Phoenix And Seattle Battle In The Playoffs

The Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm have won their share of championships, and they have faced each other in the playoffs as well.

Sep 17 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) puts up a shot against Seattle Storm forward Le'coe Willingham (34) during the first half at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm are two of the WNBA's best teams. They have won championships, and they have been a presence in the Western Conference for years.

The Mercury made their debut in 1997, and they have won three championships since then. They won their first in 2007, they won another in 2009 and their last one was in 2014.

Sep 5, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) is fouled by Seattle Storm guard Tanisha Wright (30) during the first half in game two of the Western Conference Finals in the 2010 WNBA Playoffs at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Seattle made its debut in 2000, and since then, the franchise has won four championships. The Storm won their first in 2004, and they beat the Connecticut Sun. They won in 2010, and they beat the Atlanta Dream. They beat the Washington Mystics in 2018, and they beat the Las Vegas Aces in 2020.

Both teams have had their share of success, and they have encountered each other six times during their playoff runs.

Phoenix and Seattle met for the first time in 2007, and it was during the first round. The Mercury beat the Storm 2-0, and they went on to win their first championship.

Sep 17, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Seattle Storm guard Tanisha Wright (30) puts up a shot against the Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) during the second half at the US Airways Center. The Mercury defeated the Storm 92 - 83. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

The Mercury met the Storm in 2010, and Seattle came out victorious. That was one of the years the Storm won a championship, and their win over the Mercury helped them reach the WNBA Finals.

In 2011, these two teams met again, and the Mercury beat the Storm 2-1. The Mercury were knocked out by the Minnesota Lynx in the next round, and the Lynx won a championship. In fact, it was the franchise's first championship. They won three more, and their most recent win was in 2015.

Phoenix faced Seattle in 2017, and things were a little different. They met in a single-elimination game, and the Mercury beat the Storm 79-69.

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) greets Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd (24) after beating them 87-78 at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Sunday, June 16, 2024. / Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK

Griner's double-double leads to Mercury's win

Brittney Griner was the team's leading scorer in that game, and she had a double-double. She had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and she had three blocks in the process. The Mercury had three other players who scored in double figures. Leilani Mitchell had 17 points, Yvonne Turner had 15 points and Diana Taurasi had 14.

The Mercury faced the Sun in the next round, and they had a series against the Los Angeles Sparks after that. The Sparks swept the Mercury, and they lost to the Lynx.

The following year, the Mercury faced the Storm after beating the Dallas Wings and the Sun. Phoenix's game against Dallas and Connecticut were single-elimination games, but the matchup with Seattle was a series. The Storm won that series, and they beat the Mystics in the Finals.

For now, the last time the Mercury met the Storm was in 2021, and Phoenix picked up an overtime win over its rival. The Mercury made the Finals that year, but they lost to the Chicago Sky.

Both of these teams have had successful runs, and they will encounter each other again at some point in the future.

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