Penny Taylor has kept her basketball career alive for at least another match.
The 35-year-old Australian announced she would retire at the end of the 2016 WNBA season and is in the midst of playing the playoff series with Phoenix Mercury.
Treading an elimination finals tightrope, the Mercury got past their opening opponent Indiana Fever 89-78 on Thursday morning (AEST) to advance to the next round.
The Phoenix overcame a two-point halftime deficit, with Taylor notching 12 points and five rebounds to remain in the hunt for her fourth WNBA championship.
Taylor, a three-time Olympian, played her final game for the Opals at the Rio Games, where they were bundled out by Serbia in the quarter-finals.
The Phoenix, coached by Australia's Sandy Brondello, face another one-off elimination match against New York Liberty on Sunday morning (AEST).
If they win, a five-game semi-final playoff against either Minnesota Lynx or Los Angeles Sparks awaits.
