Diana Taurasi explodes for 24 points as Mercury outlast Storm

Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury handles the ball against Sue Bird #10 of the Seattle Storm during the second half at Climate Pledge Arena on May 14, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The epic rivalry between Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird was on full display Saturday as the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Seattle Storm 69-64 at Climate Pledge Arena.

Taurasi sunk two late free throws to put the game out of reach after a missed 3-point attempt from Bird sealed Seattle’s fate.

Bird was uncharacteristically cold from deep Saturday, missing all eight of her attempts from beyond the arc to set a new single-game low for her career.

Taking advantage of the Storm’s sputtering offense, Taurasi exploded for 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 14 points, while Brianna Turner and Tina Charles combined for 24 rebounds.

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— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) May 14, 2022

The Storm struggled to get their offense going without Breanna Stewart, who remains sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols. Jewell Loyd was the only Storm player to finish in double figures, recording a game-high 26 points.

With the win, the Mercury improved to 2-1 on the season, while the Storm fell to 1-3.