Brittney Griner will have no time to ease into her return from a seven-game suspension to open her third WNBA season. She will be thrown right into the fire.

Griner’s 2015 season debut comes on Saturday in a 2014 Western Conference Finals rematch against Maya Moore and the Minnesota Lynx. Here are three factors to watch for on Saturday night in Minneapolis (ESPN2, 8 PM ET):

A new Griner?

Griner already has a decorated resume after just two years as a pro. But, with Diana Taurasi sitting out the season, this is the first time she will be the centerpiece of a team since she left Baylor.

Just 24 years old, Griner had plenty of room to grow regardless. Still, she may showcase new aspects of her game — taking on a bigger load offensively or being more aggressive on the boards, for example — as she steps up as leader in Phoenix.

“She wants to hit the ground running,” Mercury GM Jim Pitman told PhoenixMercury.com. “I’ve seen some really good things out of her. Workouts alone take up 3-4 hours or more of time for her every day. She’s very committed to improving herself as she moves forward.

“Brittney wants to be the best in the league and I think she has a very good chance at being that.”

Inside presence

Reigning MVP Maya Moore is mired in a rare shooting funk (36.5% FG) and yet the Lynx sit 6-2 and in second place in the Western Conference.

That speaks to their all-around talent and in particular their ability to spread the wealth offensively. Even during the team’s two title runs, Minnesota was not a dangerous long-range shooting team. The Lynx rely on ball movement leading to high-percentage looks.

No player in the league changes that game plan more than Griner, who last year set the WNBA record for blocks in a single game (11) and season (129). Minnesota ranks first in field goal percentage (46.7%) heading into the weekend while Phoenix is tied for last (37.9%), meaning Griner’s return to the paint couldn’t have come at a better time for the Mercury.

Tables have turned

The Mercury and Lynx are the definition of familiar foes, having combined to capture six of the last eight Western Conference titles. For three years, Minnesota was the hurdle Phoenix simply couldn’t get over — the Lynx won 14 straight meetings, including playoffs, from 2011 to last season.

But in winning six of their last eight matchups, the Mercury seemed to have solved the riddle. That includes the 2014 Conference Finals and a surprise 81-66 victory two weeks ago, when Phoenix held Minnesota to just 36% shooting and got a combined 38 points from vets DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree.