Diana Taurasi scored 30 points and the Phoenix
Mercury advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 100-92 victory over
San Antonio in the decisive third game of their opening-round series.
Taurasi shot 11-of-17 from the field and added six assists and five rebounds
for Phoenix, which is aiming for its second WNBA title in three years.
Cappie Pondexter tallied 17 points, and Tangela Smith scored 16 to go with
eight rebounds for the Mercury, who will face the Los Angeles Sparks in the
next round.
Penny Taylor and DeWanna Bonner each scored 11 for Phoenix, which held a 38-27
rebounding advantage.
Becky Hammon scored 29 and Vickie Johnson added 24 for the Silver Stars, who
were beaten by Detroit in the league finals last year.
After taking the opener of the series at home by a point, the Silver Stars
faltered twice at US Airways Center, losing by 28 in Game 2 and then blowing a
lead in the fourth quarter on Monday.
Hammon's three-pointer at the start of the fourth opened a 72-66 lead for the
visitors, but Smith and Taurasi each canned three-pointers to tie the score.
Ann Wauters made one free throw to put San Antonio ahead again, but she
suffered a right ankle injury in the final period and was hampered.
Taurasi then drilled a three-ball to put the hosts ahead for good at 75-73 and
the lead ballooned to double digits as Smith's tip-in provided an 86-76 margin
with 5:14 remaining.
The Silver Stars never got closer than five points the rest of the way.
San Antonio held a 25-24 lead after one quarter, but the Mercury were ahead
43-42 at the half. It remained tight throughout the third.
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