By Chris Bubeck
July 6, 2007: Scoreboard |
Video Play of the Day | Today in the WNBA Archive
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First to 111 Points Wins
Thriller in the Desert
Cappie Pondexter provided the perfect finish to a game loaded with clutch baskets. In a game that seemed destined for at least a third overtime, the second-year guard drained a game-winning jumper with 2.1 seconds to play as her Mercury edged the visiting Sun, 111-109, in two extra periods. The Mercury rallied from 14 down and needed some late heroics to force the first overtime en route to their fourth straight win. Diana Taurasi's three-point play with 19 seconds left sent the game to overtime, where Connecticut's Nykesha Sales forced the second extra session on a basket with 18 ticks left. Penny Taylor led Phoenix with 30 points, Pondexter scored 25 and Taurasi posted 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Sales and Asjha Jones scored 22 apiece for the Sun, who buried a franchise-record 16 3-pointers on 51.6 percent shooting from behind the arc.
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ALSO MAKING HEADLINES ... |
The Night's Other Thriller
Janel McCarville entered Friday night with only nine career starts in her three seasons in the league. Although that is not what you'd hope for out of a No. 1 overall pick, the 6-foot-2 forward/center flashed the skills on Friday that led the Charlotte Sting to take her with the first pick in the 2005 draft. The Sting folded after last season and the Liberty grabbed her in the expansion draft. She turned in the best game of her career, establishing career highs in points (18) and rebounds (12), while tying her career best with three blocks in an 82-81 overtime win at Detroit.
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"She called me at 7 o'clock this morning and said that everything was going well and hopefully she'll be back in no time. She wished good luck to everybody before the game and she just wants us to win. She had it done now so that she can make it back for the playoffs."
-- Seattle's Lauren Jackson, on teammate Sue Bird, who is out due to arthroscopic surgery to remove loose particles in her left knee.
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Penny Taylor, Mercury
30 pts, 11-15 FG, 8-9 FT
111-109 win vs. Sun
Kristen Rasmussen, Sun
17 pts, 6-12 FG, 5-6 3-pt FG
111-109 loss at Mercury
Nicole Powell, Monarchs
21 pts, 8-11 FG, 3-5 3-pt FG
85-80 win at Lynx
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Kristen Mann, Lynx
1-9 FG, 0-4 3-pt FG, 2 pts
85-80 loss vs. Monarchs
Evanthia Maltsi, Sun
5 pts, 1-7 FG, 1-5 3-pt FG
111-109 loss at Mercury
Michelle Snow, Comets
4 pts, 2-8 FG
71-55 loss vs. Storm
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Saturday's Games ...
Storm at Silver Stars, 8 p.m. ET
Mystics at Sky, 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Sun at Sparks, 10:30 p.m. ET
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Nicole Powell picked the right night to post her season high in points. She netted 21 on Friday and the Monarchs needed every one of them as they held off the Lynx for an 85-80 road victory at the University of Minnesota. After Seimone Augustus pulled the Lynx even, Powell put Sacramento on top for good with 1:21 to play and they held on.
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On a night loaded with impressive double-doubles, Seattle's Lauren Jackson had another monster effort. Jackson, who entered the night as the league's leading scorer, improved on her average with 28 points and she also pulled down 13 rebounds in the Storm's 71-55 win over Houston. She shot an impressive 11-of-17 from the floor and also blocked three shots and recorded a steal.
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