After getting off to a strong start, the Connecticut Sun are now mired in a slump.
Connecticut was the top team in the Eastern Conference for much of the first half of the season. However, six losses - including four straight - in the last eight games dropped the Sun into second, just a half-game ahead of third-place New York.
``We have some players that are struggling to shoot right now,'' Sun coach Mike Thibault said. ``The only thing we can do is persevere. We have good basketball players, and they're here for a reason. ... It's lack of experience right now, more on the defensive end than on the offensive.''
Connecticut started the season without two of its top four scorers from last season - Katie Douglas (trade) and Nykesha Sales (sitting out) - and fielding a roster that included four rookies and only three players with more than five years' experience. Still, the Sun opened with 11 wins in their first 14 games.
Despite the recent struggles, the players aren't losing confidence.
``Our attitude is fine,'' forward Asjha Jones said. ``We could fold right, but we have people on this team who pride in the team and know that we're better than that.''
Just a year ago, Connecticut got off to a 5-10 start and appeared headed for a lost season. However, the Sun won 13 of their next 17 and clinched the No. 3 seed in the East before losing to Indiana in the opening round.
``We have to work through this, and have confidence in ourselves that eventually this will come back to us,'' point guard Lindsay Whalen said. ``It's really frustrating, but you can't let it bring you down or get too discouraged. There are great teams and great players in this league and it's going to happen.''
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PLAYING WITHOUT TULLY: The Indiana Fever are preparing for a stretch of four games without point guard Tully Bevilaqua.
Bevilaqua was set to leave the team after facing the New York Liberty in the Outdoor Classic at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night to train with the Australian national team for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
``We will obviously miss Tully during her absence,'' Fever coach Lin Dunn said in a statement, ``but we wish her all the best as she prepares for the Olympics. ... Our other guards, particularly LaToya Bond, Tan White and Katie Douglas, are going to have to carry the load and pick up the intensity.''
Bevilaqua, who turns 36 on Saturday, will be playing in the Olympics for the first time. She was on the Australian squad that won the gold medal at the 2006 world championships.
``It's been a bit of an emotional roller coaster,'' Bevilaqua said. ``Just waiting for the announcement of the team, and then finally hearing the announcement. And then trying to keep it all on the down low, because obviously trying to focus on the Fever.''
She will join Seattle's Lauren Jackson, who left the Storm last weekend, and Phoenix's Penny Taylor, who has missed the entire season, on Australia's national team.
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FALLING MERCURY: A strong stretch in which defending champion Phoenix won eight of 11 appeared to have righted the team from its 0-4 start.
However, losing five of six before a win against Los Angeles on Thursday night dropped them back into last place in a tight Western Conference. With the victory, the Mercury pulled into a tie Houston for sixth, just one-half game behind Minnesota and Sacramento in fourth place.
``A good week's stretch in which we've shown we can play at that level and we're back in the race,'' Mercury star Diana Taurasi said.
Mercury center Tangela Smith acknowledged there are many areas where team needs to improve.
``We just need to get into practice and do it,'' she said. ``The main thing is to stop talking about it and get it done.''
The win against the touted but also struggling Sparks - losers of six of nine - could be a start.
``If we play similar to that, we'll be just fine,'' Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said. ``We didn't shoot well, we didn't play great. We just played hard.''
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Connecticut's Lindsay Whalen and San Antonio's Becky Hammon were selected the league's latest players of the week for the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively.
Whalen earned the honor for the second time this season and fourth in her career after averaging 26.5 points, 7.0 assists and 7.5 rebounds in the Sun's losses at Detroit and Washington. She also shot 59 percent from the field (17-for-29) and 16-for-19 on free throws.
Whalen tied a career high with 33 points in a 69-64 loss to the Shock on July 8 and tied the franchise mark for free throws made and attempted with a 13-for-16 effort.
Hammon was also selected for the honor for the fourth time in her career after averaging 21.7 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in the Silver Stars' wins against New York, Chicago and Atlanta. She set the San Antonio franchise record for free throws made when she was 14-for-15 in an 83-79 victory over the Liberty.
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SCOREBOARD WATCH: Indiana at New York, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT. The game is scheduled to be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It will be the first regular-season basketball game - men's or women's - played outside. The Liberty won in triple overtime in the teams' last meeting at Madison Square Garden on June 26. ... Los Angeles at Detroit, Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT. A matchup of the preseason favorites to meet in the finals. The Shock have been doing their part, perched atop the Eastern Conference. The Sparks have hit a rough patch, dropping into third place in the West, and will be playing for the third time in a stretch of six games in nine days heading into the Olympic break.
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STATS: Phoenix's Diana Taurasi entered the weekend as the league's top scorer at 23.6 points per game, followed by teammate Cappie Pondexter (23.5). Seattle's Lauren Jackson (20.2) was third. ... Los Angeles rookie Candace Parker (9.7) and veteran teammate Lisa Leslie (9.2) were tops in rebounding. ... Seattle's Sue Bird was tops in assists (6.1). Connecticut's Lindsay Whalen (5.5) was next. ... San Antonio's Becky Hammon led the league in free-throw shooting at 94.6 percent (123-for-130). ... Parker is averaging 24.3 points and 11.0 rebounds, while shooting 60 percent from the field the last six games. ... Silver Stars center Ann Wauters is shooting 61.5 percent (48-for-78) on field goals in her last seven games.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: ``I'm not going to go out and suddenly score 30. That's not happening. Sorry to break it to you guys. Everyone is going to have to raise their game a little bit.'' - Seattle's Sue Bird on playing without Lauren Jackson in the final five games before the Olympic break.
