CHICAGO (AP) -Kelly Miller scored 17 points to lead six Phoenix players in double figures and the Mercury beat the Chicago Sky for the second time in a week, 89-79 on Thursday night.
The Mercury (6-7), which tied a franchise record with 112 points in their overtime win over the Sky on June 20, won for the fourth time in five games.
Tangela Smith had 16 points and 12 rebounds, Diana Taurasi added 16 points and nine assists and Cappie Pondexter, who entered the game averaging 25.1 points per game, scored 14.
Le'coe Willingham had 12 and Barbara Farris added 11 for the Mercury, who trailed 29-27 midway through the second quarter.
``We have the nucleus back but it still takes a little bit time to get used to each other,'' Taurasi said. ``We're looking at all these games as a training camp as getting in condition to play the way we want to play mentally and physically. It's starting to come together a little bit.''
Phoenix went on a 13-3 run capped by a layup from Taurasi that gave the Mercury an eight-point advantage with 2:29 left in the first half. Miller hit a jumper to give the Mercury a 47-37 halftime lead.
``Late in the second quarter we made some defensive errors,'' Sky coach Steven Key said. ``It wasn't the offense that gave them the advantage, it was our lapses in defense.''
K.B. Sharp's layup cut the Sky's deficit to six with 1:24 left in the third quarter. But Taurasi hit a pair of free throws to give Phoenix a 67-59 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Chasity Melvin had 19 points and 15 rebounds for Chicago (3-9), which has lost five straight and eight of 10. Jia Perkins scored 18 and Candice Dupree added 11.
``I thought we came out pretty focused and with a lot of energy,'' Melvin said. ``But we didn't make baskets (28-of-80) and then we didn't find a way to get any stops on the other end.''
The Sky set a franchise record with 25 offensive rebounds. The previous best was 20, set on June 21, 2006, at Indiana. Chicago had 20 offensive rebounds in the first half.
``They had 25?'' Taurasi said. ``It felt like they had 105. You know what, we're used to getting people world records. But as long as we get the 'W' we don't mind.''
