How Mercury's Taurasi Had A Legendary Performance Against A Rival

Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi had some big games in her career, and in one of her best seasons, she took down a rival.

Sep 29, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) walks on the court during the game against the Minnesota Lynx at US Airways Center. The Lynx defeated the Mercury 72-65. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Diana Taurasi had a stellar career, and over the years, she had some great seasons. Her best season scoring-wise was in 2006, as she averaged a career-high 25.3 points. She also averaged 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals.

The Phoenix Mercury were getting closer to winning a championship, as they added another talented guard. They added Cappie Pondexter, as they drafted her with the second pick of that year's draft. She had a great season of her own, and she was a member of the All-Rookie Team.

Sep 11, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) puts up a shot against Minnesota Lynx guard Monica Wright (22) during the second half at the US Airways Center. The Lynx defeated the Mercury 96-90. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Taurasi had some big performances that season, and her best was against the Houston Comets. She had a massive game, as she had a career-high 47 points. That game was a battle, and the Mercury needed their star guard to put them over the top.

Taurasi takes over in a legendary game

Phoenix beat Houston 111-110 in a game that went into triple overtime. Taurasi put on a clinic scoring-wise, and she also contributed in other areas. She had nine assists, six rebounds, a steal and a block. She did a bit of everything in that game, and she had help from her teammates.

Sep 3, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) drives the ball against Los Angeles Sparks forward Tina Thompson (32) during the first half at the US Airways Center. The Mercury defeated the Sparks, 93-77. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Penny Taylor finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Pondexter had 15 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Then, Belinda Snell had a nice game off the bench as she had 11 points, three rebounds, a steal and a block.

This was a historic game, and Taurasi and her teammates gave it their all. Phoenix improved to 16-16 after that win, after being under .500 since the start of the season. This was one of the Mercury's last games, and they won the next two to finish 18-16.

Sep 17, 2020; Palmetto, Florida, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (right) drives around Minnesota Lynx guard Bridget Carleton (left) during the second half at the FELD entertainment complex. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Taurasi and the Mercury were on the right track, and things would get better. This was the first time the Mercury were over .500 since 2000. The Mercury found a star in Taurasi, and having players like Pondexter and Taylor made them even more dangerous.

Phoenix's game against Houston was one for the ages, and it led to an amazing game from Taurasi. This game will be remembered for years to come, and when the Mercury's legendary guard is discussed, this should be one of the first games that come to mind.

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