I really expected these finals to be a closely contested battle between two rather evenly matched teams. I fully expected Sacramento to pull off the finals victory and earn Yolanda Griffith her championship, but I gave Connecticut a chance to pull off an upset.
Without Lindsay Whalen, though, I think the Sun don't stand a chance. Their backcourt is young, and inexperienced leading me to believe they can't withstand the pressure of the Monarchs defense. Whalen is their offensive engine, and her fearless determination to get into the paint is what drove their victories throughout the season and in both rounds of the playoffs. She was spectacular in round one, and in game two of the second round.
These two teams led the league in both scoring differential and offensive rating differential, with the Monarchs having the slight advantage in the ratings department.
| Offensive Rating | Defensive Rating | Differential | |
| Monarchs | 98.50 | 88.52 | +9.98 |
| Sun | 104.09 | 94.41 | +9.68 |
| Points Scored | Points Allowed | Differential | |
| Monarchs | 75.75 | 67.25 | +8.5 |
| Sun | 74.5 | 66.0 | +8.5 |
The point differential has "determined" the WNBA champion, but in this case leaves them tied. With Whalen this series would be close. The Sun hope to have her back for Game 3. If she isn't able to to make it back, the series won't be close...it will be over.
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