Mercury runs away from Wings in second half to open playoffs

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz.- Diana Taurasi was undefeated in winner-take-all elimination games with the Phoenix Mercury (12-0), and with 26 points and 12 assists on Tuesday, that  streak survived another test. Combined with DeWanna Bonner’s 29 points and 11 rebounds and Brittney Griner’s 17 points, the Mercury crushed the Dallas Wings, 101-83, in the opening game of the WNBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Arena on the campus of Arizona State University.

Mercury advance to second round with win over the Wings

The Mercury will play the fourth-seeded Connecticut Sun in the second round, which is also single elimination at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The winner of that game will play either Seattle or Atlanta in a best-of-five semifinals series.

“I’m satisfied with the win,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “We had really good energy coming out of the locker room. We picked up aggressiveness on the defensive end. We have a team full of veterans and winners; it was more about being aggressive. We were too aggressive on the ball early on. She (Taurasi) just makes plays, that’s what the greatest scorer off all-time does, she just has that vision. She has to be right up there for the MVP in my opinion.”

After a Glory Johnson three cut Phoenix’s lead to one, Taurasi responded with one of her own with eight seconds to the break, and the Mercury carried a 53-49 edge. And wouldn’t you know it, on the opening possession of the second half, she buried another one for a seven-point lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Mercury built a 20-point lead and finished with a 79-64 lead advantage.

“We knew the circumstances today,” Taurasi said. “It’s been an up and down season for us, but at the core, we know we’re a really good team. At halftime, when you can make in-game adjustments like that, I think that shows the maturity of this team and the experience. Things can get overwhelming some times.”

For the game, the Mercury hammered the Wings from downtown, going 13-of-29, as opposed to 4-of-19 for Dallas, with Taurasi connecting on six and Bonner four.

“As long as they go in,” said Bonner, who was celebrating her 31^st birthday. “This is eight, nine years in the making here. I always know when Diana has the ball, but sometimes she surprises me.”

Liz Cambage, who set the WNBA record with 53 points last month, scored 22 for the Wings, along with grabbing 12 rebounds. Cambage, who also scored 43 on Friday in the win that clinched the final playoff berth, led the league in scoring with 23 points per game and was second in rebounding to Sylvia Fowles with nearly 10 per game. Skylar Diggins-Smith led Dallas with 23 points on Tuesday.

A continuing trend in this late season for the Mercury was the emergence of Stephanie Talbot in the starting lineup. She recorded her first career double-double on Tuesday with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

“We knew if we could get the penetration, the three-point shot is going to be there,” Brondello added. “We have great shooters, but we still want to get the best shot every possession. We’re back playing good basketball, July was a tough month for us. This team is driven. This team is very deep and productive.”