Phoenix Mercury takes WNBA title, fighting off an Indiana Fever
PHOENIX - The Phoenix Mercury is the WNBA champion for the second time in three seasons, leaning on its "big three" to earn a 94-86 victory over the tenacious Indiana Fever in the deciding Game 5 Friday night.
League and WNBA Finals MVP Diana Taurasi scored 26 points, Cappie Pondexter had 24, and Penny Taylor sank 2 crucial free throws with 37.7 seconds left as the Mercury held off a late rally to win the intense series 3-2.
"This is what we do, we make big plays," Taurasi said, holding a towel over her head in the champagne-drenched locker room. "We have people that step up and love to live the moment. It's a great team, great team."
Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 22 points, and Jessica Davenport had a career-high 18 for Indiana in its first finals appearance. Tamika Catchings added 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Fever.
Indiana rallied from 10 down in the second half to tie 80-80 on Sutton-Brown's layup with 4:29 to play, then Tangela Smith made two 3-pointers, her only field goals, to put the Mercury ahead for good.
Her second, after Jessica Davenport scored for Indiana, put Phoenix ahead 86-82 with 3:34 to go.
Pondexter's 9-footer made it 88-82 with 2:22 left, but the Fever - which had led the series 2-1 - wasn't finished. Davenport's inside basket cut it to 88-84, then Catchings' rebound basket made it 88-86 with 2:07 to play.
But the Mercury held on.