September 5, 2004 in Sports

Taurasi leads Phoenix past punchless Seattle

• Print
• Email
• Share

Associated Press photo

San Antonio’s Jessie Hicks, center, controls the ball against the Sacramento’s Yolanda Griffith.
(Full-size photo)

Diana Taurasi scored 18 points to lift the Phoenix Mercury over the Seattle Storm 63-55 on Saturday night in Phoenix for their third straight win after the monthlong Olympic break.

Taurasi, who scored 11 points during a key second-half stretch, added seven assists and six rebounds. Penny Taylor had 18 points and six rebounds, handing the Storm their third straight loss since the break.

Sue Bird and Kamila Vodichkova led Seattle with 12 points apiece. The Storm had won seven of eight before the hiatus.

Seattle (17-11) trails first-place Los Angeles by four games in the Western Conference. Phoenix (15-13) is tied with Sacramento for fourth place with six games to play. The top four teams of each conference advance to the playoffs.

Seattle played its third game without WNBA leading-scorer Lauren Jackson, who is on the injured list with a sprained right foot and is visiting her ill grandmother in Australia.

Phoenix went on an 18-7 run to take a 54-48 lead with 4:19 left, taking advantage of Seattle’s poor free-throw shooting. The Storm missed 6 of 8 during that stretch.

Seattle shot just 30 percent (18 of 61) and missed 14 of 17 shots during one stretch after taking a 22-12 lead. Phoenix ran off 10 straight points late in the first half, playing to a 26-all tie by halftime.

Shock 66, Sting 58: Swin Cash scored 17 points and Cheryl Ford had 10 points and 14 rebounds to lead Detroit to a win at Charlotte.

Ruth Riley added 13 points for the defending champion Shock (14-15), who ended a two-game losing streak and are battling to make the playoffs. Deanna Nolan added 12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Dawn Staley and Charlotte Smith-Taylor had 16 points apiece for the Sting (13-15), who shot 37 percent and blew a 10-point lead.

Monarchs 80, Silver Stars 70: Yolanda Griffith had 17 points to lead Sacramento to a win in San Antonio, its second consecutive victory over the Silver Stars.

Edna Campbell, 3 of 4 from the 3-point line, had 15 points for Sacramento (15-13). Ticha Penicheiro had 13 points, nine assists and five steals.

The Monarchs are fourth in the Western Conference, six games behind league-leading Los Angeles with six games left in the season.

San Antonio (6-23) set a franchise record with nine straight losses.

Fever 69, Mystics 42: Natalie Williams scored 16 to lead Indiana over visiting Washington, posting the Fever’s first three-game winning streak of the season.

The victory, combined with Detroit’s 66-58 win over Charlotte, moved the Fever into second place in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference. Indiana (15-15) became the first team in the conference with 15 victories and moved to within a half-game of first-place New York.

Tamika Catchings added 13 points for Indiana, and Alana Beard led Washington (12-16) with nine points.

The Mystics’ point total was the fewest allowed by Indiana in franchise history. Washington shot just 25 percent.

No comments on this story so far. Add yours!