Before the season started, Houston and Sacramento were expected to challenge for the WNBA title.

	Tina Thompson and Houston have reached the playoffs seven straight years.

Then those preseason predictions took a serious nose dive. First, Houston hovered around .500 for the first six weeks of the season. Then Sacramento lost 11 of its first 18 games.

But in the end, both teams lived up to their preseason expectations and earned a spot in the playoffs. Both squads are loaded with talent and some of the biggest legends in the game, and orchestrated great turnarounds during the second half of the season. Houston won 13 of 15 games during one stretch, while Sacramento has lost just three games since the All-Star break.

With as well as they were playing two weeks ago, we might have said this matchup could be the WNBA championship series if the Comets and Monarchs were in different conferences.

However, after Monday's loss to Los Angeles, Houston hobbles into the playoffs having lost five of its last six games, including three straight. If Sacramento can win Game 1 at home, this series just might send Houston home in the first round for the third straight year.

A look at how this first-round Western Conference matchup might shape up:

Series history
Houston, the West's No. 2 seed, went 3-1 against Sacramento, the conference's third seed, this season. Two of the Comets' wins were by five or fewer points.

Houston
Strengths: No team in the league plays better defense than the Comets, who were holding opponents to 62.9 points per game through Sunday. Houston's foes must work really hard for baskets, and they're not getting anything cheap. Swoopes, who could garner the league's award for Defensive Player of the Year yet again, leads the way, but don't underestimate how important Tina Thompson and Janeth Arcain are to this team.

Dominique Canty and Ukari Figgs -- remember, she won a ring with L.A. two years ago and adds even more experience to Houston -- were great acquisitions, and Michelle Snow has really come into her own in her second season. Snow, a legitimate candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year, has had a tremendous summer on both ends. Her shot-blocking abilities have accounted for 61 blocks and allowed Snow's teammates to gamble more on the perimeter defense. Because they know she's there to balance the defense if they get beat on back-door cuts, they sometimes are playing a little tighter on their player.

And above all, this team is tough. The Comets have battled through injury and a shaky start to come out on top. Van Chancellor has proven once again that he's one of the all-time great coaches.

Weakness: Houston doesn't have much depth. The starting five combine for 57.6 points per game, about 87 percent of the team's offense. Because the Comets don't score as much as they used to (during their fourpeat, Houston averaged at least 71 points each season, but has averaged between 64 and 67 points a season since), their games often come down to defensive battles. Houston must be mindful of each possession, making good shot selections in the halfcourt. The Comets can't afford to turn the ball over.

Houston also seems to be struggling mentally right now. Heading into an Aug. 16 matchup with L.A., the Comets were on a tear, but ended up losing by one point. Now, Houston has lost five of its last six games, including three straight. That loss to the Sparks really seemed to take away the Comets' confidence and focus.

	Yolanda Griffith and the Monarchs have won four straight games.

Sacramento
Strengths: Sacramento has it all: experience, depth, savvy veterans and confident rookies. Yolanda Griffith is a former MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Ticha Penicheiro is one of the most savvy, experienced point guards in the world who also is tough enough defensively to guard your best player. Edna Campbell and Ruthie Bolton are consummate warriors. Tangela Smith and DeMya Walker can guard anybody, even smaller, quicker guards. Kara Lawson already has demonstrated she can be successful at this level and is one of the top three or four rookies in the league this season. And Hamchetou Maiga is probably one of the top six or seven pure athletes in the league.

The ingredients were there all along in Sacramento, but this team really began playing free and loose once coach John Whisenant came on board in mid-July. He has the Monarchs playing with a new attitude. They've tightened up and simplified things defensively, and while they might not be the best on-ball, 1-on-1 defenders, Sacramento plays great team defense. Whisenant has helped the Monarchs improve their team rotation behind the frontline player, and that has made a huge difference.

Weakness: The Monarchs really don't have one. Early on, when the team was struggling and eventually fell to a 7-11 record, chemistry was lacking and they weren't playing as well or as hard as they should have on both ends. But Sacramento weathered the storm and came out unscathed. Now the Monarchs just need to believe they can win.

How they match up
Both teams are loaded with talent and very athletic. The way they play defense might be the deciding factor. The Comets are very good individual defenders, and should do well against Sacramento. With the exception of Griffith inside, most of the Monarchs need screens to get off their shots. Lawson, for example, is very right-hand dominant on her dribble, and fares better off a screen or when somebody penetrates inside, sucks in the defense and then kicks the ball out to her.

But Swoopes, Thompson and Snow can create their own shots and don't necessarily need screens to get off an attempt. Swoopes and Thompson both have very deceptive foot speed, and Thompson's great ball fakes will test Sacramento's defensive rotation. Can the Monarchs get there in time and cut off the lane? And can Houston stop Sacramento, which likes to get points in transition and run? That'll be the key.

X-factor
Does Sacramento believe it can beat Houston? That sort of confidence is the key, because if the Monarchs can win Game 1 in Sacramento and convince themselves mentally they can advance, that forces Houston to bring it's A-game in Game 2. In the West's other semifinal, Los Angeles might be mentally tough enough to lose Game 1 then rebound to win Games 2 and 3. But an opening loss to Houston would probably be too much for the Monarchs to overcome.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.