They say it's hard to beat a team three times in a row.

	Swin Cash and Detroit have lost just nine games this season.

Don't tell that to Detroit. The Shock have actually won four straight games against Cleveland this year, sweeping their regular-season series.

But can Detroit continue its streak in the postseason, or will the Rockers' defense slow down the game enough to stifle Detroit's team speed and fastbreak game?

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

Series history
Detroit swept Cleveland 4-0 this season by an average of 7.8 points. Two of the wins were by 12 or more points. Three of the victories came within a 10-day span from July 19-29.

Detroit
Strengths: After seeing the Shock win just nine games last summer, we would have been impressed if Detroit had simply reached the playoffs this season. But to go from the league's worst record in 2002 to securing the best record and homecourt advantage this season is amazing.

Early on, we said Detroit's youth and inexperience might hurt, because while youth keeps you competitive, veterans win championships. But the Shock have belied their age, taken care of business and used every game to build both experience and chemistry. Second-year player Swin Cash, a legitimate MVP candidate, is playing like a five-year veteran. Ruth Riley, a third-year player, looks like she already has spent eight years at the pro level. And then there's Kedra Holland-Corn, a real veteran who has been wonderful coming off the bench.

Coach Bill Laimbeer deserves a lot of credit for pulling it all together, making the right trades and draft picks. But he also has benefited from his team's tremendous athleticism, which is perhaps Detroit's biggest strength. The Shock are a high-energy, very focused team. They also are very coachable, and that's a credit to the college programs Detroit's starters came from -- Connecticut (Cash), Louisiana Tech (Cheryl Ford), LSU (Elaine Powell), Notre Dame (Riley) and Georgia (Deanna Nolan).

Weakness: There were only two teams Detroit failed to beat this season -- Houston (0-1) and Charlotte (0-4). That 0-4 mark against the Sting showed everyone that the Shock will struggle if you take away their fastbreak opportunities. Will Detroit, which has averaged a league-best 75.3 points, be patient enough to operate in the halfcourt, and will the Shock panic if they're stopped three times in a row? Keep in mind that Cleveland boasts the third best defense in the league (tied with Sacramento), allowing just 65 points a game.

Youth and inexperience haven't been a problem so far, but can Detroit continue to defy the odds in the postseason? Several players on the Shock roster have one playoff appearance on their résumé, but nobody has any real postseason experience. That might hurt. This is the time of year you must be mentally tough enough to take your game to a higher level.

	Cleveland and Penny Taylor allow just 65 points a game, tied for third in the WNBA.

Cleveland
Strengths: The Rockers have always been one of the league's top defensive teams. They are very physical defensively, and do an excellent job of "mucking up" your offense. Timing and setting screens are still the most important keys to running an offense in the women's game today. But Cleveland's physical play often gets teams out of rhythm. When the Rockers bump your cutters, that holds up your cuts and screens and ultimately ruins the timing of your offense.

Weakness: It's all mental. After going 0-4 against Detroit in the regular season, can the Rockers be confident enough to beat the Shock now?

Fatigue also factors in. While Detroit rested Cash, Ford, Nolan and Powell (none of them even suited up, though Ford was placed on the injured list with a lower back strain) in Monday's regular-season finale, Cleveland had to scratch and claw to get into the playoffs. The Rockers must play through that exhaustion.

How they match up
It's always fun to watch a series that pits the league's top offense against one of the league's best defenses. Detroit loves to run. Cleveland does a good job of slowing down the game. This series will be won by whichever team is able to set the pace of the games.

To challenge Detroit, Cleveland must establish an inside presence, and that means Chasity Melvin must have a big series. Defensively, Penny Taylor will probably match up with Cash.

Still, Detroit's team speed might just be too much for the Rockers, who must make the Shock shoot over them, not around them. Cleveland has to make Detroit a jump-shooting and half-court team to keep it close.

X-factor
Detroit must stay patient and can't get frustrated if Cleveland takes away the Shock's running game. Detroit's players also must do a good job of reading the defense that's coming at them and adjust and find a way to execute. The Shock are used to getting a lot of fastbreak points in a game, but if the Rockers take away six or eight of those points, how will Detroit make them up?

Expecting a physical game from Cleveland, the Shock's free-throw shooting becomes more crucial, too. And rebounding also is a must for Detroit, which averaged a league-best 36 rebounds a game in the regular season. If the Shock can continue to control the boards, they can rebound and run, get going in the fast break and play the way they like to play.

In Cleveland's favor, it's never easy to beat a team five or six times in a row. But Detroit will look to get out in front early; the Shock are really good at playing with the lead.

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.