PHOENIX – The Phoenix Mercury have won the WNBA championship for the second time in three seasons, relying on their “big three” to pull out a 94-86 victory over the tenacious Indiana Fever in the deciding Game 5 Friday night.
Diana Taurasi scored 26 points, Cappie Pondexter 24, and Penny Taylor sank two crucial free throws with 37.7 seconds left as the Mercury held off a late rally to win the intense series 3-2.
Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 22 points, and Jessica Davenport had a career-high 18 for Indiana in its first finals appearance. Temeka Catchings added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Fever.
Indiana rallied from 10 down in the second half to level at 80-all on Sutton-Brown’s layup with 4:29 to play, then Tangela Smith made two 3-pointers, her only field goals of the night, 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 – who had led the series 2-1 – weren’t finished. Davenport’s inside basket cut it to 88-84, then Catchings’ rebound basket made it 88-86 with 2:07 to play.
On the Mercury’s next possession, Taylor drove to the basket and was fouled by Davenport. Her two free throws made it 90-86. Two free throws apiece from DeWanna Bonner and Taurasi provided the final margin.
Taylor added 14 points and Bonner 13 for Phoenix. Katie Douglas had her second straight rough shooting night. The Indiana star was 4 of 14 for 13 points after going 2 of 14 in Game 4. (AP)