Phoenix 108, Detroit 92
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 17 (AP)– Phoenix’s fast start made the Mercury the WNBA’s first road champion.
Penny Taylor scored 30 points and the Mercury cruised to a 108-92 victory Sunday over the defending champion Detroit Shock in the fifth and deciding game of the WNBA finals. Cappie Pondexter added 26 and
Diana Taurasi had 17 for Phoenix, the first road team to win the title away from home.
The Shock lost the last two games of the series, foiling their bid to become the third WNBA team to win back-to-back championships.
Phoenix, taking some steam out of the fired-up home crowd, raced to a 20-9 lead midway through the first quarter. Taurasi had eight points, including 2 3-pointers, in that stretch as Phoenix came out firing against the frazzled Detroit defense.
The Mercury led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and led 55-43 at halftime en route to their first championship. Phoenix shot 54 percent from the floor and committed only four turnovers in the first half. The teams set a finals record for combined points in a half.