WNBA Phoenix Mercury

Mercury update

Published on August 9, 2005 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Phoenix Mercury News Release


D.T. IS WNBA'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Big players play big in big games. And, after a monster effort in a game her team had to win against the Houston Comets on Friday, Mercury guard Diana Taurasi got her props from the league.

Phoenix's leading scorer was named the WNBA Player of the Week for last week, the first time in her career she's won the award. Taurasi, who is currently ranked fifth in the WNBA in scoring (16.5) and assists (4.7), has scored 20 or more points six different times this season.

One of those occasions was Friday, when the All-Star guard flirted with a triple-double: Taurasi scored 27 points, one shy of her season high, grabbed nine boards, and dished eight assists.

The team was 2-0 during the week (wins over Minnesota and Houston), and has won nine of 11 overall.

Next opponent

MERCURY vs. SACRAMENTO

Phoenix continues its season-long five game homestand this week, with a Friday night matchup against the West-leading Sacramento Monarchs. The third matchup between these two teams finds the Mercury trying to win their first of the season, the Monarchs already victorious in the season opener at AWA, as well as a June 10th contest. In the Mercury's 73-61 loss in June, Penny Taylor led all scorers by posting a then season-high 25 points, while in the season opener, Diana Taurasi and Anna DeForge led all scorers with 20 points apiece. Phoenix looks to remain above .500 all-time against the Monarchs at AWA and improve to 9-7.

The Mercury have lost 10 of 11 overall to the Monarchs, but the road to the playoffs (and the road to the finals) look as if they'll go through California's capital city.

CHAT ONLINE WITH THE MERCURY

Mercury fans will have the opportunity to send questions and chat with guard Diana Taurasi and head coach Carrie Graf on phoenixmercury.com.

Taurasi will participate in a live chat on Thursday, August 11th at 12:30 p.m. locally. Fans are invited to email questions now, or just follow along live this Thursday.

Coach Graf will also answer questions about her career and this year's Mercury squad one week after her star player does. Join Graf on Thursday, August 18th at approximately noon locally.

Fans are still invited to check out Penny Taylor's online chat from August 2nd...available on phoenixmercury.com.

Upcoming opponents

MERCURY vs. INDIANA

Phoenix will host Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever at AWA on Sunday, August 14th. The game's early Sunday start will be at 6 p.m. with the Mercury looking to avenge an early season loss.

In the second game of the season, Catchings scored what remains a Mercury opponent season-high 28 points. The Fever used that performance, as well as three other players in double figures, to beat the Mercury 83-76 at Conseco Fieldhouse. The tale of the game was Indiana's 34 free-throw attempts (compared to Phoenix's 21), the Fever's rebounding advantage (37-30), and their dominance in the paint (32-22).

The Mercury hope their frontcourt of Taylor, Stepanova and Vodichkova-none of whom were with the team in the first meeting-will provide the inside muscle missing earlier this season.

FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT

Don't miss Fan Appreciation Night on Sunday, August 21 when the Mercury hosts the Minnesota Lynx at 6 p.m. at AWA. The first 5,000 fans will receive a special ARCO AM/PM cup with a chance to win autographed Mercury merchandise. Plus, the entire Mercury squad will be available for autographs after the game.

MERCURY vs. DETROIT

The Mercury will play their final regular season game against the Eastern Conference on Tuesday, August 16, when they host the Detroit Shock at AWA.

Phoenix played the Shock one other time this season, a July 31st affair at the Palace at Auburn Hills, in which the Mercury blew a 17-point lead and lost, 66-63. The Mercury have won two consecutive since, and have lost just one other game in their last 11.

The new-look Shock will come to town with the recently-acquired Katie Smith, in a dog fight of their own for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Mercury guard Anna DeForge scored a game-high 20 points, but only one other player (Taurasi with 16) scored in double figures. The Shock, who had three players in double digits, used a dominating rebounding effort (38-19) to help outscore Phoenix 34-12 in the paint, and win the second half 40-29.

PLAYOFF PUSH

The Phoenix Mercury's torrid pace since the month of July has put the club back in the Western Conference playoff race, somewhere no one expected them to be on July 2nd.

Since that time, the team that 3-11 and coming off their worst loss of the season (an 86-63 defeat at Los Angeles), the Mercury are 9-2 and have risen from second-to-last in the conference, to fourth place.

Phoenix is 8-2 in their last ten, a mark tied for the league's best record over that stretch with the Sacramento Monarchs (first in the West) and Connecticut Sun (first in the East).

If the season ended today, the Mercury, who own the tie-breaker with the Los Angeles Sparks after winning the season series 2-1, would qualify and would take on the Sacramento Monarchs.

A playoff preview is available this Friday, August 12th, at AWA.

CAREER NIGHT FOR KAMILA

Mercury center Kamila Vodichkova scored a career-high 24 points verse Los Angeles on July 26th, but it was her field goal percentage that drew the most attention.

Vodichkova became the first WNBA player in franchise history to make 10 consecutive shots to start a game. Vodichkova shooting percentage 10-11 (.909) was the second best percentage for a player attempting 10 or more shots in WNBA history.

NOCHE CALIENTE CON LAS MERCURY! Come celebrate the Hispanic heritage will live music and dancing at the Mercury game on Sunday, August 14th. The first 2,000 kids will receive a life-sized growth chart poster of DIANA TAURASI and Arizona Department of Health Services spokes kid Bobby B. Well.

Country Night

Join KNIX's Tim and Willy as their band performs live in the Lexus Club immediately after the game on Friday, August 19 when the Mercury host the San Antonio Silver Stars The first 9,000 fans will receive a team poster courtesy of Crest.

WNBA releases new trading cards The Women's National Basketball Association and Rittenhouse Archives, the top producer of science-fiction and fantasy trading cards, debuted its new set of WNBA trading cards on July 29.

Fans can now collect more than 200 different WNBA player cards, including limited-edition game-worn cards which feature a piece of a player's jersey or warm-up uniform. Fans will also have a chance to acquire two cards in each box that are autographed by WNBA stars including Mercury guard and 2004 Rookie of the Year Diana Taurasi , two-time Most Valuable Player Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) and 2004 WNBA champion Sue Bird (Seattle Storm).

The 2005 WNBA trading cards will be available at leading hobby shops across the country.

The Happiest Place on Earth...

Don't forget to register to win a trip to the happiest place on earth (other than AWA during Mercury season), courtesy of AAA Travel. A Disneyland vacation for four is on the line for Mercury fans, with entries taken at every Mercury home game for the rest of the season behind Sections 104 and 120.

The winner will be announced as part of Fan Appreciation Night on August 21 when the Mercury take on the Minnesota Lynx.

New Amenities for the Media The Mercury and Suns added wireless internet access to the arena's list of media amenities this past season, and now the teams have added new phones in the press room, the press boxes and the scorers table. The phones have a built-in data jack on the upper left back of each phone. Media that are not wireless-ready can plug their laptops into the outlet on the phone in order to dial up internet access.

On the radio

Don't miss Mercury guard Anna DeForge on MEGA 104.3 and 99.3 FM every Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. as she chats with DJ and former Phoenix Suns star Cedric Ceballos.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MERCURY!

Penny Taylor was the first pick in the 2004 Dispersal Draft. The five-year veteran is second on the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game and scored a season-high 31 points against Washington on July 15th, tying the mark for most points scored by a Mercury player at AWA.

Listed below are some fun facts about Taylor.

Favorite Book?

To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite Actor - Russell Crowe

Favorite Actress? -

Nicole Kidman

Favorite TV show: Law and Order

Beauty Product you can't live without: Mascara

Dream profession (other than WNBA):

Writer

Dream car: BMW or Mercedes

Favorite off the court hobby: Reading, watching movies, and hanging out with friends

Favorite web site: phoenixmercury.com

Did you know: Began playing basketball at the age of 4

Check out the Phoenix Mercury Statistics

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from August 9, 2005


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