Franchise-record and conference-high three Mercury players to represent West

PHOENIX – A franchise-record three Phoenix Mercury players will represent the Western Conference in the 2007 WNBA All-Star Game as forward Penny Taylor and guard Cappie Pondexter today joined the team as reserves, the league announced. Mercury guard Diana Taurasi was named a starter on Tuesday, July 3, as the league’s second-leading vote-getter.

Taylor and Pondexter are among 12 total reserves today named to the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star teams, selected by the conferences’ respective head coaches. Including Taurasi, Phoenix will have the most players of any Western Conference club in the July 15 game at Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

For the seven-year veteran Taylor it is her second selection to an All-Star team and first since joining the Mercury as the first overall selection of the 2004 Cleveland dispersal draft. Taylor, the 2006 FIBA World Championships MVP for native Australia, earned All-Star honors in 2002 as a member of the Cleveland Rockers. The 6-1 forward, who has started every game this season for Phoenix, is currently averaging a career-high 16.6 points and a career-best and team-leading 6.1 rebounds.

Taylor recently tied a WNBA record with four consecutive efforts of 25 points or more, and is in the midst of a seven-game stretch in which she has averaged 24.6 points per game and posted two 30-point efforts.

In her sophomore season, Pondexter will make her second consecutive appearance as an All-Star reserve. The 2006 WNBA All-Rookie Team selection is second on the Mercury in scoring at 16.9 points per game and, along with teammate Taurasi, is part of the highest scoring duo in the WNBA for the second-straight year.

2007 marks the third time in franchise history the Mercury have garnered multiple All-Star honors: 1999 (Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms) and last season (Taurasi and Pondexter).

The Phoenix Mercury and their trio of All-Stars conclude the first half of the season on Wednesday, July 11 at US Airways Center in the club’s annual matinee game and final contest before the All-Star Break. Over 10,000 local summer campers are expected to attend the 12:30 p.m. game vs. the San Antonio Silver Stars. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at (602) 252-WNBA.

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