Before she was even drafted, Phoenix Mercury fans were anticipating the debut of Connecticut guard Diana Taurasi. The Mercury, who posted a disappointing 8-26 record a year ago, earned the #1 overall pick in last April's WNBA Draft with their sights set on Taurasi the whole way.
The Mercury faithful didn't have to wait long to get their first glimpse of Taurasi, who was dressed and ready to lead the new-look team in Saturday night's preseason opener at America West Arena. Despite playing in a new city and on at higher level of competition, Taurasi seems excited and ready to be a part of the team in Phoenix.
"It's basketball," Taurasi said. "Obviously it's a little bit faster and more physical, but at the end, we've just got to make plays and play basketball, and I thought today we did a good job of that."
Taurasi received a warm welcome during the introductions from the crowd of 3,239. Also receiving attention was the debut of former WNBA All-Star forward Nikki McCray and new head coach Carrie Graf.
The Mercury and visiting Seattle Storm flew out of the gates early, playing to seven ties and six lead changes before halftime. It was clear that this years' Mercury team would run a fast-paced offense built around Taurasi.
If the high-speed offense run by Taurasi was going to be successful, it was evident that it's going to take some time for the players around her to get used to her pace. There were three instances in the first half when Taurasi committed turnovers on almost perfect passes that her teammates were obviously not expecting.
"I think it's a combination of two things," Graf said. "I think it's Diana getting used to new personnel, and I think it's them getting used to her. It's a relationship that must evolve from both ends."
Taurasi was held to just five first-half points, but it was her leadership that helped Phoenix seize a halftime lead. Taurasi seemed to gel offensively with her teammates quickly, especially with former USC Trojan Adrian Williams.
"We have a lot of interchangeable parts on this team," Taurasi said. "We have players that can play any spot on the court."
The Mercury opened the second half on a 14-5 run led by Taurasi's seven points. Taurasi showed why she was the first overall pick when she rebounded a missed Seattle attempt and drove the ball coast to coast, finishing with a 15-foot jumper. The crowd rose to their feet on the next trip down the floor when Taurasi nailed a three-pointer that would ultimately deflate the Storm's chances of a comeback.
Coach Graf pulled Taurasi with 12:40 remaining in the second half, ending the night with 12 points and three rebounds in just over 20 minutes. Taurasi received another ovation as she headed towards the bench.
The Mercury bench finished off what the starters began, padding the lead with a three-pointer by Australian guard Penny Taylor. Taylor led all scorers with 13 points and tallied a team-high five rebounds.
The rout would continue until the final horn, as the Mercury held the Storm to a dismal 4-of-26 shooting in the second half, en route to a 83-44 victory.
"I think we're in a good rhythm and a good groove," Taurasi said. "We've been practicing for two weeks trying to get that and I think today we put it together nicely."
Reach the reporter at brian.knapp@asu.edu.
