WHO'S THE SECOND-HOTTEST TEAM IN THE WNBA?
By Dave Wohlhueter

Most WNBA fans know that Western Conference champion Seattle (21-2) has won 12 games in a row, but do these same people know who is the second-hottest club?

All of a sudden Indiana (16-7) has become feverish with a five-game winning streak. Even with this victorious burst, the Fever just holds a one-game lead over second-place Atlanta (16-9) in the Eastern Conference. Washington (13-9) is third, 2.5 games out of first place, followed by Connecticut (13-10), New York (12-11) and Chicago (12-13).

With just about a month left in the regular season, Seattle has already clinched the Western Conference crown, going 16-0 vs. conference competition. While Indiana uses the No. 1 defense (70.7 ppg. allowed) for its success, Seattle has balance on both ends of the court. The Storm ranks third in the WNBA in scoring (83.5 ppg.), and is fourth in defense (73.9 ppg.). Seattle also wins big, with a 9.61 scoring differential.

Seattle leads the rest of the West by at least 11 games, with defending champion Phoenix 10-13) in second place. San Antonio (8-15), Los Angles (8-16) and Minnesota (7-15) are running neck-and-neck for the final two playoff spots. Tulsa (4-20) is by far the worst team in the league¡ªwhere are you Bill Laimbeer?

The Storm is still unbeaten at home in 12 contests, and also holds the best road record (9-2).

A full slate of games was played on Tuesday night, including Seattle's 91-85 triumph over visiting Phoenix. It was the first time in three contests that the Mercury was held under 100 points.

Forward/center Lauren Jackson scored a season-high 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help the home team rally from an 18-point halftime deficit (56-38). The Storm took a 65-64 lead early in the final stanza on a 3-pt. play by guard Tanisha Wright. Guard Sue Bird added 16 points, and Wright contributed 14.

Forward Diana Taurasi scored 27 points for Phoenix that saw a three-game winning streak go awry. Phoenix regained the lead before 3-pointers by Jackson and Wright put the Storm on top 77-68 with 5:18 remaining, capping a 33-7 run from midway through the third quarter.

Also on Tuesday evening, Indiana defeated visiting Chicago 78-74 for its fifth consecutive triumph to keep one game ahead of Atlanta. All-star forward Tamika Catchings had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners, while guards Briann January and Katie Douglas had 15 and 13 points, respectively. Catchings double-double was the 65th of her career for seventh place in the history of the league.

The Fever beat the Sky for the fifth time this year; that is a WNBA record. Center Sylvia Fowles led Chicago with 18 points and eight rebounds, and forward Shay Murphy added 12 points.

In another scoring slugfest on Tuesday, Atlanta won at Tulsa, 105-89. Forward Sancho Lyttle had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Dream, and guard Iziane Castro Marques added 23 points. The visitors, the best rebounding club in the WNBA, hit the boards hard with 44 caroms to 30 for the Shock. The Dream shot 51.9 percent, and made 19-of-25 free throws.

Guard Ivory Latta led Tulsa with 23 points that was a season high for the club this season.

In a battle of middle-of-the-pack teams in the East, Connecticut defeated visiting Washington 88-78 on Tuesday night. Forward Asjha Jones tallied 10 of her season-high 23 points in the final stanza for the Sun, while guard Renee Montgomery and center Tina Charles, a pair of former UConn teammates, scored 17 and 15 points, respectively.

The Mystics, that trailed 43-31 at the half, were down by as many as 16 in the third period, but rallied to get within two (71-69) on a 3-pt. basket by guard Katie Smith. Jones retaliated with four straight points to increase the lead back up to six. Guard Kara Lawson added 11 points and seven assists for Connecticut.

Center Crystal Langhorne had 23 points for Washington, and forwards Monique Currie and Marisa Coleman finished with 18 and 12 points, respectively.

New York kept its playoff hopes alive with a 77-72 win over visiting San Antonio on Tuesday. Rookie guard Kalana Greene scored a season-high 17 points, and veteran forward Plenette Pierson added 16. It was the Liberty's fifth victory in seven outings.

Greene, Pierson and Essence Carson led the Liberty reserves with 41 points to 10 points for the Silver Stars bench players.

Forward Chamique Holdsclaw led four San Antonio players in double-figure scoring with 18 points, while center Michelle Snow added 14.

In the final Tuesday night affair, Los Angeles won on the road at Minnesota 71-58. The Sparks held the Lynx to 26 percent shooting, including limiting Minnesota's top player, forward Seimone Augustus, to a season-low six points.

LA forward Tina Thompson led all scorers with 24 points, and guard Noelle Quinn added 17. Guards Lindsay Whalen and Monica Wright each had 12 points for Minnesota.

Moving back to Sunday, Seattle had to make a big second-half push to pull out a 75-59 win over visiting Tulsa. The Storm's 20th win of the season made it the second team in league history to start a season 20-2. The now defunct Houston franchise was the other.

Jackson had 16 points and nine rebounds for the winners, and forward Svetlana Abrosimova came off the bench to score 15 points on five 3-pointers. The Storm led 40-32 at the intermission, and came roaring out with a 14-0 run to take a commanding lead, 54-32.

Center Nicole Ohlde, recently acquired a in a trade with Phoenix, and forward Amber Holt both had eight points for Tulsa.

Another Sunday game saw home-standing Atlanta defeat New York 82-75 behind 28 points from forward Angel McCoughtry to snap a four-game losing streak. McCoughtry completed her double-double with 10 rebounds, and added six assists. Castro Marques added 21 points for the Dream, and center Erika de Souza added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Liberty led 72-71 with les than 3 minutes left, but didn't score again until a shot at the buzzer. New York missed four shots and had a pair of turnovers during the drought. Guard Cappie Pondexter led the Liberty with 28 points.

There was a little bit of everything on Saturday, with both high scores and low ones. In Minneapolis, Phoenix and the Lynx set a league record for points in a game, as the Mercury prevailed 127-124 in double overtime. It was the second consecutive contest in which Phoenix has set a single-game scoring record.

Taurasi scored 11 of her 31 points in the second overtime. Center Candice Dupree topped the Mercury with 32 points, and forwards Penny Taylor and DeWanna Bonner each contributed 20 points. Phoenix was down 14 points in the fourth quarter, but rallied to eclipse the previous game high of 123 set against Tulsa two days before.

Augustus tallied a season-high 36 points for the Lynx, and forward Charde Houston added 21. The Lynx led 54-47 at halftime.

January scored 19 points, including four free throws in the final 2.9 seconds to give Indiana a 78-73 triumph on Saturday. Douglas and forward Ebony Hoffman each scored 13 points for the Fever that moved 1.5 games ahead of Washington.

Smith topped the Mystics with 17 points, while Langhorne had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Currie added 14 points, and guard Lindsey Harding 10.

Los Angeles used a deadeye approach to winning 89-80 at Connecticut on Saturday evening. Forward DeLisha Milton-Jones topped the Sparks with 20 points, as the team set a franchise record of 15 baskets from behind the 3-pt. arc, hitting 52 percent. Five players scored in double figures including point guard Ticha Penicheiro with 17 points.

Connecticut also had five scorers in double-figures, including Montgomery with 14, guard Tan White 13, and forward Sandrine Gruda with 12.

In the final Saturday night contest, Chicago won at San Antonio 75-72. Fowles scored 23 points to lead the Sky attack, while guard Jia Perkins added 15. Perkins fastbreak layup tied the score at 72-all with 1:15 remaining. After two San Antonio misses, Perkins converted a jumper to give the visitors their first lead of the second half.

Silver Stars center Snow missed a shot in the next possession, and Murphy converted a free throw to put the Sky up by three with 15.6 seconds left in the game.

As we get near the end of the regular season, stat leaders don't change that much. Taurasi of Phoenix is leading all scorers with a 23.9 ppg. average. Seattle's Jackson is second at 22.3 ppg., and most likely will not catch the Mercury ace. Connecticut rookie Charles continues her dominance on the boards with 271 caroms for an 11.8 average per outing.

Dupree is having an excellent year in her new home in Phoenix. She is making 66.1 percent of her shots (164x248). Atlanta's McCoughtry has the most field goals made (188x454, .414). A new leader has taken over in the 3-pt. department with Quinn of Los Angeles with the best percentage amongst the regulars (23x48, .479). Taurasi continues to bomb away from behind the arc with the most 3-pt. field goals (61x165, .370). Seven players have made all of their foul shots, with the best of that group being Chicago's Cathrine Kraayeveld who is 18-for-18. San Antonio guard Becky Hammon is shooting 96.6 percent (57x59), while Taurasi has made the most free throws (149x165, .903).

Seattle point guard Bird has led the entire season in assists per game (5.59), but LA's Penicheiro has 127 in 23 games to 123 in 22 outings for Bird. Penicheiro has the best assist to turnover ratio of 2.95.

Catchings of Indiana continues her defensive prowess with 63 steals for 2.74 spg. Teammate Tully Bevilaqua is No. 1 in steals to turnover ratio of 1.41. Fowles of Chicago is the league's top shot blocker with 68 for a 2.72 bpg. mark.

We have a new leader in minutes played per game in Langhorne of Washington who logs 34.9 mpg. Fowles has been on the floor for 801 minutes for a 32.0 mpg. mark.

Charles tops the WNBA in double-doubles with 15. There's no doubt what award she will win this year.

The TV game of the week is on Tuesday with Washington traveling to Atlanta in a battle of Eastern Conference opponents. Game time is 7:30 ET on ESPN2.

Dave Wohlhueter is Gball's WNBA and women's college game expert. He is a former Sports Information Director at Cornell University, as well as a member of the school's Hall of Fame. He worked in media relations at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He was named the winner of College Sports Information Directors of America's 2007 Bob Kenworthy Good Person Award, which annually is awarded to a CoSIDA member for civic involvement and accomplishments outside the sports information office.