• Michelle Smith, Contributor, espn.com
This whole notion of defending a title is a little fraught for the Mercury.
They do indeed have the 2014 WNBA championship trophy in their possession. But this is likely to be a very different postseason run for Phoenix in a multitude of ways, making this playoff chapter feel less like a continuation of last year's success and more like an entirely new book.
For starters, there is no Diana Taurasi to turn to when the going inevitably gets tough.
"Dee was our calming presence last year," Mercury center Brittney Griner said. "She would get us all together when things needed to be said. This year, everybody has had to pull a little more weight."
The Mercury -- who are in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years -- open the 2015 WNBA postseason Thursday (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET) at home against the Shock, who are making their first playoff appearance since moving to Oklahoma from Detroit in 2010.
In a short series, Phoenix is looking to take advantage of the comforts of home, where Phoenix was 13-4 this season. But this is a different landscape than the Mercury faced a year ago when a Taurasi-led juggernaut blasted through all comers on the way to a WNBA title.
With Taurasi and Penny Taylor out this season, Phoenix wasn't the same dominant team, finishing second in the Western Conference with a 20-14 record. The Mercury were inconsistent on the road, going 7-10 and were 5-7 against teams in the Eastern Conference.
But the Mercury won three of four games to finish the regular season and enter the postseason with a modicum of momentum.
"We have players who have been there, and done that," said Mercury coach Sandy Brondello, referring to her big three of DeWanna Bonner, Candice Dupree and Griner. "They will be ready to rise to the occasion. Some of our other players haven't experienced [the postseason] as much, but we know that when we play our best, we can beat anyone."
Bonner, Dupree and Griner have combined to average 45 points and 18.9 rebounds per game this season. And defensively, the Mercury are better statistically than they were last season, ranking third in the league in points allowed at 72.3 per game.
Veteran forward Monique Currie was Phoenix's biggest addition this season; she is averaging 8.4 points per game, but has rallied late, scoring 59 points over the past three games.
"The playoffs is another level and you've got to be serious about it because it's a different experience when you step out there," said Currie, who has playoff experience from her time with the Mystics. "It's important to play well out of the gate, because you don't have time to catch up and figure things out."
Phoenix posted a 3-2 record against Tulsa this summer, including a loss in the regular-season finale on Sunday in which both teams rested their starters. But Brondello knows her Mercury are facing an aggressive team that wants to push the tempo. And in a short series, there is little room for error.
"They shoot the 3 well, they are a high-scoring team," Brondello said. "We need to be prepared, make sure we are doing a good job on the ball."
"It's very open this season and I think anyone can win. I think we have the right players to win it. But we have to play our best."
Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello on the playoff race
As for this notion of defending a title, it depends on whom you talk to.
"I don't think we are trying to defend a championship," Currie said, "we are trying to get a championship."
Griner is still thinking about what it felt like to win last year.
"I think our new players also know what's at stake," Griner said. "And they want to win one, too. I think we still have mindset of defending our title. We know we've been getting everybody's best shot all season because we were the champions last year."
Brondello, meanwhile, isn't worried about putting a label on what her team is trying to accomplish.
"You can defend it or you can lose in the first round," Brondello said. "I remind them all the time, it's very open this season and I think anyone can win. I think we have the right players to win it. But we have to play our best."