Charlotte, N.C. ? Diana Taurasi had a career-high 29 points and made six three-pointers, leading the Phoenix Mercury to a 71-59 victory Thursday night over the Charlotte Sting.

The Mercury shot 73 percent from behind the arc. Taurasi was 6-of-7 from three-point range, and Anna DeForge went 3-for-4. DeForge and Plenette Pierson each added 10 points for the Mercury (8-7).

Taurasi, whose previous high was 26 points, leads WNBA rookies with an average of 17.8 points a game.

Charlotte (7-7) was led by Allison Feaster, who scored 15 points. Tammy Sutton-Brown added 14. Phoenix led 29-22 at halftime and opened the second half with a 15-5 run.

Charlotte cut the lead to 10 when Sutton-Brown made a layup with 2:44 remaining, but that was the closest the Sting would get. Phoenix responded with a field goal by Taurasi and two free throws by Slobodanka Tuvic.

Storm 76, Silver Stars 52

Seattle — Sue Bird scored 20 points, and Seattle used a dominating first half to coast past San Antonio. Bird hadn’t scored more than nine points in any of her previous five games, but she helped the Storm snap a two-game losing streak. Seattle led 43-20 at halftime. Lauren Jackson added 20 points.

Monarchs 73, Liberty 47

Sacramento, Calif. — Tangela Smith scored 17 points, leading Sacramento over New York. The Monarchs (6-7) have won three straight and will head out on a five-game road trip that begins Saturday in Seattle. The Liberty have lost eight of nine since a 6-1 start.

Mystics 69, Fever 64

Washington — Chamique Holdsclaw had 25 points and five rebounds Thursday, leading Washington over Indiana. Muriel Page scored a season-high 11 points and hit back-to-back jumpers with 2:51 remaining to give the Mystics a 60-56 lead.