CHICAGO, July 27 (AP) -- Diana Taurasi scored 26 points, including the game-winning shot with 5 seconds left, to lift the Phoenix Mercury to an 98-96 victory over the Chicago Sky on Friday night.
Tangela Smith had 19 points, Kelly Miller scored 17, Cappie Pondexter 16 and Penny Taylor 14 for Phoenix (15-10), which won for the fourth time in five games.
The Mercury are tied with Sacramento for second in the Western Conference, one game behind San Antonio, and improved to 4-0 all-time against Chicago.
Stacey Dales had a season-high 23 points and Cathy Joens a career-high 21 for the Sky (10-14), which snapped a three-game winning streak and fell into a three-way tie with New York and Washington for fourth place in the East.
Taylor found a cutting Taurasi, who made up a running, off-balance hook shot while being fouled. Taurasi missed the free throw, and Chasity Melvin grabbed the rebound and called a time out with 3.6 seconds remaining.
Joens airballed a 3-pointer with 1 second remaining.
Two free throws from Pondexter cut the Sky's lead to 95-94 with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. After Dupree hit one free throw, Taylor hit a pair of free throws to tie it at 96 with 1:17 left in regulation.
Joens and Perkins hit three straight 3's to give Chicago a 93-89 lead with 3:50 left in the fourth quarter. Dales hit consecutive 3s to cut the Sky's deficit to 85-82 with 6:44 left in the fourth quarter.
The Mercury took a 80-71 lead after Taurasi hit consecutive 3's to start the fourth quarter and cap a 12-0 run.
Phoenix took its first lead of the second half at 65-63 on Pondexter's jumper with 2:11 remaining in the third.
Chicago took its biggest lead of the game at 52-41 on a pair of free throws from Dupree after Taurasi picked up her third foul with 4 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Sky opened the second quarter on a 21-8 run, capped by Joens' fourth 3 of the game, to take a 40-31 lead with 3:36 left in the period.
The Mercury used their up-tempo style to go on a 18-3 run that put Phoenix up 10 with 4:10 left in the first quarter. Dales tied the game at 19 with 1:06 left in the first when she hit a 3 to cap an 11-1 run.
