Capsules for the first-round WNBA playoff series

A look at the four first-round, best-of-3 series in the WNBA playoffs, which start Wednesday:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Indiana (22-12) vs. No. 4 Washington (16-18)

Season series: Fever won 4-0.

Indiana: The Fever set a franchise record for victories, winning 19 of 22 during one stretch. All but assured of the top seed in the East, Indiana then lost seven of 10 to close the season. Katie Douglas led the way with averages of 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Perennial All-Star Tamika Catchings added 15.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and 3.1 apg. The Fever set a WNBA record with 373 steals, led by Catchings’ league-best 99—one short of the record set by Teresa Weatherspoon in 1999. Tammy Sutton-Brown and Ebony Hoffman tied for second on the team in rebounding (5.9) and third in scoring (9.9). Rookie Briann January (6.9 ppg, 2.3 apg) was also solid backing up Tully Bevilaqua (6.1 ppg, 2.9 apg) at the point. Bevilaqua (Seattle in 2004) and Dixon (Los Angeles, 2001-02) have won championships previously, and Douglas (Connecticut, 2004-05) is the only other player to have played in the finals. Indiana, last in field-goal shooting (40.2 percent), was third in scoring defense (73.6 ppg). Catchings averaged 20.5 points this season against Washington.

Washington: The Mystics return to the playoffs after a two-year absence in their first season under GM Angela Taylor and coach Julie Plank. The offseason roster upgrades also paid off with Lindsey Harding (12.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.5 apg) — acquired from Minnesota—running the offense and complementing a strong backcourt led by Alana Beard (15.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg). Chasity Melvin (5.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) returned as a free agent and Matee Ajavon (8.0 ppg) was added in the Houston Comets dispersal draft. Crystal Langhorne (12.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg) finished third in the league in rebounding and Monique Currie (8.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) was also solid in the starting lineup. Beard missed four of the last six games due to an ankle injury, but is expected to be back for this series. The Mystics were sixth in scoring defense (77.1 ppg), but ninth in field-goal shooting (42.3 percent), 10th in 3-point shooting 32.6 percent) and last in assists (13.3). Harding averaged 16.0 points and Beard 15.3 in the four games against Indiana. The opener of the series will be played at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center due to a dinosaur show booked at the Mystics home arena, the Verizon Center.

Prediction: Fever in 2.

No. 2 Atlanta (18-16) vs. No. 3 Detroit (18-16)

Season series: Dream won 3-1, winning both games at home and splitting on the road.

Atlanta: A roster overhaul following a WNBA-record 30 losses in their first season last year paid off as the Dream had a 14-win improvement and earned their first playoff berth. Chamique Holdsclaw returned from a nearly two-year retirement and was second on the team in scoring (13.9), and averaged 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Sancho Lyttle (13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg) was solid after being selected in the Houston Comets dispersal draft. Angel McCoughtry (12.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.2 spg), the top overall pick in this year’s draft, is a strong contender for rookie of the year. Veteran guard Iziane Castro Marques (14.4 ppg) and center Erika DeSouza (11.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg) anchored a lineup that led the league in rebounding (37.0) and was second in scoring (84.2). Holdsclaw had arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 27 and her status for this series is uncertain. DeSouza had three double-doubles against the Shock and averaged 13.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in the series. Due to a “Sesame Street” show booked at Phillips Arena, the Dream will have to play Game 2 and a possible 3 at Gwinnett Arena in nearby Duluth.

Detroit: The defending champions won nine of their last 11 to reach the playoffs for the seventh straight year. The Shock won three titles in the previous six years and have reached the finals in three straight. Detroit recovered from a bad start that included losing forward Plenette Pierson to a season-ending injury in the opener and the resignation of coach Bill Laimbeer three games into the season. Assistant coach Rick Mahorn took over, and the continuity eventually helped settle the team. The Shock’s final push came despite the absence of veteran forward Katie Smith (13.7 ppg) for the last seven games due to lower back pain, and her status for this series is also uncertain. Detroit’s offense is still led by spark plug guard Deanna Nolan (16.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.5 apg). Rookie guard Shavonte Zellous (11.9 ppg) made a strong contribution and veteran frontcourt players Taj McWilliams (9.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Kara Braxton (9.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Cheryl Ford (8.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg) helped the Shock finish third in the league in rebounding (36.1) and fourth in scoring (78.0). Zellous led the way against the Dream, averaging 16.8 points.

Prediction: Dream in 3.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Phoenix (23-11) vs. No. 4 San Antonio (15-19)

Season series: Tied 2-2, with the home team winning each matchup.

Phoenix: The Mercury return to the playoffs after missing out last year following their 2007 championship. Once again, Phoenix’s high-octane offense was led by Diana Taurasi (20.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.5 apg), who won her second straight scoring title, and Cappie Pondexter (19.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.0 apg), who finished third. DeWanna Bonner (11.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg) had a sensational season and is a strong rookie of the year candidate. The Mercury also got Penny Taylor (10.9 ppg) back as the Australian star, key in their championship run who sat out last year, returned for the final 14 games. Le’Coe Willingham (10.0 ppg) gave the Mercury a fifth double-figure scorer, with Tangela Smith (9.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Temeka Johnson (9.6 ppg, 4.6 apg) just missing out. Although the Mercury have home-court advantage throughout the postseason, the balanced offense helped them finish as the only team with a winning road record at 11-6. Phoenix led the league in scoring (92.8 ppg), field-goal shooting (46 percent), free-throw shooting (86 percent) and assists (18.4). Pondexter averaged 29.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists against the Silver Stars this season, and Taurasi added 24.3 points.

San Antonio: After winning the West last year en route to reaching the finals, the Silver Stars struggled with consistency this season and got the conference’s last playoff berth on the final weekend. San Antonio had a stretch in which it lost six of seven in August before recovering to win four of five to hold off fading Minnesota. Becky Hammon (19.5 ppg, 5.0 apg) and Sophia Young (18.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg) led the way with career-best scoring totals. Ann Wauters (12.9 ppg, 5.6 apg) returned for the second half of the season to bolster the frontcourt. Vickie Johnson (6.4 ppg), who is headed for retirement from the WNBA, was the next-highest scorer. She tied a career high with 27 points in a key win against Los Angeles down the stretch, but scored in double figures just six times. The Silver Stars were third in the league in assists (17.6), but eighth in scoring (76.9) and scoring defense, and last in rebounding (30.9). Their scoring differential (minus-1.35) was the fourth-worst, a year after they had the third-best. Young averaged 24.3 points and 8.5 rebounds against Phoenix.

Prediction: Mercury in 2.

No. 2 Seattle (20-14) vs. No. 3 Los Angeles (18-16)

Season series: Tied 2-2, with the home team winning each matchup.

Seattle: The Storm were rolling along with an All-Star trio of two-time MVP Lauren Jackson (19.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Sue Bird (12.8 ppg, 5.8 apg) and Swin Cash (12.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg), until all three missed time down the stretch. Jackson (back) has not played since Aug. 27 and could miss this series. Bird (sore neck) missed the last three games after the Storm locked up the No. 2 seed, and Cash sat out the last two following a death in the family. Tanisha Wright (12.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.9 apg) picked up the slack, averaging 18.0 points in her last six games before sitting out the season finale. Camille Little (10.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) gave the Storm all five starters scoring in double figures. Bird and Jackson are the only holdovers left from the Storm’s 2004 championship team, and Seattle has lost in the first round in each year since. The Storm were 11th in scoring (74.8), but first in scoring defense (72.8). Seattle finished ninth in rebounding (32.5), sixth in steals (8.1), fourth in 3-point shooting (35 percent) and third in blocks (4.41). Bird averaged 19.0 points in Seattle’s two wins against the Sparks, but just 7.0 in the two losses.

Los Angeles: For the second straight year, the Sparks opened the season as the overwhelming favorites to win a championship. Free-agent forward Tina Thompson was added to the mix, giving the team four players from last year’s U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Beijing and helping offset the early absence of Candace Parker due to her pregnancy. Parker (13.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg) returned on July 5 after missing the first nine games and then led the league with 15 double-doubles. Lisa Leslie, playing her final season, sprained her right knee and bruised her right hip on June 19 and missed 10 games. Los Angeles has been on a roll since her return and closed the season with 10 wins in 13 games. Leslie (15.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg) led the team in scoring, and Thompson (13.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and DeLisha Milton-Jones (10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) gave the Sparks an oversized starting lineup. Betty Lennox (10.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Noelle Quinn (8.4 ppg, 3.6 apg) were key reserves. Los Angeles was 12th in scoring (74.5 ppg), but second in scoring defense (73.5). The frontcourt-heavy Sparks were also second in rebounding (36.7) and blocks (4.9), but last in 3-point shooting (29.7 percent). Los Angeles won last year’s first-round matchup in three games.

Prediction: Sparks in 3.