_______________________________________________________________________________ The complete 2014 Phoenix Mercury media guide can be found at www.phoenixmercury.com (29-5, 1-0) PHOENIX MERCURY VS. CHICAGO SKY (15-19, 0-1) Sunday, September 7, 2014 WNBA Finals Game 2 Playoff Game 7, Home Game 5 US Airways Center |Phoenix, Ariz. | 6:00 p.m. TV: ABC | Webcast: Live Stream Vice President, Operations: VINCE KOZAR | [email protected] |602.379.7994 Manager, Basketball Communications: JOHN H. STEINMILLER | [email protected] | 602.379.7930 (o) 414.364.7722 (c) 2014 PROBABLE STARTERS (PLAYOFF AVERAGES) No. Name From PPG RPG APG 2014 Notes DEWANNA BONNER Led the team with 49 steals during the regular season and has nine steals 24 Auburn ‘09 10.5 5.3 2.0 in six playoff games this season. Recorded two games of four or more F | 6-4 | 137 steals during the regular season. Set a WNBA Finals record by connecting on her first ten shots in Game 1. CANDICE DUPREE Shooting 64.3 percent (45-of-70) so far during the 2014 WNBA Playoffs. 4 Temple ‘06 16.2 6.5 0.5 F | 6-2 | 175 Owns the highest shooting percentage in WNBA Playoffs history at 58.9 percent (149-of-253). Named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year after finishing the regular BRITTNEY GRINER 3.3 season with a WNBA-record 129 blocks. Set a WNBA Finals and Playoff 42 Baylor ‘13 16.3 6.0 C | 6-8 | 199 Blocks record in Game 1 with EIGHT blocked shots. Set a WNBA Playoff record on August 24 at Los Angeles by making NINE field goals without missing. Ranks SECOND on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list (6,720 points), ranks DIANA TAURASI FOURTH on the WNBA’s all-time Playoff scoring list (835 points) and ranks 3 Connecticut ‘04 22.2 4.7 6.3 THIRD on the WNBA Finals all-time scoring list (220 points). Finished FIRST in G | 6-0 | 163 assists this season, averaging 5.6 and became the first player in history to lead the league in scoring one season and assists in another season. PENNY TAYLOR Overall this season, has started 30 of 40 games and the team is 28-2 when 13 Australia 11.0 4.7 4.8 G | 6-1 | 165 she is in the starting lineup. Averaging 12.0 points per game as a starter. 2014 MERCURY SCHEDULE 2014 PLAYOFFS RECORD BREAKDOWN DATE OPPONENT RESULT/TIME RECORD HOME ROAD OVERTIME 5/17 SEATTLE W (81-64) OVERALL 5-1 3-0 1-1 0-0 5/18 @ LOS ANGELES W(74-69) EASTERN 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 5/23 SAN ANTONIO L (74-78) WESTERN 4-1 3-0 1-1 0-0 5/30 TULSA W (100-78) ACTIVE STREAKS W2 W4 L1 - 6/3 SEATTLE W (87-72) 6/6 @ TULSA L (78-94) 6/7 @ SAN ANTONIO W (91-79)(2OT) 2014 MERCURY PLAYOFF SCHEDULE/RESULTS 6/10 @ WASHINGTON W (81-66) Date Game/Opponent Time (PHX) Broadcast/Result 6/12 @ CONNECTICUT L (95-96) Fri, 8/22 G1 vs. Los Angeles W, 75-72 Phoenix, leads series, 1-0 6/15 @ MINNESOTA W (80-72) Sun, 8/24 G2 at Los Angeles W, 93-68 Phoenix wins series, 2-0 6/18 MINNESOTA W (92-79) Fri. 8/29 G1 vs. Minnesota W, 85-71 Phoenix leads series, 1-0 Sun. 8/31 G2 at Minnesota L, 77-82 Series tied, 1-1 6/20 TULSA W (91-80) Tues. 9/2 G3 vs. Minnesota W, 96-78 Phoenix wins series, 2-1 6/27 @ INDIANA W (81-76) Sun. 9/7 G1 vs. Chicago 6/29 @ TULSA W (80-77) W, 83-62 Phoenix leads series, 1-0 7/2 CHICAGO W (87-69) Tues. 9/9 G2 vs. Chicago 6:00 p.m. ESPN 7/6 @ LOS ANGELES W (94-89) Fri. 9/12 G3 at Chicago 5:00 p.m. ESPN2 7/9 SEATTLE W (78-58) Sun. 9/14 G4 at Chicago* 2:30 p.m. ESPN2 7/11 @ CHICAGO W (72-66) Wed. 9/17 G5 vs.Chicago* 6:00 p.m. ESPN2 7/13 SAN ANTONIO W (90-61) 7/15 WASHINGTON W (90-78) INJURIES 7/17 CONNECTICUT W (101-85) Taurasi (tuh-RA-zee)… DeWanna (duh-WAN-nuh)…Jekabsone-Zogota PRONUNCIATIONS 7/22 @ SEATTLE W (89-71) (Jacob-sone Zuh-gota) 7/24 @ LOS ANGELES W (93-73) Nov. 15 Sandy Brondello named head coach… Dec. 13 Jason Rowley 7/26 NEW YORK W (78-63) named team president and Jim Pitman named general manager… Jan. 22 7/29 LOS ANGELES W (90-69) Phoenix is named the host of WNBA All-Star 2014… Feb. 3 Announced deal 7/31 @ MINNESOTA L (67-75) with new marquee partner Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort to th 8/2 INDIANA W (79-69) include jersey rights… March 11 Acquired Erin Phillips and 17 overall pick 8/5 ATLANTA W (75-67) in 2014 for Lynetta Kizer and ninth pick… March 20 Signed Mistie Bass to TRANSACTIONS free-agent contract… March 28 Signed Shay Murphy to free-agent deal… 8/7 @ SAN ANTONIO W (78-73) (OT) April 3 Signed Alexis Gray-Lawson and April Sykes… April 7 Signed Chelsea 8/9 MINNESOTA W (82-80) th st Hopkins… April 14 Selected Tiffany Bias (17 overall), Maggie Lucas (21 8/12 @ NEW YORK W (76-64) overall) and Stephanie Talbot (33rd overall) in 2014 WNBA Draft… April 15 8/13 @ ATLANTA L (96-82) Signed Ewelina Kobryn, Anete Jekabsone-Zogota… May 12 Acquired the 8/16 LOS ANGELES W (76-69) Indiana Fever’s 2015 second-round draft pick in exchange for Maggie 8/17 @ SEATTLE W (78-65) Lucas. 2014 PHOENIX MERCURY GAME NOTES Page 1 _______________________________________________________________________________ The complete 2014 Phoenix Mercury media guide can be found at www.phoenixmercury.com 2014 PHOENIX MERCURY ROSTER No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Exp From/Year 8 Mistie Bass F 6-3 190 12/02/1983 7 Duke/2006 23 Tiffany Bias G 5-6 05/22/1992 R Oklahoma State/2014 24 DeWanna Bonner G/F 6-4 137 08/21/1987 5 Auburn/2009 4 Candice Dupree F 6-2 175 08/16/1984 8 Temple/2006 42 Brittney Griner C 6-8 199 10/18/1990 1 Baylor/2013 10 Anete Jekabsone-Zogota G 5-9 167 08/12/1983 2 Latvia 11 Ewelina Kobryn C 6-4 210 05/07/1982 3 Poland 14 Shay Murphy G 5-11 164 04/15/1985 7 USC/2006 31 Erin Phillips G 5-8 165 05/19/1985 6 Australia 3 Diana Taurasi G 6-0 163 06/11/1982 10 Connecticut/2004 13 Penny Taylor F 6-1 165 05/24/1981 12 Australia HEAD COACH: Sandy Brondello (Australia) ASSISTANT COACHES: Julie Hairgrove (Arizona), Todd Troxel (Doane College) ATHLETIC TRAINER: Tamara Poole (Cal. State-Dominguez Hills) NUMERICAL ROSTER 3 Diana Taurasi 11 Ewelina Kobryn 24 DeWanna Bonner 4 Candice Dupree 13 Penny Taylor 31 Erin Phillips 8 Mistie Bass 14 Shay Murphy 42 Brittney Griner 10 Anete Jekabsone-Zogota 23 Tiffany Bias 2014 PHOENIX MERCURY GAME NOTES Page 2 _______________________________________________________________________________ The complete 2014 Phoenix Mercury media guide can be found at www.phoenixmercury.com WNBA FINALS OPPONENT CHICAGO SKY SERIES NOTES - The Mercury and the Sky meet for the first time in the WNBA Finals. - Phoenix swept the regular season series for the first time since 2011. - The Mercury had lost three consecutive games against Chicago before winning on July 2. - The Sky played their games at the UIC Pavilion from 2006-09. In games played at the Pavilion, the Mercury went 4-0. - The regular season series dates back to 2006 and the Mercury own a 14-4 record against the Sky including winning the first nine games. - Candice Dupree averaged a team-high 18.5 points against the Sky in two regular season games and tied a season- high with 26 points on July 2 vs. Chicago. Dupree was the first ever draft pick by the Sky in 2006 (sixth overall pick). - Dupree and Brittney Griner each averaged double-figure rebounds against the Sky in 2014, with 12.5 and 10.5, respectively. 2014 Regular Season vs. Chicago All-Time Playoff Series Date Site Result July 2 Phoenix W, 87-69 Overall 1-0 July 11 Chicago W, 72-66 vs. Sky at Phoenix 1-0 vs. Sky at Chicago 0-0 Mercury vs. Sky, WNBA Finals Game 1 September 7, 2014 ATTENDANCE: 13,263 PHOENIX, ARIZ. – Brittney Griner swatted away just about everything within reach in the first quarter, setting the stage for a Phoenix rout. Griner set a playoff record with eight MERCURY 83 blocked shots, five in the first quarter, and the Mercury soared past the Chicago Sky 83-62 on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Griner, the WNBA defensive player of the year, SKY 62 also had 12 points and seven rebounds. Dupree made her first 10 shots and scored 26 for the Mercury in their 19th consecutive home victory. Diana Taurasi added 19 points and 11 assists. Phoenix shot a finals record 58.5 percent from the field, Chicago 31.9 percent. Sylvia Fowles scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Chicago but was just 8 of 20, US Airways Center usually against Griner in a matchup of the last two WNBA defensive players of the year. Phoenix, Arizona Elena Delle Donne only played 11 minutes because of a bad back.