Dupree had awful first game vs. Lynx; will she recover?

Phoenix forward Candice Dupree often gets overlooked because the Mercury have Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor, who averaged 21.6 and 16.7 points, respectively, during the regular season.

But the 6-2 Dupree had one of her best seasons, averaging 14.6 ppg and 8.2 rebounds. She shot 54.8 percent from the field -- second best in the WNBA.

The Lynx made her practically disappear on Thursday, though. She had two points (one for six from the field) and two rebounds in almost 26 minutes.

Turns out she may have been ill. Dupree was given an IV after the game because she was suffering from either dehydration or flu symptoms.

Dupree had scored in double figures in 30 of 34 regular-season games. Her previous lows were three and six points. She also was in douoble figures in rebounds in 11 games with a lows of one and two, once apiece.

Dupree, a 2006 Temple graduate, was especially playing well lately.

Nobody for the Mercury played too well as they lost 80-61 in the first game of their best-of three Western Conference semifinal series in Seattle.

In the third game, her 8-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left was the game-winner as visiting Phoenix beat Seattle 77-75. She had 20 points total.

Phoenix is 10-3 all-time in elimination games, 5-1 at home.

* Phoenix was 19-15 during the regular season, 9-8 on road, 11-6 at home

MAMA TAJ AGING WELL

* Taj McWilliams-Franklin of the Lynx is the second oldest player to play in the WNBA. She is 40 and turns 41 on Oct. 20. And an argument could be made she is the oldest legitimate player in league history.

* Glen Taylor's Timberwolves have won 32 games total the past two seasons and finished 2010-11 with 15 consecutive losses. ... His Lynx are doing a bit better this summer. They are 30-8 and, with four more wins, could be the WNBA champions. A banner for Target Center? Wow.

REVIEW OF PAST GAMES

The Lynx are 4-2 vs. Phoenix the season. A look at those games:

July 13 at Target Center: Mercury 112, Lynx 105 ... highest scoring 40-minute game in WNBA history ... Diana Taurasi had 27 points and DeWanna Bonner 24 for the Mercury; Seimone Augustus led the Lynx with 22 points while Rebekkah Brunson had 16 points and 16 assists

July 20 at US Airways Center: Lynx 106, Mercury 98 ... Augustus scores 25 points while teammate Lindsay Whalen has 16 points and eight assists. Taurasi has 24 points, Penny Taylor 23 ... Win enables Lynx to pass Phoenix for first place in the West in the game before the all-star break

Aug. 9 at US Airways Center: Mercury 85, Lynx 80 ... Taurasi scores 26; Moore has 28 and Augustus 26 for Lynx but bench is scoreless. Loss ends Minnesota's nine-game winning streak

Sept. 11 at US Airways Center: Lynx 96, Mercury 90 ... Moore scores 15 points, Jess Adair 10 points and has 13 rebounds. Lynx bench has season-high 42 points, plays a lot in fourth quarter. Taurasi scores 19.