The Mercury lost a back-and-forth battle in Detroit tonight in spite of a depleted Shock team, 101-99. While no one enjoys losing, I'd like to caution Mercury fans and followers not to do the following three things;

1. Panic.
2. Make too big a deal out of this loss.
3. Worry about the Storm being just 1 game behind the Mercury.

Perhaps the most important thing I can say is not to panic. The Mercury are fine. I've said this several times throughout the season - Phoenix hasn't peaked yet but are darn close. Truthfully, this is the perfect scenario heading into the playoffs. Had Diana hit the three at the end on tonight's game, I think it would've been their best win of the season. Instead, it's just a tough loss that the Mercury will put behind them and focus on the Fever tomorrow night (the more important game).

Second, this was an absolute must-win game for Detroit. They obviously came out with a chip on their shoulder, rallied as a team without Katie Smith, and made the key shots when they counted. It happens. Instead of getting down on the Mercury, give the credit to the Shock for persevering and getting a much needed win. So, let's look at the positives in this loss. The Mercury won the rebounding battle, Diana and Cappie both had phenomenal games, and in spite of 19 turnovers the Mercury had a great chance to win the game. Phoenix also started slow but was able to get back in the game and in a position to win. "I think we just focused in on defense and brought energy," Cappie Pondexter said of their second half comeback. "Unfortunately, our turnovers didn't allow us to capitalize on the offensive end, which allowed them to capitalize defensively. We just have to do a better job of taking care of the ball."

Last, with the Storm beating New York and moving into 1 game of the Mercury for the #1 seed in the West, I still caution fans about worrying too much.  The Storm play 3 of their last 4 games on the road (game at home is vs. Phoenix) and this will probably be without Lauren Jackson; thus, I'd anticipate their 6-game winning streak and momentum could come to a screeching halt. The Mercury, on the other hand, have a fantastic opportunity to gain a significant amount of momentum heading into the post-season. "It's vital, not just because of our record or to get a better record, to just be a better team overall," Cappie said. "And having that momentum in the playoffs is definitely going to be the team that's probably going to take it all."

Instead of getting frustrated about the Mercury's slow starts, let's be thankful how resilient of a team they are. Ultimately, if I had to choose whether to be a fast-starting team or a resilient team I'd absolutely choose to be resilient; that no matter what, you feel like there is always a chance to win.

Another positive - the Mercury's rebounding has been exponentially better over the past 10 games. With an improved and healthy front line, there isn't as much of a worry regarding the rebounding battle as there was in the first half of the season.

And if I'm honest, it's the perfect time for the Mercury to truly click. As I mentioned above, the Mercury as a team showed some very encouraging signs tonight. They still won the rebounding battle, shot well from the floor, and despite 19 turnovers had a chance to win.

So, I guess the theme of this article is to just stick with the Mercury during these tough losses.

It will all be worth it in a few short weeks...