2007 WNBA Playoff Action Starts Thursday on ESPN2

August 21, 2007 -- ESPN2 and ABC will combine to televise up to six first round WNBA Playoff games starting Thursday, Aug. 23 when Anna DeForge and the Indiana Fever visit Katie Douglas and the Connecticut Sun at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. ABC’s coverage will begin Sunday, Aug. 26 when the defending champion Detroit Shock host the New York Liberty, who edged into the playoffs by winning their last three games, at 1 p.m. Later that evening Lauren Jackson and the Seattle Storm will face Western Conference rivals the Phoenix Mercury, led by Diana Taurasi in her first playoff appearance, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Pam Ward will call up to five playoff games with analysts Doris Burke or Carolyn Peck while Heather Cox, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe share courtside reporter roles. All WNBA Playoff games will include live microphones on the head coaches of each team and lead referees. Schedule with commentator teams:

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First Round (best-of-three):

Date / Series / Time (ET) / Network
Commentator teams

Thu., Aug. 23 -- Indiana at Connecticut - Game 1 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Pam Ward, Doris Burke and Rebecca Lobo

Sat., Aug. 25 -- Sacramento at San Antonio - Game 2 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
Ward, Carolyn Peck and Holly Rowe

Sun., Aug. 26
--New York at Detroit - Game 2 1 p.m. (ABC)
Ward, Burke and Lobo

-- Seattle at Phoenix - Game 2 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dave Pasch, Peck and Rowe

Tue., Aug. 28
-- New York at Detroit - Game 3 * 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Ward, Burke and Lobo

-- Seattle at Phoenix - Game 3 * 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Pasch, Peck and Rowe

The best-of-three Conference Finals will begin with games on ESPN2 Thursday, Aug. 30 at 10 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. and conclude with a doubleheader Sunday, Sept. 2 at 1 p.m. on ABC and a (if necessary) telecast at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The best-of-five Finals, televised exclusively on ESPN (one) and ESPN2 (up to four), will begin Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. The Finals will also be available on ESPN Radio. WNBA Shootaround, ESPN2’s pre-game show with host Linda Cohn and analyst Nancy Lieberman, will be televised prior to each game of the Finals.

Source: ESPN