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http://www.wnba.com/games/20080715/SANPHO/preview.html

Quote: The defending league champion Mercury (9-11) dropped to 2-8 against Western Conference opponents. They've lost four of five overall after a four-game win streak from June 24-July 1.

"That's how this league is, you win a few straight, then you go into stretches where you can't get a win," Taurasi said. "We're falling a little short at the end on how to win games lately. We just have to look ahead and not worry about the past."

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/120810

Quote: Scouting report: Silver Stars - This is the second of back-to-back games for San Antonio, which played at Los Angeles on Monday night. The first-place Silver Stars brought a league-best seven-game winning streak into that contest. Sophia Young leads the team in scoring (18.5).

Mercury - This is the start of a three-game homestand for Phoenix, which is 4-4 at US Airways Center. The Mercury have dropped four of five since their four-game winning streak. In their last three losses, they are averaging 17.7 turnovers, up from their season average of 14.4.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/120785

Quote: Mercury don’t expect Taylor back this season

Quote: While Taylor hasn't announced a decision, coach Corey Gaines said Monday he doesn't believe she will suit up for Phoenix any time soon.

"I don't think it's going to happen this year," Gaines said. "I can't keep wishing or hoping or thinking about that. Next year is a different story."

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/mercury/articles/2008/07/14/20080714mercury0715.html

Quote: San Antonio update: The Silver Stars took a seven-game winning streak into Monday night's game at Los Angeles. F Sophia Young leads in scoring (18.5 ppg). G Becky Hammon is second in scoring (16.7) and leads in assists (4.9 apg). They are 1-0 against the Mercury, winning 81-76 on May 20 in San Antonio. Young scored 20 points.

Mercury update: The Mercury have lost their past two, including a 105-97 defeat Saturday at Sacramento. They are 4-4 at home. G/F Diana Taurasi (23.7 ppg) and G/F Cappie Pondexter (23.3) continue to be the Nos. 1 and 2 scorers in the WNBA. F/C Tangela Smith leads the Mercury in rebounding (7.7 rpg). Pondexter scored 23 in the loss two months ago at San Antonio.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/heatindex/articles/2008/07/14/20080714gillom0715.html

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PAkid103 · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject:

Tan's knee doesn't seem to be bothering her yet. 7 points and 4 rebs in 4 1/2 minutes.

Y'all know how the "Expect Great" commercials weren't so great? Well, Cappie's was good. It actually made sense :?

whiterose · Joined: 04 Aug 2002 Posts: 33

San Antonio, playing the second of back-to-back road games, had so more defensive intensity than the Mercury it wasn't even funny. All Phoenix had to do was make the Silver Stars work and fatigue would've been a factor. San Antonio never even got winded because everything was soooo easy for them.

MercuryBoFan · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 258 Location: Glendale

WHITEROSE: You took the words right out of my mouth. The ladies played horribly in the third quarter. There is no excuse for their poor performance.

The problem with this team is they know they can turn it up a notch when they want to. In other words, when they want to play, they'll come to play. When they want to be lazy like last night then we the fans who spend our hard earned money will be subjected to a performance like last night.

Hopefully, this team will come ready to play against the Sparks for the whole game and not just the 4th quarter like in LA a few games back.

San Antonio is a good team but Phoenix is the better team and should have won that game last night. SA brought intensity last night and Phoenix I don't know what the hell they brought.

mb · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:13 am Post subject:

http://www.wnba.com/games/20080715/SANPHO/boxscore.html

http://www.wnba.com/games/20080715/SANPHO/recap.html

Quote: Sophia Young scored 10 of her 26 points in the third quarter, leading the San Antonio Silver Stars to a 97-87 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night.

Quote: The Mercury scored a season-low 13 points in the third quarter and shot 36 percent from the field (16-for-44) in the second half.

http://www.wnba.com/mercury/news/quotes_080715.html

Quote: MERCURY GUARD DIANA TAURASI (23 PTS, 3 ASSTS): “It’s just giving people easy points. It’s like every game we play in people get 30 easy points. They don’t even have to think or play hard, they get 30 easy points.”

(On the tight Western Conference race)
“A good week’s stretch in which we’ve show we can play at that level and we’re back in the race. We have to challenge each other right now. This is make or break these next couple of games, especially before the break.”

(On the fast start and slow third quarter)
“We’ve just got to put 40 minutes together. That’s about it. There’s got to be some consistency throughout the whole game that maintains that level of play and keeps you in the game. We couldn’t hold that in the third.”

http://www.wnba.com/mercury/news/notes_080715.html

Quote: KEY STAT OF THE NIGHT
After scoring a season-high 29 first quarter points, the Mercury were held to a season-low for points scored in the third quarter with 13. Phoenix shot just 36.4 percent from the field (16-of-44) in the second half.

KEY RUN OF THE NIGHT
After trailing 48-47 at the start of the second half, the Silver Stars went on a 21-7 over the next 6:47 to take a 68-55 lead. The Mercury never got within six points the rest of the way.

Quote: The Mercury are now 1.5 games behind Minnesota for the fourth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
*the above is so important they mentioned it twice

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/120907

Quote: While running at an unparalleled pace is easy for the Mercury, keeping up with the rest of the ultra-competitive Western Conference is proving to be a major challenge.

Having climbed to the middle of the standings following a successful nine-game stretch (6-3) against the East that ended the first week of July, Phoenix now finds itself tied for last after losing for the fourth time in five games, all against the West. Its only victory during that span came against Houston, the team with which it shares occupancy of the cellar.

Quote: Although Phoenix is only 1 1/2 games out of a playoff spot, it is just 2-9 against the West, a record it must improve upon immediately if it is to have any chance of defending its championship. Of the Mercury’s 13 remaining games, 10 are against conference foes, and of their six games before the Olympic break, four are vs. the West.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/mercury/articles/2008/07/15/20080715mercgamer-ON.html

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