Aug 25, 2007, 17:08 GMT
Seattle, WA - Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor each scored 22 points as the Phoenix Mercury crushed the Seattle Storm, 101-84, in the opener of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Cappie Pondexter scored 21 points and dished out a team-high eight assists for the top-seeded Mercury, who won their first playoff game in nine years.
Tangela Smith added 13 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix.
Betty Lennox scored a game-high 23 points for the Storm but went just 7-of-20 from the field.
Although the Mercury led throughout, Seattle made things interesting in the fourth quarter. An Iziane Castro Marques three-pointer followed by a two from Lennox brought the Storm within nine, 83-74, with just over six minutes remaining in the game.
Seattle, however, never got closer and a Kelly Mazzante trey less than two minutes later pushed Phoenix's lead back up to 93-76.
Game two of this best of five series is scheduled for Sunday in Phoenix.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Your Talkback on this Story