Diana Taurasi

The 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women will be held next September and October in the Czech Republic, and the Phoenix Mercury are very well represented.

As of now, two players from the WNBA champion Mercury, Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, will be donning the red, white and blue for Team USA next fall.

FIBA has also conducted the draw for the tournament, and Team USA will participate in Group B, along with France, Greece and Senegal.

The rest of the squad is made up of the following WNBA players: Sue Bird (Seattle), Tamika Catchings (Indiana), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago), Kara Lawson (Sacramento) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles).

UCONN head coach Geno Auriemma will guide the squad, and former Mercury great Jennifer Gillom will serve as one of his assistants. Gillom, who played with Phoenix from 1997 until 2002, is currently the head coach of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

Tamika Catchings missed the first triple double in WNBA Finals history by just one rebound as the Indiana Fever held off the Phoenix Mercury 93-84 in game two of the best-of-five series at U.S. Airways Center.

Catchings, who wasn’t a big factor in game one before fouling out, stepped up her offensive game on Thursday, scoring 19 points while adding 11 assists, 9 rebounds and 2 steals in the win. Ebony Hoffman and rookie Briann January each scored 16 points for Indiana.

League MVP Diana Taurasi led Phoenix with 20 points, but she and her teammates struggled in the shooting department. The Mercury, the highest scoring team in the league, shot just 39% from the field and were held 13 points under their postseason scoring average. Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter combined to shoot just 12 for 38 from the field under constant defensive pressure by WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Catchings and the rest of her Indiana teammates.

With the series tied at 1-1, the festivities now shift to Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Game three is set for Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Arizona time.

WNBA Finals Game 2 Postgame Audio

Mercury head coach Corey Gaines

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Mercury players Temeka Johnson and Diana Taurasi

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Phoenix Mercury head coach Corey Gaines summed it up best.

“If you didn’t like women’s basketball, I think you do now,” Gaines said after his Phoenix Mercury won game one of the WNBA Finals 120-116 in overtime over the Indiana Fever in what was the highest scoring game in league history.

Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor each had 23 points for the Mercury, and newly-crowned league MVP Diana Taurasi added 22 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in the win.

Indiana All-Star Tamika Catchings, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, fouled out with 2:42 remaining in the overtime, and Phoenix outscored the Fever 9-4 from that point to put the game away.

Katie Douglas led the Fever with 30 points. Former ASU guard Briann January had 11 points and 7 assists off the bench.

The best-of-five series continues Thursday night with game two at U.S. Airways Center.

Postgame Press Conferences

Mercury Head Coach Corey Gaines

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Mercury Players Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

2009 WNBA MVP Diana Taurasi after Mercury practice on Monday, as she discussed the Mercury’s trip to the WNBA Finals:

Okay, so I know I said that I’d be posting more on Mercury Rising…and I failed miserably.

But - good news! Free time has opened up in my schedule which will allow me to go post multiple times daily (hopefully) and get back to game previews, feature pieces, interviews with coaches & players, and game recaps.

So, let’s start today, shall we?

• First, the obvious - the Mercury are officially in the playoffs. However, it really doesn’t mean a whole lot to the team with their schedule coming up and the fact that the Sparks have rattled off 5 in a row. It’s clear the top 3 teams that are formally emerging now are the Merc, Sparks, and Storm with the Silver Stars and Lynx dangerously inconsistent.
• MVP talk - Diana and Cappie are both in the hunt for the MVP this season. Though, I really can’t say for certain which one I feel deserves it more (not that it matters to either one of them). It really seems like one of them steps up every game and feeds off each other - how can one determine who is more valuable when they both do very different things on the court? However, if Indiana keeps playing they way they are it might be a moot point with the award going to Katie Douglas.
• The Rookie of the Year is all but locked up for DeWanna Bonner. There really is no legitimate case for another rookie to surpass her. DB has noticeably become more comfortable with her role on the team and gaining confidence, seemingly, by the minute.
• When will our backcourt get some well-deserved recognition? Temeka and Ketia have been a very dynamic 1-2 punch at the 1 position for Phoenix over the course of the entire year. Each one brings something different to the table and it has continually confused opponents.
• Tangela Smith has also been a very underrated player in the league over the course of her career - in the Washington game, she became just the 4th player ever to reach the 500 block mark.
• Penny Taylor - I’ve heard from several people how they are panicking regarding Penny’s integration into the team’s offensive scheme. To that, I say just be patient. Penny is here for the marathon, not the sprint, and she’ll have a breakout game soon enough.
• Coach Gaines for Coach of the Year? If not for the phenomenal season that Indiana is having under Coach Dunn, Gaines certainly would be a frontrunner. The Mercury have a much improved defense for their personnel, are the best team by far offensively, and he is very adept at key in-game adjustments.
• Speaking of the Merc’s defense, Coach Gaines has told me several times that they do a lot of things right defensively but struggle with really finishing the play. Some of this has to do with their limited size in the frontcourt.

That’s it for now - please send me an email with any questions for players or coaches.

- Ben

If you are one of the people that “doesn’t consider themselves a fan of the WNBA,” please take advantage of this rare opportunity.

I’ve partnered with the Phoenix Mercury organization to offer one (1) individual a chance to sit with me on media row at the Mercury game against the Washington Mystics tomorrow night.

I’ll be writing about our experience at the game and your opinions on the WNBA before and after. I personally guarantee you’ll have a different view of the WNBA once you give it a fair chance and see what it’s really like. Plus, I’m there, and it’s going to be fun!

To enter, please email me a brief reason of why you currently don’t enjoy the WNBA to ben.york@fanster.com. We’ll select one (1) person to join me for tomorrow’s game. Entries are due by 10:00 PM Arizona time Thursday night.

(Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images)

Four-time All-Star joins elite group of players to earn weekly honor 10 times

NEW YORK – Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury was named the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for regular season games played Monday, Aug. 10 through Sunday, Aug. 16. She shares the honor with Sancho Lyttle of the Atlanta Dream.

Taurasi wins her 10th Player of the Week award and her first in 2009. She led the league in scoring this week with 25.0 points on 53.1 percent shooting (17-32) and averaged 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds. She helped the team to a 1-1 record with a win at home against San Antonio in a home-and-home series. With her 25.0 points per game this week, she reclaimed the league lead in scoring (20.8 ppg) for the season over Becky Hammon (20.1 ppg).

In the Phoenix win over San Antonio, Taurasi scored 29 points on 47.4 percent (9-19) shooting while collecting six rebounds, handing out six assists and blocking two shots. She also went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. She followed up that game with 21 points, including 12 points on 80.0 percent (4-5) shooting from three-point range, in the loss.

Taurasi becomes the fourth player (Lisa Leslie, Lauren Jackson and Tamika Catchings) in league history to win 10 or more Player of the Week awards. She is a four-time WNBA All-Star, four-time All-WNBA First Team selection, two-time league scoring champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. In addition to her 20.8 points per game, Taurasi is averaging 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 2009.

Sancho Lyttle wins the first Player of the Week award of her career following a week in which she averaged 15.0 points on 46.2 percent shooting (12-26), 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals. She was third in the Eastern Conference in rebounding and steals and was one of three players in the conference to average a double-double. She led the Dream into sole possession of second place in the East after a perfect 2-0 week with wins over the Detroit Shock and Seattle Storm.

Against the Storm, Lyttle matched her season-high with 20 points on 52.9 percent (9-17) shooting while pulling down eight rebounds. She also had three steals with no turnovers against Atlanta’s second-place counterpart from the Western Conference. Lyttle recorded a double-double earlier in the week with 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Shock.

In her first season with the Dream, Lyttle was named to her first All-Star Game. She’s averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals this season, all career highs. She currently ranks in the top five among qualified WNBA league leaders in rebounds and steals.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles, Indiana’s Tamika Catchings, New York’s Janel McCarville, Sacramento’s Rebekkah Brunson, San Antonio’s Sophia Young and Seattle’s Lauren Jackson.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 17, 2009) — Looking to continue its unprecedented run of four consecutive Olympic gold medals, USA Basketball today announced that eight of the athletes who helped the U.S. capture a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, will return to the red, white and blue as members of the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women’s National Team. Forming the initial USA Women’s National Team roster are two-time Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); as well as ’08 gold medalists Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury). Player selections were made by the five member USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee.

As was the case over the last quadrennium, the USA team will be fluid and athletes will be added progressively to the 2009-12 USA National Team roster. It is expected that the official 12-member 2010 USA World Championship and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, should the USA qualify, will be comprised of players from the 2009-12 USA National Team.

“Naming these eight players was not that difficult of a decision to make, I’m sure, because those eight were truly instrumental in winning the Olympics in Beijing,” said 2009-12 USA Basketball Women’s National Team head coach Geno Auriemma of the University of Connecticut. “As long as they want to play and maintain their level of play, I can’t see them not being on the team. I’m excited about the fact that their experience and their knowledge of what it takes to win a gold medal is going to help me tremendously as we move forward.

“I’m looking forward to the training camp this fall. I know not all of them are going to be there, I would presume, because a few of them will be playing in the championship series in the WNBA. I understand that, but just to be around them to let them get a feel for me, it will give me an opportunity to evaluate what they can do, what they do well. It’ll help me put them in a position to be successful. I’m really looking forward to that. And not just with the eight players that we’re talking about, but also the players who will be added to finish off the training camp roster. It’ll be an exciting time for me and I hope it’s an exciting time for all of them.”

Additional athletes and coaches will be invited to participate in the USA’s first training camp, which will be held this fall (dates and site TBA) at a later date.

In addition to their Olympic experience, the eight named players have competed extensively internationally for USA Basketball. Bird and Catchings are two-time USA World Championship team members; while Augustus, Taurasi and Parker were on the 2006 USA World Championship Team, and Pondexter was an alternate for the 2006 USA World Championship Team.

In all, Augustus has captured five golds, one silver and one bronze medal in international competition; Bird and Catchings own six gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal each; Fowles has three golds and one silver medal to her credit; Lawson helped USA teams earn three golds, two silver medals and one bronze medal; Parker has three golds and one bronze medal; Pondexter owns a total of six gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze; while Taurasi lists four golds, one silver and two bronze medals on her USA Basketball resume.

Augustus suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee on June 17 and will not actively participate with the team in the fall, however, she is expected to attend the training camp.

In the past dozen years, the highly successful USA Basketball Women’s National Team program, ranked No. 1 in the world by FIBA, has posted a 63-1 slate in major international competitions, winning four consecutive Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008), two FIBA World Championship golds (1998, 2002), one FIBA World Championship bronze medal (2006) and one FIBA Americas Championship gold medal (2007).

The USA Basketball Women’s National Team will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship (Sept. 23 – Oct. 3 in the Czech Republic); if necessary the 2011 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD); and if the USA qualifies, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games (July 26-Aug. 12 in London, England), as well as additional USA training camps and exhibition games.

The U.S. will first look to capture the title at the 16th FIBA World Championship, with an automatic berth to the 2012 Olympic Games being awarded to the gold medalist. Should the U.S. not finish with the gold medal in ‘10, it would have two additional chances to qualify for the Olympics: the 2011 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament; and 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD).

The USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee is comprised of WNBA representatives Reneé Brown, Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations; Dan Hughes, Head Coach and General Manager of the San Antonio Silver Stars; and Chief Operating Officer/General Manager of the Indiana Fever Kelly Krauskopf; athlete representative and five-time Olympian Teresa Edwards; and USA Basketball Women’s National Team Director Carol Callan.

FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship has been contested essentially every four years since 1953, and the United States captured the first two Worlds gold medals before the beginning of the Soviet domination of women’s basketball was kicked-off at the 1959 World Championship. The former USSR put together a string of five straight golds (1959, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1975), before the United States reclaimed gold in 1979. The Soviet Union in 1983 earned its final World Championship crown as the USA went on to capture four of the next five World Championships (1986, 1990, 1998, 2002). The only other nations to break into the gold medal column at this event are Australia, the defending world champion, and Brazil, which defeated the USA in the 1994 semifinals and went on to take the top spot that year.

The USA owns a record seven gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals in FIBA World Championship play, while compiling an all-time 88-21 record at the event. In 2006, the most recent World Championship, the U.S. fell 75-68 to Russia in the semifinals, but rebounded to take host Brazil 99-59 in the bronze medal game and finish with an 8-1 record. Australia earned the gold after defeating Russia 91-74 in the final contest.

Already qualified for two of the 16 slots are host Czech Republic and the USA as defending Olympic champions. The 14 remaining spots will be decided through FIBA Zone (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania) qualifying tournaments in 2009.

The 16th FIBA World Championship format will feature a round-robin competition in preliminary round play with four groups comprised of four teams each. The top three teams from each preliminary group advance to form two second round groups consisting of six teams each. Each team’s results from its preliminary group carries over to the second round standings and each team will play the other three teams in the second round group whom they have not previously faced. The top four teams from those two groups will advance on to the medal round, and the gold medal game will be played Oct. 3.

There was a great article by Terrence Thomas of My San Antonio today that talked about how the next 2 games (today and Saturday) could make or break the Silver Stars season; and he is dead on.

Are they the team that a year ago won the Western Conference championship and played for the WNBA championship?

Or are they the team that this season seems to keep tripping over its own feet?

Are they the team, with last year’s core intact, that most expected would contend for a league championship?

Or are they the team that is clinging to the Western Conference’s final playoff berth after Tuesday’s 90-73 home loss against last-place Sacramento?

The next few days could provide the answer.

The Silver Stars play Western Conference-leading Phoenix at 9 p.m. Thursday in Arizona. Two days later, the two teams play at 7 p.m. Saturday at the AT&T Center.

Depending on the outcome, the two crucial games can either boost the Silver Stars’ playoff hopes. Or continued their Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde season.

The team has won back-to-back games just twice this year, and has followed a victory with a loss in each of its past five games.

Thus, the Silver Stars playoff hopes correlate with what type of team shows up to play the Mercury tonight and Saturday.

My guess, is they’ll be very similar to the team that beat the Mercury in San Antonio on June 23, 91-87. It was Becky’s first game back from her Russian escapades; it took a while, but you could see glimpses of how good the Silver Stars could be.

Since then, the two teams went in very different directions. The Mercury only lost 2 games in all of July and received a bonus with the addition of Penny Taylor. The Silver Stars, however, went back and forth constantly and now own a 10-12 record with 2 huge games against Phoenix in front of them.

I’d also anticipate a much better showing for the Mercury than against the Fever. You never really got the sense that the Mercury were 100% into the game and I certainly don’t expect that to be the case tonight.

Either way, look for a big-time performance from each teams respective stars - Diana, Cappie, Becky, and Sophia.

One things for sure, Diana will keep the Mercury on track. “We still have a large margin of improvement to make,” Taurasi said. “We are still pretty far from where we need to be if we want to win a championship.”

Should be a fun one.

First off, yes I’m still alive, and yes I still follow the Mercury closely, and yes I am at the games. With my new gig at DIME Magazine being more hectic than I originally thought, I sincerely apologize for not updating everyone on the status of the Mercury lately. So, here is a boat-load of updates to hopefully make up for my absence! Also, there is some very exciting stuff coming up that you’ll want to know about and I’ll be posting much more frequently. So, please, keep coming back! (Twitter - @bjyork)

Schedule

At 16-7, the Mercury are (obviously) 1^st place in the Western Conference. However, what isn’t as well-known is how they could finish the season and perhaps set a franchise record for most wins. The Mercury have 11 games left in the 2009 regular season.

· San Antonio, San Antonio, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Connecticut, Detroit, Indiana, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles

5 of those games are home, and 6 are away. The franchise record for most wins in a season was 2007 with 23. There is no reason to think the Mercury cannot win 7-9 of the aforementioned games if they play up to their ability. I see them beating San Antonio, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Connecticut, Detroit, Atlanta, and either the Storm or Sparks to close out the season. That’s 8 wins, and they could conceivably have more if they got really hot.

That would give them a potential win total of 23-25 and either tie or surpass the franchise record. Of course, this is barring any major health issues etc. Perhaps more astonishingly, the Mercury had a full, healthy roster against Indiana for the first time since early July. Before that, it was consistently a question mark too. Still, they were able to come together and play the Mercury basketball we all know and love to sit atop the West.

Hypothetically speaking, how scary could they be when they really start to click with Penny Taylor??!! If nothing else, they are now one of the deepest teams in the league.

MVP Rankings

It should be no surprise that Cappie and Diana are in the top 5 in the MVP race either. It’s hard to quantify or justify who is better, and if I’m honest, it really doesn’t matter because they play so well together and are as unselfish as they come.

This year, perhaps more so than any, DT and CP have proven what a force they are in the league and have shown no signs of letting up. The adversity the team has seen this season has only brought them (and the team) closer.

Rookie Rankings

Another no-brainer is how consistently DeWanna sits atop the Rookie Rankings on WNBA.com. DB has been there for numerous weeks already and despite only playing close to 20 minutes a game, she is becoming more and more comfortable (and in control). I compared her to Shawn Marion when the Mercury drafted her, and it seems like that is a more than fair comparison since DB gets most of her points and rebounds off intangibles, determination, and hustle.

Gaines

There shouldn’t be any question now that Corey Gaines is the perfect coach for this team. We’ve seen improvements on the defensive end of the floor, however gradual they might be, and even improvements offensively which is amazing in and of itself. He brings a disciplined, but fun, attitude to this club and the players love playing for him. Julie and Bridge add to the light atmosphere and provide the players a much needed laugh when need be. It’s great to see.

Meek and Ketia

How good are our PG’s?! They are similar and different at the same time. Meek has a calming presence on the floor and can direct traffic with ease. Ketia is a high-octane energy boost off the bench and is gaining in confidence with each game. For opposing teams, it’s hard to gameplan which guard they’ll face. Both Meek and Ketia are exceptional ball-handlers and are unselfish; two characteristics that not many guards have in the league. Some of the passes Meek and Ketia make are incredible and they both have a knack for knowing where the open player is; and it’s only going to get better.

The Constants – Le’coe, Tangela, and DeWanna

I mentioned this earlier, but about 95% of the Mercury’s plays are run for Diana and Cappie…which is obviously a smart thing with their ability. But, Le’coe, Tangela, and DeWanna can light up the score board at anytime if they get hot, or if the team needs that type of contribution. Perhaps more importantly, they fit in seamlessly with the type of offense and defense the Mercury run which allows freedom and accountability from everyone. They have been, and will be, invaluable come playoff time.

Penny

The Merc have done a perfect job integrating Penny into the lineup thus far. It would’ve been a mistake to throw her in there from the beginning and it also would’ve been a mistake not to play her. Gaines has allowed Penny to compete in practices at a high-level for several weeks now which allows the rest of the team to get used to her and more comfortable. Thus, when she comes in during games, it’s not unusual or weird for the other players. The best part? It’s only going to get better.

Nicole, Mazz, Brooke

They haven’t received many minutes, whether it’s due to the rotation or injuries, but there isn’t a question they all come in and contribute in one way or another when their name is called. Whether it’s getting to the foul line or defending the post by Nicole, hitting a much needed three by Mazz, or getting a key rebound by Brooke the Mercury are comfortable and can count on these ladies.

Stats

The Mercury are having an almost unbelievable year statistically. Here are some of the highlights…

· 2 of the top 5 players in scoring (Diana, Cappie)

· 1^st in ppg as a team (92.0), next closest is 83 (Atlanta)

· 1^st in FG% (45.5)

· 2^nd in 3PR% (39.1)

· 1^st in FT% (85.9)

· 4^th in rebounds (35.0)

· 1^st in assists (18.2 a game)

· 9^th in turnovers (only 14 a game)

· 1^st in blocks (5.6)

· 2 players in the top 3 in assists per game (Cappie 5.3, Meek 5.1)

Be Excited, Be Very Excited

I don’t have to tell the die-hard fans this, but I’ve said all-season long this is a special team and the way they’re playing is justifying that sentiment. It was so nice to see over 10,000 people at the arean vs. the Fever and we need that same type of support in the last 5 home games.

I could not be more excited for the playoffs to start and to see US Airways Center rocking.

Enjoy this Mercury fans, because as we all know, seasons like this don’t come along very often.

What are your thoughs about the Mercury’s stellar season so far? Let’s hear them!