Throwback: Mercury Win Conference Finals, Prepare For Championship

The Phoenix Mercury defeated the San Antonio Stars at the start of the 2009 WNBA Playoffs, and another foe stood in their way.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) waits for play to resume on Sept. 5, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Phoenix Mercury had a good year in 2009. They won their second championship after winning their first two years prior.

Phoenix finished the 2009 season with a record of 23-11. This was an identical to their record in 2007. The Mercury began their playoff journey, and it started with a 2-1 win over the San Antonio Stars.

The Stars won the first game, but the Mercury responded with wins in the next two games. Then, it was time to move on and face another tough foe.

The Mercury faced the Los Angeles Sparks in the next round, and the Mercury picked up where they left off in the last series. They started with a win over the Sparks, as they beat them 103-94. This was a road win for the Mercury, and it did not deter them.

Diana Taurasi was the Mercury's leading scorer, and she finished with 28 points. She had six assists and two steals. Penny Taylor continued to make an impact off the bench as she had 18 points. She also had three rebounds and two assists.

Phoenix had a balanced effort, as three more players scored in double figures. Cappie Pondexter had 15 points, Le'coe Willingham had 12 and Tangela Smith had 11. The Sparks were led by their trio of Candace Parker, Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie.

Parker led with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Thompson had 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Leslie had 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks.

The Sparks tied the series in Game 2. They beat Phoenix 87-76. Taurasi had 25 points, five rebounds and three assists. Pondexter had 19 points and Smith had 14. Parker was the Sparks' leading scorer with 24 points.

Phoenix had one more chance to win the series, and they picked up an 85-74 victory.

Sep 12, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) celebrates with teammates Penny Taylor (13) and DeWanna Bonner (24) after making a basket while being fouled by the Chicago Sky in the fourth quarter in game three of the 2014 WNBA Finals at UIC Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

Taurasi led the team in scoring once again, as she had 21 points. Willingham had 17 points, and Taylor and Pondexter had 12 points each. Leslie was the leading scorer for the Sparks with 22 points in a game where Parker struggled.

The Mercury get closer to history

Phoenix defeated the Sparks, and they were one series away from a championship. They took down to tough teams, and the only team left was the Indiana Fever. Phoenix made history, and a few years later, they would do so once again.

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