Diana Taurasi finished with 26 points and six
rebounds, as the Phoenix Mercury clinched another title with a 94-86 win over
the Indiana Fever in the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.
Taurasi was named the Finals MVP, as she averaged 20.4 points in the
championship series. The Mercury won the final two games to overcome a 2-1
hole and take their second title in three years. Phoenix defeated Detroit in
the 2007 Finals, three games to two.
Cappie Pondexter, named the MVP of the '07 Finals, ended with 24 points Friday
for Phoenix, which recorded a Finals-record 35 points in the second quarter.
The Mercury also got 14 points and five assists off the bench from Penny
Taylor.
"You know, from the beginning of the season to the end, we worked really hard.
Everybody stayed extra and that's why we're here," said Pondexter. "Such a
great feeling right now, wow! It was definitely harder the second time around,
but I wouldn't have -- I wouldn't be here without these girls. So I'm happy."
Tammy Sutton-Brown had 22 points to pace the Fever, who were seeking their
first WNBA title. Tamika Catchings added 16 points, nine rebounds and six
assists in the loss, while Jessica Davenport sank 8-of-11 shots on the way to
18 points.
"It just comes down to one or done. This was Game 5. There is no more
opportunities," said Sutton-Brown. "Tomorrow is a day off pretty much. The
next day is a day off. You had to bring your best tonight, and that's what it
boils down to."
The game was even at 80-80 with 4 1/2 minutes to go after the Fever got a
three-pointer from Briann January and a jumper from Sutton-Brown, back-to-
back.
"The feeling when we tied the game was obviously we can do this," said
Catchings. "And I don't feel that like through the final seconds that we
didn't feel that. Right now the feeling is more of a disappointment, you know,
like we just said it, disappointing to lose."
But Phoenix got a three-pointer from Tangela Smith, and after Davenport sank a
jumper, Smith drained another trey for an 86-82 advantage. Pondexter's jumper
with 2:22 on the clock boosted the Mercury's lead to six, and it was a crucial
bucket.
Davenport countered with a layup, and with a minute left Catchings' basket
drew Indiana within 88-86. But Taylor sank two free throws with 37.7 seconds
to go, and Indiana missed its next three shots. DeWanna Bonner, who finished
with 13 points, then made 2-of-2 from the line with 12.2 left to ice the game.
The Fever got two free throws from Sutton-Brown at the end of the first
quarter to take a 23-16 lead, but the Mercury stormed ahead with a 35-point
second frame.
Taurasi began it with a jumper and a three-pointer, and later followed a
Pondexter jumper with another trey to put Phoenix on top, 33-31, with a little
over six minutes left.
After a Davenport bank shot evened the contest, the Mercury scored eight of
the next 10 points. Taylor's three-point play ended the brief run as Phoenix
went ahead 41-35.
The Mercury briefly got their lead into double-digits, but Davenport's jumper
capped the first-half scoring to trim Phoenix's advantage to 51-42 at the
break.
Phoenix continued to lead throughout the third quarter, though Catchings' free
throw and January's three-pointer at the end of the stanza got Indiana within
70-65.
Davenport began the fourth with a layup to make it a three-point game, and the
contest was back-and-forth over the next few minutes.
©2009 Sports Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
