By Mel Greenberg

 The Guru interrupts the daily chronicle of the hunt for the WNBA playoff berths to present something really bizzare that probably couldn't happen but as daylight breaks through on the first of the final eight days of the WNBA regular season is mathematically alive.

Dispensing with the ongoing forecast of each team's finish, watch the result if the following occurs among those crazy teams in the East.

Atlanta loses to Washington and Connecticut for a final record of 17-17.

Detroit beats Minnesota and New York but loses both games to Chicago for a final record of 17-17.

Chicago sweeps Detroit but loses to Indiana for a final record of 17-17.

Washington beats Indiana and Atlanta but loses to New York for a final record of 17-17.

Connecticut beats Atlanta and Indiana for a final record of 17-17.

That's right, if all the preceding occurs, which will be alive for the moment, five East teams will finish tied for second at 17-17.

Perhaps the WNBA could then get a marketing with the Avis rental car people -- Remember the old marketing slogan? We're No. 2 but we try harder.

Some Clarity Prevails

With that lttile exercise out of the way, it's time to get back closer to reality where some of the fog over the playoff picture began to lift Saturday night.

We first go to Phoenix, where the Mercury clinched the West title outright and top spot in the West with a 100-82 win over the surprising Atlanta team as rookie DeWanna Bonner scored 20 points in the desert.

The Mercury now has a shot to pass the Eastern regular season champion Indiana Fever to finish with the overall best record. 

Now there is a perk for fans looking to mix some vacation time and finals in their October plans. If the Mercury wins the overall top seed, Phoenix starts on the road but returns home for one or two games in an enlongated finals schedule that makes it possible to breakaway for a quick trip to enjoy the rocks of Sedona or even a quick sneak peak at the Grand Canyon.

Meanwhile, also in the West down in the Alamo country where two oldtimers in Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie and San Antonio's Vicky Johnson -- two WNBA orginals -- matched up in the process of making their last stands, VJ showed she still had some juice tying a career-high with 27 points, shooting 11-of-14 as the Silver Stars beat the Sparks of Tinseltown, 89-72.

"It's second wind," San Antonio coach Dan Hughes joked about the effort of the former Louisiana Tech star.

Leslie finished with 21 points for Los Angeles, which could actually slide right out of the playoff picture after a late-season rally had made the Sparks look solid.

Los Angeles' final three games are against San Antonio, Minnesota and Phoenix, all of which have reasons to be motivated.

San Antonio's win also basically delivered a knockout to idle Sacramento's last hopes. However, the Monarchs do have an edge at the moment over New York, which was eliminated Friday night, for worst overall record, meaning more ping pong ball opportunities to land the rights to the No. 1 pick in the next draft.

Back up North in the West, Minnesota gave Seattle a second-straight setback, as the Lynx kept playoff hopes alive with a  76-68 win. The Storm, whose Lauren Jackson missed her fourth straight game with a stress fracture, has already locked up the No. 2 slot in the West, though the loss helped Phoenix claim the West crown.

Fueling Minnesota's win was Charde Houston's 22 points, showing one can eventually recover from the media abuse she earned from time to time at UConn when Geno Auriemma was not quite happy with her performance.

So all that said, let's bring up the slate, which is now a little shaky in terms of forecast ability.

 Eastern Group:

Atlanta: Road (1): at Washington - Sept. 12.

Home (1) Connecticut- Sept. 11.

Washington: Road (2) at Indiana - Sept. 6; at New York - Sept. 13.

Home (1) Atlanta - Sept. 12.

Chicago: Road (1) ar Detroit - Sept. 6.

Home (2) Indiana - Sept. 10; Detroit - Sept. 12.

Connecticut: Road (1) at Atlanta, Sept. 11.

Home (1) Indiana - Sept. 13.

Detroit: Road (2) at Minnesota - Sept. 9; at Chicago - Sept. 12

Home (2) Chicago - Sept. 6; New York - Sept. 10.

Summary: We'll, at the top the Guru said how  crazy things could really become. 

Here are best-case scenaio forecasts without regard to upsets. Wild card has become Indiana finishing out with Katie Douglas sidelined in terms of affecting other Eastern teams. Also, remember that while each is looked at as team's best hope, those that success will be costly to others' best hopes.

Atlanta: (Anything goes): 2-0, 1-1, 0-2

Washington: 1-2 or 2-1 but a win at Indiana Sunday would be big for many reasons. And the Mystics better win at New York next week.

Chicago: 0-3 but maybe 1-2 or longshot 2-1.

Connecticut: 1-1 but not impossible to be 2-0, which may not be good enough depending on tie-breakers. The Sun could also drop to 0-2 and definitelly be out of the postseason for the first time since moving from Orlando.

Detroit: 4-0, but maybe 3-1 although the Shock have been winning some by narrow margins.

Western Group (and remember we're talking about qualifying, not placement):

Minnesota: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 11; at Sacramento - Sept. 13.

Home: (1) Detroit - Sept. 9.

San Antonio: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 8; at Sacramento - Sept. 10.

Home (1) Seattle - Sept. 12.

Los Angeles: Road (1) at Phoenix, Sept. 13.

Home (2) San Antonio, Sept. 8; Minnesota, Sept. 11

Sacramento: Road (0)

Home (2) San Antonio - Sept. 10; Minnesota - Sept. 13.

Summary: The Guru is now forced to drop Los Angeles into this mix. Sacramento appears to be dead because the Monarchs can't pass or catch San Antonio. And for the Silver Stars to lose, Minnesota might have a win to also causes dismay in the California state capital..

Minnesota: 1-2 but stole one Saturday. Not impossible to go 2-1 but 3-0 would be ideal for the Lynx.

San Antonio: 2-1 got a big one but needs to keep going.

Los Angeles: 2-1 but could be 3-0 or 1-2 and so much for are Kansas City colleague calling them collapse proof.

Sacramento: 1-1 but, as said, must go 2-0 and that could be not enough. More likely, the Monarchs can begin planning travel to nearby Stanford or UConn this winter to start looking for prospects. Other plane tickets will come into play depending on the pick.

-- Mel