Not wanting their other Western Conference peeps to feel like the odd-pair-out, Taurasi all but put the game away with 20 first-half points to guarantee a game three. Her teammates got into the act (four others were in double figures), and the Phoenix rout (and defense?) of the SASS was on: 106-78.

"We made shots," Mercury coach Corey Gaines said of the difference between this win and Thursday's Game 1 loss. "When you make shots on offense, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense of the other team. When you make shots, things get easier. Your defense gets better. Everything is easier."

Added coach Dan:

“I thought Phoenix did a great job of coming out and being the aggressor,” Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said. “They delivered. From an offensive perspective, they were extremely aggressive. They converted shots consistently. I thought we came out offensively (OK), but defensively we had no answer in getting the game under control from a tempo standpoint.”

I'm guessing Detroit and Indy will enjoy watching Seattle, LA, (5pm EST ESPN2) Phoenix and San Antonio beat each other up for an extra game.