WNBA

• Phoenix advances to West finals with Game 3 win over Silver Stars

  
  

  Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Diana Taurasi scored 30 points and the Phoenix Mercury advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 100-92 victory over San Antonio in the decisive third game of their opening-round series.

  Taurasi shot 11-of-17 from the field and added six assists and five rebounds for Phoenix, which is aiming for its second WNBA title in three years.

  Cappie Pondexter tallied 17 points, and Tangela Smith scored 16 to go with eight rebounds for the Mercury, who will face the Los Angeles Sparks in the next round.

  Penny Taylor and DeWanna Bonner each scored 11 for Phoenix, which held a 38-27 rebounding advantage.

  Becky Hammon scored 29 and Vickie Johnson added 24 for the Silver Stars, who were beaten by Detroit in the league finals last year.

  After taking the opener of the series at home by a point, the Silver Stars faltered twice at US Airways Center, losing by 28 in Game 2 and then blowing a lead in the fourth quarter on Monday.

  Hammon's three-pointer at the start of the fourth opened a 72-66 lead for the visitors, but Smith and Taurasi each canned three-pointers to tie the score.

  Ann Wauters made one free throw to put San Antonio ahead again, but she suffered a right ankle injury in the final period and was hampered.

  Taurasi then drilled a three-ball to put the hosts ahead for good at 75-73 and the lead ballooned to double digits as Smith's tip-in provided an 86-76 margin with 5:14 remaining.

  The Silver Stars never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

  San Antonio held a 25-24 lead after one quarter, but the Mercury were ahead 43-42 at the half. It remained tight throughout the third.

  09/22 00:40:44 ET