INDIANAPOLIS — Tamika Catchings could start rehabilitation on her injuredfoot in about six weeks.

Her complete recovery from a torn Achilles tendon that cost the IndianaFever a chance at their first WNBA championship appearance will take a lotlonger.

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Plenette Pierson and Kara Braxton combined for 45points and 22 rebounds to lead the defending champion Detroit Shock to a 108-100win Wednesday night over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the WNBA finals.

Detroit took the lead in the best-of-five series despite the absence ofAll-Star Cheryl Ford, who sat out with a knee injury. It was the highest-scoringgame in the history of the finals.

Four other players scored in double figures for the Shock, who were able topush around the Mercury, who swept their previous two best-of-three playoffseries.

Detroit outrebounded Phoenix 48-30 and scored often on putbacks and otherhigh-percentage shots. The Shock’s bench outscored Phoenix’s 50-12.

Penny Taylor scored 32 points and Cappie Pondexter had 27 to lead theMercury, who struggled when All-Star Diana Taurasi missed significant stretchesof the game with foul trouble.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Detroit Shock All-Star forward Cheryl Ford was not inthe lineup for Wednesday night’s Game 1 of the WNBA finals against the PhoenixMercury because of a knee injury that bothered her for much of the season.

Ford missed six games after the initial injury in June and sat out theseason’s final 13 games after aggravating it against Indiana July 20.

The All-Star game Most Valuable Player and daughter of NBA great Karl Malonehas played in pain during the playoffs, averaging 8.3 points and 9.3 reboundsfor the defending champion Shock.

SEATTLE — Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson won her second career WNBAMVP award on Wednesday.

Jackson, who also won the MVP honor in 2003, led the league in scoring forthe third time with a career-best 23.8 points per game and also led the WNBAwith a career-best 9.7 rebounds per game. Her scoring average was more than fivepoints better than her career average of 18.6 points entering the season, whichended with Seattle’s third consecutive first-round exit in the playoffs.

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NEW YORK (TICKER) — Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson once again is the best in women’s basketball.

Jackson was awarded the 2007 WNBA Most Valuable Player Award on Wednesday, receiving 473 points - including 42 first-place votes.

It is the career second MVP award for the six-time All-Star, who also captured the honor in 2003.

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Shock coach Bill Laimbeer knows a lot about playingwith pain and he isn’t sure how much Cheryl Ford will be able to play in theWNBA finals.

“I’m very concerned about Cheryl’s knee against Phoenix,” said Laimbeer,who put together a streak of 685 consecutive games as a player. “We’ve askedtoo much of her already.”

Ford’s health is the biggest question mark with Detroit set to host Phoenixin Game 1 of the finals Wednesday night. The series features Laimbeer’s gritty,physical Shock and Paul Westhead’s warp-speed Mercury but could hinge on thehealth of the rugged forward.

Ford missed six games after injuring her knee in June, then sat out theseason’s final 13 games after aggravating the injury against Indiana on July 20.

Game 1 will be Detroit’s fourth contest in six days, including must-winvictories over Indiana on Sunday and Monday, and the effort has taken an obvioustoll on the league’s best rebounder. Ford said Tuesday that she hopes to playWednesday.

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Deanna Nolan scored 20 of her franchiseplayoff-record 30 points in the first half to help the defending championDetroit Shock advance to the WNBA finals with an 81-65 victory over the IndianaFever in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night.

The Shock will face Phoenix starting Wednesday night as they go for theirsecond straight title and third in five years. Detroit has won both postseasonseries this year 2-1 after losing Game 1 on the road, and is now 7-0 when facingelimination the last two seasons.

Indiana led by 13 points in the opening minutes, but lost both the lead andAll-Star forward Tamika Catchings in the second quarter. Catchings, who missedthe final 13 regular-season games with a left-foot injury, strained her rightAchilles’ tendon in the last minute of the first half and did not return.

Cheryl Ford, playing her third game in four days on a bad knee, had 15rebounds in just 18 minutes. Swin Cash scored 12 points and Katie Feenstra added11, matching her total in Detroit’s first five playoff games.

Indiana was going for its first conference title, but Tammy Sutton-Brown(17) and Tully Bevilaqua (14) were the only Fever players to reach doublefigures. Tamika Whitmore, who had a league-record 41 points against Detroit in afirst-round game last year, finished with nine on 3-for-10 shooting.

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Deanna Nolan scored 15 of her game-high 24 points inthe second quarter and the Detroit Shock beat the Indiana Fever 77-63 Sunday toeven the Eastern Conference finals at one game each.

The series will be decided in Game 3 Monday evening.

Swin Cash added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit, while PlenettePierson had 11 points and nine rebounds off the bench. The Shock put fiveplayers in double figures to improve to 3-0 when facing elimination thispostseason.

Most importantly for Detroit, facing two must-win games in 29 hours,All-Star Cheryl Ford was only forced to play 21 minutes on a bad knee.

Anna DeForge led Indiana, scoring 13 points against her former team. TamikaWhitmore had 12, but only two in the second half, and Tamika Catchings finishedwith just seven.

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PHOENIX — Cappie Pondexter scored nine of her 33 points in the final fiveminutes and the Phoenix Mercury advanced to the WNBA finals with a 98-92 winSaturday over the San Antonio Silver Stars.

The Mercury, who have swept both their playoff series, will play beginningWednesday against Detroit or Indiana. The Fever lead the best-of-three series1-0.

The Mercury have only been in the WNBA Finals once, in 1998.

Phoenix outscored San Antonio 17-10 over the final 3:12. Penny Taylor added23 points and Diana Taurasi had 18 for the Mercury, who have won 15 of theirlast 16 games.

Phoenix beat San Antonio 102-100 in Game 1 Thursday night.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Tamika Catchings had 22 points and 11 rebounds to help theIndiana Fever beat the Detroit Shock 75-65 on Friday night in Game 1 of theEastern Conference Finals.

The win puts the Fever one win away from their first trip to the Finals.

Catchings set a franchise record with her fourth consecutive double-double.She is averaging 20.3 points and 14.3 rebounds in the playoffs.

Tamika Whitmore scored 18 points for the Fever and Tammy Sutton-Brown, theAll-Star who all but disappeared in the first round of the playoffs, added 11points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Indiana.

Plenette Pierson led Detroit with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Cheryl Fordadded 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Shock.

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