Taurasi had a good debut game, but her team went down anyway. Diana scored 22 on 7-for-13, and she also threw in a few assists, a few boards, and a few blocks. As the halftime buzzer sounded, she knocked down a 50-footer.

Unfortunately for the Phoenix fans, 19 turnovers and a huge rebounding deficit led to a loss.

"The boards were the biggest thing," coach Graf said. "We got smashed on the glass and couldn't compete there. When you don't rebound against a team like that, you're going to be in trouble. When you go with a small lineup, you have to make up for that.

Despite the loss, it was encouraging for the Mercury faithful. Columnist Paola Boivin says Diana is the real deal: "Buy the hype. Buy the buildup. Buy a ticket and ride the crest of the game's evolution."

Yo Griffith was impressed, but not too impressed. "Taurasi's a great player - she's going to be outstanding in this league - but she's just one player and not a whole team," she said. "Phoenix is going to be a great team, but we're a veteran team."