Westhead, Mercury win WNBA title

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The tattoo on Cappie Pondexter's arm was inked when she was still in high school. It features the WNBA logo, and reads "The Future."

That future is now for Pondexter and the Phoenix Mercury, who beat the Detroit Shock, 108-92, yesterday and wrapped up their first league title in the deciding Game 5 of the championship series.

Phoenix is coached by former La Salle coach Paul Westhead.

A fast start helped Phoenix become the first team in the WNBA's 11-year history to claim the title on the road. Pondexter, in her second year in the league, scored 26 points and was chosen as the series MVP.

"It's been a long time coming," said Pondexter, who didn't win an NCAA championship while at Rutgers. "It's something I've been waiting for, working hard for, and it's finally here."

Penny Taylor scored 30 points and Diana Taurasi had 17 for the Mercury.

The Shock lost the last two games of the series, ending its bid to win back-to-back titles. Detroit also was the champion in 2003.

"This is an unfamiliar position - being up here without a bottle of champagne," Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said as he opened his postgame news conference. "We got beat by a team that was hungrier."

Deanna Nolan, who led the Shock with 27 points, said the team's defense faltered early.

"Them making shots was part of it, but our defense wasn't there, and we didn't get key rebounds," Nolan said.

Phoenix took some steam out of the home crowd, announced at more than 22,000, by spurting to a 20-9 lead midway through the first quarter. Taurasi had eight points, including two three-pointers, in that stretch.

"We were due for a great game," Taurasi said. "Everything we focused on all season kind of came into play."

The Mercury led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and led at the half, 55-43. The teams set a finals scoring record for combined points in a half.

Westhead won his first WNBA title. The tight series was an entertaining contrast of styles. Phoenix, the WNBA's top-scoring team, paid no attention to the shot clock in Westhead's run-and-gun system.

Westhead also won an NBA title as coach of the Lakers in 1980. *