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STORM - Mercury hand Seattle third loss in row

STORM - Mercury hand Seattle third loss in row 2004-09-05
Associated Press

PHoeNIX -- Behind 18 points each from Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor, the Phoenix Mercury kept their playoff hopes alive by knocking off the second-place team in the Western Conference.

The Mercury, the worst team in the WNBA last season, beat the Seattle Storm on Saturday night, 63-55.

Seattle (17-11) trails first-place Los Angeles by four games. Phoenix (15-13) moved into a fourth-place tie with Sacramento with six games to play. The top four teams of each conference advance to the playoffs.

Sue Bird and Kamila Vodichkova scored 12 points apiece for Seattle, which has lost three straight without league MVP and leading scorer Lauren Jackson. She is on the injured list with a sprained right foot and visiting her ill grandmother in Australia.

The Mercury have won three straight since the month-long Olympic break, and seven of eight games since July 21.

Taurasi scored 11 points during a key second-half stretch and added seven assists and six rebounds.

The Mercury won despite missing 11 of their first 15 shots and trailing 22-12.

The Storm arrived in Phoenix just four hours before tipoff because of flight delays over security issues at Los Angeles International Airport.

``There`s no doubt it takes its toll,`` Seattle coach Anne Donovan said. ``But that`s what this league is all about. You have got to be able to overcome that, mentally and physically be able to overcome days like we had today.``

The Storm had won seven of eight before the hiatus.

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.

Mercury 63, Storm 55

SEATTLE (55)

Thompson 1-3 0-0 2, S.Edwards 2-8 0-0 4, Vodichkova 4-9 4-4 12, Bird 3-12 5-7 12, Lennox 2-10 0-0 5, Burse 2-6 3-8 7, Sam 1-7 2-2 4, Bevilaqua 2-3 2-2 7, Barnes 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 18-61 16-23 55.

PHoeNIX (63)

P.Taylor 7-8 3-4 18, Pierson 5-8 2-3 12, Tuvic 1-4 1-2 3, Taurasi 7-16 3-3 18, DeForge 2-11 2-2 6, G.Jackson 1-3 0-0 2, Moore 0-0 0-0 0, Christensen 2-3 0-1 4, Cross 0-0 0-0 0, McCray 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 25-54 11-17 63.

SEATTLE ^na26^na^na29^na^na--55^na

PHoeNIX ^na26^na^na37^na^na--63^na

3-Point Goals--Seattle 3-13 (Bevilaqua 1-1, Bird 1-4, Lennox 1-4, Barnes 0-1, Vodichkova 0-1, Thompson 0-2), Phoenix 2-10 (P.Taylor 1-1, Taurasi 1-5, DeForge 0-4). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--Seattle 47 (Vodichkova 8), Phoenix 38 (Tuvic 9). Assists--Seattle 10 (Bird 3), Phoenix 13 (Taurasi 7). Total fouls--Seattle 19, Phoenix 22. A--8,887 (10,807).