CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Just three games into the season, Diana

Taurasi already felt her Phoenix Mercury were facing a must-win

situation.

She certainly played like it against the struggling Charlotte

Sting, scoring 19 points with five rebounds and seven assists to

lead Phoenix to its first victory, 68-58 Thursday night.

Anna DeForge scored 20 points and Shereka Wright added 17 points

for the Mercury, who avoided the first 0-3 start in team history.

"Our season is so short, every game is big," Taurasi said.

"You can't start 0-3 and expect to make the playoffs, so it was

very important for us to win."

Tangela Smith scored 21 points and Tammy Sutton-Brown added 15

for the winless Sting. Charlotte's 0-3 start is its first since

2001.

The Mercury made six of their first nine 3-point shots, with

Belinda Snell's 3 giving Phoenix a 34-22 lead. The Mercury led by

11 at halftime with DeForge and Taurasi combining for 23 of their

38 points.

DeForge finished 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and the team made 10

of 15 from behind the arc.

"It's no secret we're a 3-point shooting team that likes to

run," Mercury coach Carrie Graf said. "(DeForge and Taurasi) are

different than some of the other backcourts in the league, but they

are certainly potent."

Phoenix started the second half on a 13-4 run and led by as many

as 21. Charlotte, which has lost its three games by a combined 38

points, cut it to eight in the final minute.

"We gave Taurasi and DeForge too many early looks at the 3. We

were very tentative defensively," Sting coach Trudi Lacey said.

"We didn't execute our game plan until the last 10 minutes, and

then it was too late."

The Sting shot 39 percent and have yet to crack the 40-percent

mark with their revamped roster, which includes offseason

acquisitions Smith, Sheri Sam and Helen Darling.

Darling, who was scoreless in 16 minutes, strained her left

hamstring with 7:10 remaining and did not return. Sam was also held

scoreless in 20 minutes.

"We need to get more shot attempts, and the ones we're taking

we're not making," said Sting point guard Dawn Staley, who took

just three shots and finished with two points. "We have to start

putting the ball in the hole. If I had an answer, we'd be 3-0."

The Sting played without rookie forward Janel McCarville. The

No. 1 overall pick in April's draft strained her lower back Sunday

against Indiana. Her status for Saturday's home game against Los

Angeles is uncertain.