WNBA Phoenix Mercury

Taylor, Mercury Bank 77-66 Win

by Andrew Nordmeier
Published on July 19, 2005 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Phoenix Mercury


The Phoenix Mercury took on the Washington Mystics Friday night without All-Star point guard Diana Taurasi. This would seem like lights out for the Mercury against a winning team from the Eastern Conference.

Fortunately for the 7-11 Mercury, Penny Taylor was money in the bank as she deposited a season-high 31 points en route to a 77-66 win over the 9-9 Mystics at America West Arena and gave Phoenix its fourth straight win. Taurasi didn't play due to sore right knee and will be re-evaluated before the team's next game.

"Penny Taylor set the world on fire tonight," Phoenix Mercury Head Coach Carrie Graf said, "She played flat out awesome tonight."

The game was tied at 55-55 in the second half when one play changed the game.

Taylor was driving towards the Washington basket on a breakaway when Mystics' guard Alana Beard bear hugged her and wrestled Taylor out of bounds. Beard was whistled for a flagrant foul and it gave Phoenix the opening it needed.

Taylor hit both free throws to give Phoenix back the lead. On the ensuing possession, Taylor drained a three-pointer, one of her five on the night, to put the Mercury up 60-55.

Maria Stepanova added a lay-up for Phoenix and that 7-0 run gave Phoenix a lead it wouldn't relinquish. She finished with a season-high 17 points in the win as well as seven rebounds and three blocks.

"Stepanova probably cost us 15 points in the lane," Mystics Head Coach Richie Adubato said, "by blocking shots, changing shots, intimidation and we forgot she was six-foot-eight."

Washington closed to within four late but the Mystics were in the penalty in the final two minutes. Phoenix guard Anna DeForge hit all six of her free throws down the stretch and Kamila Vodichkova added a pair herself to ice the win. DeForge was the third Mercury player in double digits with 16 points on the night; it was DeForge's fifth straight game with 10 or more.

"We have great confidence in the things we can do at the moment," Taylor said. She finished with 10-of-16 shooting including five-of-eight from three-point range. She is the sparkplug behind the Mercury's four-game winning streak, averaging 21.5 points per game and shooting 57.1% from three-point range.

Early on, it seemed like Phoenix would blow Washington out. Phoenix jumped out to a 15-point lead early in the first seven minutes at 23-8. They were anchored by 9-of-13 shooting from the field including a trio of threes from Taylor.

"On the road, you can not let people jump out on you," Adubato said, "You're fighting too many obstacles trying to get back and everything has to go perfectly."

Although the Mystics would close to within seven, Phoenix surged ahead and held an 11-point lead at the half, 45-34. The 45 points is a season high for Phoenix in the first half.

The Mystics came out of the locker room on fire and scorched Phoenix with a 15-4 run in the first 6:41 to wipe away their deficit. A few minutes later the flagrant foul happened and the two teams went in opposite directions.

Beard led Washington with 16 and Delisha Milton-Jones added 15 in the loss.

"To win against a pretty damn good team from the East without one of your stars and another of your key rotation people injured was really big for us," Graf said.

The Mercury gets a few days of rest before taking on the New York Liberty Thursday night at America West Arena. Phoenix will be searching for its first five-game winning streak since July 2001.

Notes: The win over Washington is the team's first since 2003...Phoenix is a winning team at home with a 4-3 record...Phoenix has eclipsed the 70-point plateau in all four wins in the streak; they shot 52.9% from the field in this win...Stepanova, DeForge and Taylor accounted for 64 of Phoenix's 77 points...The four game win streak is the longest active streak in the WNBA...Phoenix won the battle in the paint 30-22 and outrebounded Washington 40-33...Washington was tied four times in the games but never lead.

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from July 19, 2005


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