October 13, 2009
WNBA- Mercury Won Second WNBA title in Three Years
By Ally White
Two years after a WNBA championship, one year after a season that didn’t move into the playoffs, and five games after beginning a finals match against the Indiana Fever, the Phoenix Mercury finally closed the 2009 season with their second title in tow.
The Mercury closed the series against the Indiana Fever on Friday in Game 5, winning 94-86. The triumph gave the Mercury their second title of the WNBA in three years and ended the 2009 season – one marked by difficulties in both the regular season and the playoffs, on and off the court – with a bang.
Indiana, however, didn’t go down easily. The team was determined to take its first WNBA title, and the players proved it in the first three games of the series. However, anxiety and subsequent poor execution in the following games lost the Fever their chance at the 2009 title.
Both teams entered Game 5 with a gritty determination; Indiana, however, managed to grab the lead in the first minutes. The Fever were more effective in executing their shots, ahead by 9 with a 14-5 score with 5:43 left in the quarter. The Mercury tried to respond, but the Fever simply forged ahead, ending the quarter at 23-16. Indiana’s Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 14 points in that quarter alone.
In the second quarter, regular and playoffs MVP Diana Taurasi, along with teammate Cappie Pondexter, decided to rescue Phoenix. Between the two of them, the Mercury gained 21 points and were able to take the lead. The points must have boosted the team’s confidence, because by the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Phoenix was in control of the action and ahead in the score, 51-42.
The Mercury entered the third focused on maintaining their lead. Pondexter and Taurasi put on another great performance that not only boosted the team’s score but also motivated fellow teammates. Indiana scrambled to score, and between Sutton-Brown, Tamika Catchings, and Katie Douglas – all of whom made important shots in key moments – the Fever came to within five points of Phoenix, 70-65.
The tension was palpable in the fourth quarter, and the action closer between the two teams. Mercury tried to keep the lead while the Fever pressed onward in points. The score reached 80-80, and the balance seemed liable to tip in either direction. In the end, though, Taurasi’s incredible shots, combined with two well timed three-pointers by Tangela Smith, were too much. The Indiana missed their last chances to respond, and a few more free throws by the Mercury clinched the victory, 94-86.
At the end of the game, Taurasi discussed the struggle in obtaining a second title, commenting on the strength of her team.
“It's been a humbling summer, throughout. You know, the last month it's been an incredible high, from the MVP to the championship. But rewind 2½ months ago and I was probably as low as I can get.” (Taurasi is here referring to her August DUI, in which she was caught driving with a blood-alcohol level over twice the legal limit.)
“But this is what we do, we make big plays. We have people that step up and love to live the moment. It's a great team, great team,” Taurasi said.
In the Phoenix Mercury, the best scorers in this momentous Game 5 were Diana Taurasi with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; Cappie Pondexter with 24 points and 4 rebounds; Penny Taylor with 14 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds; and finally Dewanna Bonner with 13 points and 3 rebounds. For the Indiana Fever the best scorers were Tammy Sutton-Brown with 22 points and 5 rebounds; Jessica Davenport with 18 points; Tamika Catchings with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists; and ultimately Katie Douglas with 13 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds.
About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copy writer on WNBA games and sports action for the online sports betting: http://www.instantactionsports.com. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.