Auburn In The WNBA: First-Round Playoff Recap - AuburnTigers.com - Auburn University Official Athletic Site

Auburn In The WNBA: First-Round Playoff Recap Phoenix Mercury head to conference finals

DeWanna Bonner

Sept. 21, 2011

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AUBURN - Former Auburn women's basketball player DeWanna Bonner and the Phoenix Mercury edged out fellow Tiger LeCoe Willingham and the Seattle Storm in the WNBA Western Conference Semifinals, 2-1, to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

In game one, the Storm easily defeated the Mercury, 80-61, to take an early lead. Bonner, who started for Phoenix, put up 10 points while also grabbing eight rebounds. Willingham played 12 minutes off the bench in the winning effort and scored four points while getting four rebounds.

In game two, the Mercury evened up the series by defeating the Storm, 92-83. Bonner, who was honored with the WNBA's Sixth Woman Award prior to the game, earned a double-double by scoring 13 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Willingham grabbed two rebounds while scoring two points.

After trailing 20-9 after the first quarter in game three, Phoenix clawed its way back and defeated the Storm, 77-75. Bonner scored seven points and hauled in eight rebounds in the winning effort while Willingham snagged four rebounds off the bench.

The Mercury will square off against the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Western Conference Finals. Minnesota finished the regular-season with a league-best 27-7 record. Two of the seven losses came to Phoenix, but the Lynx won the regular-season series, 3-2.

Action is set to begin at 8 p.m. CT, Thursday from Minneapolis, Minn. Game two will be played on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT, in Phoenix, Ariz. The third game, if necessary, will be played Sept. 27 in Minneapolis. All games will air live on ESPN2.