PHOENIX, Aug. 8 (Ticker) -- Diana Taurasi became the WNBA's all-time single-season scoring leader and the Phoenix Mercury stayed alive in the playoff race with a 99-68 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.

Taurasi scored 21 points and has 758 for the season, eclipsing the old mark of 739 set by Katie Smith with Minnesota in 2001. She set the record with a 3-pointer with 5:20 left in the first quarter.

NBA TV highlights from Lynx-Mercury: Play

Penny Taylor scored 24 points and rookie Cappie Pondexter added 23 for the Mercury (15-16), who shot 49 percent (37-of-76) from the floor and won their fourth straight game as they kept the pressure on the Houston Comets (17-15).

Houston lost to Charlotte earlier Tuesday and holds a 1 1/2-game lead over Phoenix in the race for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Mercury visit the Comets on Thursday night. Houston holds the tiebreaker.

Trailing, 25-23, after the first quarter, the Mercury outscored the Lynx by a staggering 33-7 in the second period as Taylor scored 13 points and Taurasi added 10. Phoenix made 11-of-18 shots and limited Minnesota to 3-of-17.

Two 3-pointers by Pondexter and one from Belinda Snell capped the third quarter and gave Phoenix a commanding 87-48 lead.

Rookie Seimone Augustus scored 19 points and Amber Jacobs added 14 for the Lynx, who have lost nine of their last 11 games.