Monarchs, Storm prepare for deciding Game 3 in Western Conference finals

SEATTLE (AP) — The Sacramento Monarchs are quite familiar with their current situation. They are now ready for a different outcome.

Four times the Monarchs have played a decisive Game 3 with a spot in the WNBA Finals on the line. Each time, they've come up short.

But now they have another chance.

Sacramento will face the Seattle Storm on the road on Tuesday night, and the winner will travel to play the Connecticut Sun in the Finals opener on Friday. The Western winner will host Game 2 of the series as well as Game 3, if necessary.

”I know we've been starting slow, but we can't start slow in a do or die situation,” Sacramento's Yolanda Griffith said Monday. ”If we want to move on and play Connecticut, everybody has to do the little things.”

Sacramento is fortunate to still be alive in the series. After falling behind by 14-points in the opener, the Monarchs pulled out a 74-72 overtime victory at home.

In Game 2 on Sunday, Sacramento fell into a deeper deficit — trailing by 18. The Monarchs made a late run, but the Storm held on for a 66-54 win.

”This is a really good team with a very good home court that we've now got ourselves backed into a corner to play,” Sacramento coach John Whisenant said. ”We cannot beat this team without supreme effort … You can't just play hard. You have to be smart and alert when you play hard.”

Seattle guard Sue Bird is expected to play after having surgery Monday on her broken nose. Bird was injured during Game 2 of Seattle's first-round series against Minnesota. She played the first two games against Sacramento while wearing a protective mask.

Bird did not practice Monday, but has been cleared by doctors to get back on the court. The Storm said she will be a game-time decision.

She scored 12 points in Game 2, and Lauren Jackson had a game-high 23 points. But after Seattle raced out to a 32-14 lead, the Storm's offense stumbled — scoring only 34 points over the final 25 minutes.

”We have to keep our space on offense. When we're playing well, we're getting through our offenses and getting movement,” Jackson said. ”Luckily our defense was good enough to combat that.”

This will mark the fifth straight series Sacramento has played a Game 3 on the road. The Monarchs are 2-2, winning first-round series in Houston last year and this season in Los Angeles.

Seattle coach Anne Donovan hopes the work the Storm put in during the regular season to gain home-court advantage will overcome Sacramento's familiarity with big games. The Storm are 15-3 at home this year, but one of those losses was to Sacramento.

”I think what counters their experience is we're playing at home,” Donovan said. ”We know we should win this game.”