Editing Phoenix Mercury (section)

===Bringing back "Paul Ball" (2006–2007)===
Former [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] coach [[Paul Westhead]] became the Mercury's head coach prior to the 2006 season and brought his up-tempo style to Phoenix.  Westhead was the first WNBA coach to have won a previous NBA championship (with [[Los Angeles Lakers]] in [[1980 NBA Finals|1980]]). The Mercury also drafted [[Cappie Pondexter]] with the #2 overall selection in the 2006 WNBA Draft. The addition provided Taurasi with a solid #2 player.  Westhead's run and gun offense quickly became The Mercury's trademark and the franchise would soon set new league records for points scored.

The 2006 season was a positive one for the Mercury, as they posted a winning record for the first time since 2000, at 18–16. The Mercury competed for the playoffs all year, but fell just short of a postseason berth.

As the 2007 season came, the Mercury were poised and hungry for a deep playoff run. The Mercury would run away with the Western Conference, posting their best record in franchise history at 23–11, as well as clinching the #1 seed. The Mercury set a record by averaging 89.0 points in a season during 2007.<ref name=p67>Sports Illustrated, September 24, 2007, p. 67</ref> In their first playoffs since 2000, the Mercury made quick work of the [[Seattle Storm]] in the first round, blowing them out in two games (Game 1: 101–84, Game 2: 95–89). In the Western Finals, the Mercury swept the [[San Antonio Silver Stars]] in a closer series (Game 1: 102–100, Game 2: 98–92), advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time in nine years. In the Finals, the Mercury faced the defending 2006 champions [[Detroit Shock]]. The two teams split the first two games in Detroit. Coming back home, the Mercury suffered a letdown in game 3, losing 88–83. Down 2–1, the Mercury had to win game 4 or lose. Game 4 came down to the final seconds, but the Mercury edged out the Shock 77–76, with Cappie Pondexter scoring 26 points, and forced a Game 5 in Detroit. In Game 5, Phoenix won by a score of 108–92.<ref name=p67/> [[Penny Taylor]] scored a game high 30 points in Game 5, and went 18-for-18 from the line.<ref name=p67/> The Mercury won the series and their first championship with a 108–92 Game 5 victory, becoming the first WNBA team to win a championship on the road. [[Cappie Pondexter]] was named the WNBA Finals MVP, and averaged 22.0 points and 5.6 assists in the series.<ref name=p67/> On November 7, 2007, The Mercury announced the hiring of [[Corey Gaines]] as head coach to replace the departing [[Paul Westhead]].