P - The Phoenix Mercury are one win away from claiming the WNBA title after Australia's Penny Taylor helped lift them to a 97-68 thrashing of the Chicago Sky in game two of the finals.
Taylor stole the show in Phoenix on Tuesday, scoring 14 points and posting game-highs of eight rebounds and six assists.
Fellow Opals star Erin Phillips added seven points and three assists off the bench.
Brittany Griner shook off a scratched eye and bloody mouth to finish with 19 points, and Diana Taurasi with 18, in what was the biggest win in WNBA finals history.
It has given Mercury a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, ahead of game three in Chicago on Friday.
The Sky were far more aggressive after being blown out by 21 points in their opening finals fixture, fighting Phoenix for every inch early on.
Griner got the worst of the Sky's physical play midway through the first quarter, when Sylvia Fowles inadvertently hit her on the right eye while fighting for a rebound.
She returned to the game only to get an elbow in the mouth - again, by Fowles.
But Griner and her teammates shrugged it off in the second quarter with a 15-2 run.
The Mercury won the WNBA title in 2007 and 2009, while Chicago is in the finals for the first time.
Once the finals are over, Taylor and Phillips will join the Opals squad in Turkey for the world championships.
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