The Phoenix Mercury won the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on the road Sunday to win their first ever WNBA Championship. The Phoenix Mercury, the WNBA counterpart to the NBA's Phoenix Suns, plays a similar style of basketball. "We are Phoenix. We run-and-gun, we shoot the three and we win championships," said Diana Taurasi, the Mercury's #1 overall draft pick from 2004. Taurasi led UConn to three NCAA championships. The WNBA Eastern Conference champions and winners of two previous WNBA titles, the Detroit Shock, play a slower paced game, with most of their scoring coming from inside the paint. If the Mercury's run-and-gun three shooting defeated the Shock's tougher defensive based style, does this mean the Suns will beat the San Antonio Spurs or the Detroit Pistons?
Cappie Pondexter won the WNBA Finals MVP, having scored 26 points and 10 assist in Game 5. Pondexter was also the go-to player at the end of Game 4, scoring clutch baskets at the end of the game to force a Game 5. Penny Taylor scored 30 points, making 18 out of 18 free throws. Diana Taurasi 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assist to help the Mercury win. The entire Phoenix team shot an incredible 96.7% on free throws, making 29 out of 30.
Overall, this was a good win for Phoenix, the Phoenix Mercury, and the WNBA. Having the Phoenix Suns get so close to the NBA Finals must be frustrating for Suns fans. The Phoenix Suns have never won a NBA championship. Many critics say the Sun's small-ball style will not work in playoffs and championship games because the game slows down. The Mercury proved that teams can win playing small-ball. This will revitalize the Suns and give them a new sense of confidence.
The WNBA has been faltering in its rating and fan base. Four WNBA teams have already folded: the Miami Sol in 2002, Portland Fire in 2002, the Cleveland Rockers in 2003 and the Charlotte Sting in 2006. The league's game were broadcast on Lifetime and the Oxygen network, two cable TV networks specializing in Women's television, but even those networks have ceased to carry WNBA games. Having the Mercury win the title in 2007 is the best thing for the league. Having the same teams win year after year gets repetitive and boring. See San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. The new trend in professional basketball is the fast paced, small-ball game plan. This win solidifies small-ball's place in basketball.
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