Taurasi did a little bit of everything tonight (photo by AP)

All things considered, this was the Mercury’s best win of the year thus far.

After the distractions this week, coupled with Candace Parker’s much publicized return and the Sparks being unbeaten at home this season, the Mercury responded with a phenomenal performance in Los Angeles - a 104-89 victory.

It’s often said that the mark of a true professional is playing well no matter the situation, the amount of pressure, or the amount of adversity you face; and Diana Taurasi exhibited just how amazing of a player she is tonight (as if there was any doubt before). Diana had 20 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a passionate and elegant performance that showed just how much heart she has. More importantly, she did so by playing harder than almost anyone on the court and letting her game speak volumes.

As a team, the Mercury are really starting to click. Passing is getting much better collectively, players are starting to become familiar with where everyone else is on the floor, and their energy is becoming more consistent.

If DeWanna Bonner plays with as much intensity as she did in the 3rd quarter tonight, few teams are going to beat the Mercury. The rookie had another double-double tonight with 17 points and 10 rebounds, including 5 offensive.

The story of the first quarter were runs by both teams. The Mercury went on a 19-5 run in the middle of the quarter with Cappie hitting 3-3 field goals and Diana scoring 6 points. Then at the end of the quarter, the Sparks went on a 5-0 run which ended up tying the game at 29. A couple of bright spots for the Mercury were Nichole Ohlde and Temeka Johnson. Nicole came in and played some solid defense in the post with a solid spin move offensively scoring 4 points, the best quarter we’ve seen from her this season. Temeka Johnson, on the other hand, was efficient at pushing the ball early on and was able to distribute the ball to her teammates notching 2 assists in the quarter. Candace Parker entered with about 5 minutes left in the quarter, got immediately beat by Temeka Johnson on a drive, and scored 2 points with 1 turnover; not a bad debut, if nothing else for the energy it brought the Sparks. The Mercury were in foul trouble early on with Diana, Cappie, and Ketia both getting charged with 2 fouls in the quarter.

The 2nd quarter, however, dealt more with Mercury mistakes which led to the Sparks being up by 6 at half. Though LA didn’t score for almost the first 3 minutes of the quarter with an 0-6 start, Phoenix wasn’t able to capitalize. Phoenix had 6 turnovers in the quarter and gave up 3 offensive rebounds which all led to 2nd chance points by the Sparks. The refs also became foul-happy and called 28 total fouls in the half with Diana and Le’coe having 3 each. This is a key component as to why the Sparks were able to get back into the game because it slows the game down considerably and takes any rhythm Phoenix has created out of the game. Coupled with the offensive rebounds and turnovers, this led to the Sparks being up by 6; with an amazing shot to end the half by Noelle Quinn. The Sparks shot a fantastic 50% from the field in the half.

The 2nd half (especially the 3rd quarter) was almost a carbon-copy of their explosive 2nd half against the Sparks. The Mercury scored 36 points in the quarter and held the Sparks to just 18, taking an 11 point lead into the 4th (a 17 point turn around). Everything seemed to click for the Mercury in the 3rd; Diana and Cappie were both scoring and distributing, DeWanna Bonner was an absolute beast on the boards grabbing 5 offensive boards in the quarter and giving the Mercury a much needed boost off the bench scoring 12 points in the quarter, including hitting an important three. DeWanna’s energy was off the charts and it was great to see her smiling and having fun after a rough couple past games. Perhaps even more importantly, the Mercury’s passing was much more crisp and quick which allowed for open shots and baskets in the paint.

What ultimately won this game for the Mercury was their emphasized focus on team defense in the 2nd half. The Mercury came out of the 2nd half with a purpose and mission that was missing in the 1st half.  Holding the Sparks to just 19 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters, Phoenix stormed back from a 6 point half-time deficit with the momentum swinging against them. Simply put, it was their energy in the 2nd half on both ends of the floor that allowed them to run away with the win.

The Mercury are now 7-0 when scoring over 90 points and are in sole possession of 1st place in the Western Conference with an 8-4 record.

Player Summary

• Diana: 20 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds
• Cappie: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
• Temeka: 12 points, 4 assists
• Le’coe: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 4-6 FT’s
• Tangela: 4 points, 5 rebounds
• DeWanna: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 8-9 FT’s
• Ketia: 5 points, 3 rebounds
• Mazz: 6 points, 2 3-pointers
• Nicole: 9 points, 5 rebounds