Trio leads Phoenix to WNBA title

PHOENIX – The core of the dynamic Phoenix Mercury is a trio as talented as any in the game.

No wonder they win WNBA championships.

Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor – who led the team to its 2007 title – did it again in 2009, when the Mercury held off a late rally by the tenacious Indiana Fever for a 94-86 victory in the deciding Game 5 on Friday night.

League and finals MVP Taurasi scored 26 points, Pondexter had 24, and Taylor made two crucial free throws with 37.7 seconds left for the Mercury, who won the last two games to take 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 nine rebounds for the Fever.

Indiana rallied from 10 down in the second half to tie it at 80 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.

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 took the ball and drove the lane into a crowd of defenders. Davenport was called for the foul, and Taylor’s two free throws made it 90-86. Two free throws apiece by DeWanna Bonner and Taurasi provided the final margin.

“Indiana’s a great team,” Pondexter said. “It just shows our resilience and how bad we really wanted to win.”

Indiana rookie Briann January (Lewis and Clark High School) hit 2 of 3 3-pointers and finished with eight points.