WNBA Phoenix Mercury

Mercury Extinguishes Sparks 66-63

by Andrew Nordmeier
June 9, 2005 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Phoenix Mercury


For the first time all year, Head Coach Carrie Graf got the production out of her Mercury team that she thought she could. Because of that, Phoenix (2-5) picked up a rare road win Wednesday night in the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Diana Taurasi scored a game-high 26 points while Penny Taylor added a season-high 15 and Anna DeForge 11 to lift the Mercury to a 66-63 win over the Los Angeles Sparks (3-4). It is the Mercury's first win in Los Angeles since 1997, snapping a streak of 15 straight losses at the home of the Sparks.

The game was up for grabs heading into the final couple of minutes.

Leading 62-57, Chamique Holdsclaw hit a jumper to make it a three-point game and give her a 25-point night. On LA's next possession, Tameka Dixon hit a running layup and was fouled by Taurasi. Dixon's bucket cut it to a one-point game but she missed the free throw.

The Sparks were called for fouls on each of Phoenix's next two possessions and Plenette Pierson hit on four clutch free throws to re-establish a five-point cushion at 66-61 with 59.1 seconds left. Pierson finished with six points, all on free throws, seven rebounds and six blocked shots.

The Sparks cut it to a three-point game late and had possession with 18.5 seconds left. After moving the ball around the perimeter Lisa Leslie, who had 17 points in the game, put up a terrible three-point shot that was wide right. A scrap ensued for the rebound led to a jump ball between Leslie and DeForge.

Before the ball was tipped, Mercury center Kamila Vodichkova was called for a foul and it gave the Sparks the ball on the side with 3.4 seconds left. LA inbounded the ball and Holdsclaw tried to tie the game but her three was short and the Mercury snagged the rebound as the horn sounded.

Earlier on, it was Taurasi time for Phoenix as she scored 11 of the team's first 20 points and even keyed an early 10-2 run that led to a 20-15 lead for the Mercury. The Sparks clawed back to within a point with an 8-2 run of their own but a 9-2 burst by Phoenix in the final minutes of the half helped them take a 33-28 lead into the locker room at the half.

Phoenix kept running hot to start the second half, pushing its lead to as many as 10 points with a 42-32 lead. Not to be outdone, the Sparks countered with a 13-3 blitz of their own to wipe that lead away and tie the game at 45-45.

It would be one final Phoenix run, an 11-5 surge, that helped open up just enough breathing room to withstand the Sparks' final surge.

Up next, the Mercury finishes its three-game road trip with a visit to division-leading Sacramento (5-1) Friday night.

Notes: In her season debut, Vodichkova played 21 minutes, scored two points and picked up seven rebounds...DeForge's three-pointer early in the second half made her the fourth player in Mercury history with 1,000 points...Phoenix finished 18-of-24 from the line while LA was a weak 14-of-25 from the chairty stripe...Taylor scored her 15 despite picking up three fouls early in the first half...To make room for Vodichkova, Sandora Irvin was put on the injured list with a hip injury...Lisa Harrison and Belinda Snell didn't play in the game...The Sparks were hampered by a poor night fron Nicky Teasley who went 0-for-5 from the field, committed five turnovers and scored no points in 34 minutes.

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