INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Phoenix can't figure out how to handle Jessica Davenport.
Indiana's 6-foot-5 center scored a career-high 25 points to help the Fever beat the Mercury 91-86 on Tuesday night. Davenport's previous career high of 20 points came on June 19 at Phoenix.
``I think every person has a team that they play well against, and maybe Phoenix is just mine,' Davenport said.
Davenport started the season as a reserve, but she has started the past three games. Fever forward Tamika Catchings said it was just a matter of time before she became a key player.
``She's a dominant force down there,' Catchings said. ``When you get behind her, it's hard to block her shot and it's hard to get in front of her.
``She's been so productive for us. I expect a lot more from her.'
Katie Douglas led the Fever (7-3) with 26 points with six 3-pointers and Catchings added 14 points, seven assists, four steals and three blocks for Indiana, which won its fourth straight.
But the difference-maker was Davenport, who made 10 of 11 field goals and didn't miss until 26.9 seconds remained. She made two key baskets in the final 2:09, including a three-point play.
``Down the stretch, we were really working off the two-man game with Douglas and Catchings and that, in fact, was creating open opportunities for Davenport,' Indiana coach Lin Dunn said. ``I thought we did a really good job of finding her inside.
Indiana's excitement was tempered because starting point guard Briann January went down clutching her right knee early in the fourth quarter.
``We won't know anything until tomorrow when she has an MRI,' Dunn said. ``We're hoping for the best.'
Diana Taurasi scored 15 points for Phoenix, but she shot 5 for 14 from the field and had five turnovers. DeWanna Bonner also scored 15 points for the Mercury (4-4).
``We played well for stretches, but not enough to beat them at home,' Taurasi said.
The Fever lost 93-89 at Phoenix on June 19, when Taurasi scored 32 points.
This time, Indiana led by 18 points in the third quarter, but Phoenix pulled within one early in the fourth. Catchings came back with a jumper, Douglas made a 3-pointer and Catchings added a spinning layup during an 8-0 run that gave Indiana an 86-77 lead and control for good.
``It was a great team win,' Catchings said. ``Down the stretch, one man down, we have players coming off the bench who played well.'
Indiana led 45-39 at halftime as Davenport scored 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting. The Fever shot 59 percent before the break.
Indiana opened the second half with an 8-2 run, including two 3s by Douglas, to take a 53-41 lead. The Fever stretched that lead to 14 in the early minutes of the third quarter.
During one sequence, as Catchings was losing control of the ball she tipped it to a wide-open Douglas, who made a 3 to give Indiana a 60-48 lead.
A three-point play by Tammy-Sutton Brown pushed Indiana's lead to 69-51, but an 8-0 run by Phoenix helped the Mercury cut Indiana's lead to 73-65 at the end of the quarter.
Phoenix committed 19 turnovers and made just 15 of 24 free throws. Candice Dupree scored nine points and was held to single digits for the first time this season.
``They stuck to their defensive game plan and had us all over the place,' Phoenix guard Marie Ferdinand-Harris said. ``I knew they were a good team. We have to control the ball when we play a team like that.'
Now, Indiana is left to wait and see what happens with January.
``It'll be point guard by committee, but I don't really want to talk about that until I know that for sure,' Dunn said. ``Right now, Briann January is our point guard, and she will continue to be our point guard until we know more information.'
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