. "Everybody is going to play, but we challenge each other to work harder. I'm looking at it as a challenge to make each other better. When she goes out and I come in, I don't think we lose anything."

Graf says the two could be on the court at the same time if the situation warrants.

"We're not locked into certain players, other than the starters, and we really go with what groups are working well," she said. "But there will be times when both will play together.

"Gwen can defend. She's big and strong, and what she's given us is quickness. She goes in and we say, 'Gwen, set screens and get rebounds,' and she's slotted in exceptionally well."

Graf said the toughness her players show in the games is a direct result of the type of practice sessions they endure.

"You look at Kayte (Christensen) Gwen, Plenette, Bobo (Slobodanka Tuvic), Ashley (Robinson) and Lindsay (Taylor), it's really a battle in the post," she said.

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