Insider Preview - Storm vs. Indiana

Kelly Miller

Anna DeForge

Indiana's big addition has proven to be forward Tamika Whitmore. Long considered something of an underachiever in New York and Los Angeles, Whitmore has had the best season of her career in Indiana, leading the team and ranking in the WNBA's top 10 in scoring at 16.3 points per game. Whitmore was rewarded Saturday by being named a reserve on the Eastern Conference All-Star team, her first All-Star appearance. Whitmore will join frontcourt-mate and namesake Tamika Catchings in the Garden on Wednesday evening. Catchings led all WNBA players in All-Star voting and has been as versatile as ever, ranking in the league's top 10 in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game.

Despite two players amongst the league scoring leaders, Indiana has consistently won with defense. The Fever's Defensive Rating of 94.8 points allowed per 100 possessions ranks third in the league. The Fever defense starts with the do-everything Catchings, who was the 2005 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Catchings leads the league in steals per game and ranks seventh in blocks. Former Storm guard Tully Bevilaqua joined Catchings on the league's inaugural All-Defense First Team and ranks fourth in the league with 1.9 steals per game this year. Up front, the Fever's lack of size - Whitmore and starting center Ebony Hoffman both go 6-2 - has not been a real issue.

The Seattle Storm returns to action Sunday after taking off an entire week, giving the team an opportunity to celebrate the Fourth of July and mentally "take a breath," in the words of Coach Anne Donovan, before getting back to business. While the break was well-timed to allow the Storm and particularly forward Lauren Jackson (battling a stress fracture in her left shin) to get some rest, the length made it difficult at times to focus. With the All-Star break looming after this game, the Storm must be mentally in the game for 40 minutes.

G U A R D S
	Bevilaqua will turn 34 in a week and a half, but the energetic Aussie continues to play some of the best basketball of her career, playing a career-high 30.7 minutes per game. Bevilaqua is a good fit for the Fever because of her outstanding defense and the presence of Catchings, who does much of the playmaking. Bevilaqua's main offensive role is to spread the floor. Usually, she's a strong 3-point shooter, though she's hitting a career-low 27.8% of her 3s this year. Bevilaqua helped force Storm guard Sue Bird into five turnovers in Indiana earlier this season, but Bird contributed in many ways, including a career-high-tying eight rebounds.
	DeForge comes into Seattle off of her best game of 2006 - 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting at Los Angeles, including 4-of-5 3-pointers. DeForge has yet to get back to her 2004 form, which saw her selected for the team of WNBA All-Stars that played the U.S. Olympic Team. She's hitting her 3s this year (39.2%), but has been little more accurate inside the arc, limiting her value. Like Storm counterpart Betty Lennox, DeForge has been surprisingly consistent, scoring double-figures in 10 of her last 13 games. Passed over for the West All-Star team, Lennox could take her frustrations out on the Fever after leading the Storm with 20 points in Indiana.
F O R W A R D S
	A terrific matchup at small forward, where Storm rookie Barbara Turner matches up with one of the players (Catchings) that she has modeled her game after. "She is relentless," Turner told WNBA.com before the season. "When you mention her name, you immediately think of the work ethic and how she has worked to develop her game." Turner put on a pretty good show in Indiana, scoring 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting. Catchings had 18 points, but shot just 4-for-16 from the field. Catchings can be prone to inaccuracy, and she put up a 2-for-14 clunker Friday against the Sparks.
	Entering this season, Whitmore had never averaged more than 12.7 points per game in a season. Therefore, it's a major surprise that she's amongst the league scoring leaders. Whitmore has good touch in the paint and is skilled at creating her own shot, with or without the ball. Whitmore's 4.8 rebounds per game are also a career high, though still subpar for a power forward. Jackson had a frustrating game in Indiana, fouling out with just six points. The Fever was aggressive in defending Jackson, and her teammates will have to step up if Indiana continues that strategy.
C E N T E R
	2004 Fever first-round pick Ebony Hoffman has stepped up to become a starter following Williams' retirement and is one of the league's most improved players. Hoffman has improved her conditioning and is averaging career highs of 8.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Hoffman has emerged as a force on the glass and has been more effective at the defensive end of the court, though she is still not exceptionally quick. Neither Hoffman nor Storm center Janell Burse was a major factor in the first meeting between these two teams; they combined for eight points and nine rebounds.
B E N C H
	Indiana Coach Brian Winters has generally rode his starters hard this season. Four of five are averaging 30 minutes per game, with Hoffman at 27.3. Tan White (right) has been the only reserve to make a significant impact. The second pick of last year's draft, White is averaging 8.7 points per game and can get hot in a hurry. Her 38.2% shooting percentage is low, however. Rookie La'Tangela Atkinson has contributed on defense and the glass and had seven points and seven boards against the Storm. Veteran Charlotte Smith has struggled to find her shot, hitting just 25% from the field thus far. Forward Iziane Castro Marques (left) may be getting untracked in a new reserve role. She's scored 14 points in her last two games, her best two-game stretch in nearly a month. Shaunzinski Gortman played just nine minutes in Indiana, but her defense against Catchings was a big reason the Fever's star struggled offensively. Tiffani Johnson added three points in 11 minutes in Indiana.

TEAM LEADERS JACKSON WHITMORE Jackson 19.9 PPG Whitmore 16.3 Jackson 8.1 RPG Catchings 7.9 Bird 5.4 APG Catchings 3.9 Bird 1.7 SPG Catchings 2.3 Jackson 1.8 BPG Catchings 1.3 Bird 31.6 MPG Catchings 33.6

Catchings and Jackson are tied (with Houston's Tina Thompson) for eighth in WNBA history in double-doubles, with 41.

LAST TIME

The Storm visited Indiana on June 11. The first half was a defensive struggle, with the teams combining for 52 points. The Storm opened the third quarter with a 13-6 run to go up by nine points, but Winters responded by moving Catchings, who had been held scoreless for nearly two quarters by a number of Storm defenders, to power forward. The move caught the Storm off guard and sparked an 18-3 Indiana run. Seattle rallied to tie the game at 56-all on Bird's fourth 3-pointer of the second half, but Jackson fouled out at the 3:41 mark, and Indiana outscored the Storm 10-6 the rest of the way, earning a 69-62 win. Lennox carried the Storm in the first half, scoring 17 of her 20 points, but Jackson's six points were a season low. Catchings had 18 to lead Indiana.

INJURIES

Storm - Forward Wendy Palmer (partially torn left Achilles tendon) is out.

Indiana - None.