The Phoenix Mercury captured its third CMEK Women’s League Championship with a 44-41 comeback victory over the Minnesota Lynx. Team Phoenix is comprised of Point Guard Sharon Bartel, wing players Ariella Helfgott and Elana Mandel, Power Forwards Laura Interiano and Elana Tamas, and Center Kristen Kush.

The Lynx are comprised of sisters Steph Greenspan and Danielle Epstein, Stephanie Amos, Tamar Rothenberg, Livia Marcovici, Debbie Schwartz and Leah Gologorsky. They played tough all season and put up a great fight against the Phoenix Mercury.

After trailing by six with less than two minutes remaining, Phoenix showed their mental toughness by converting on their final three possessions to tie the game and force overtime. Then Kristen Kush (CMEK girls’ coach), who was named the Playoff MVP and league high scorer, converted on a conventional three-point play to take the lead. Phoenix stayed calm and in control of the game after that. As Laura Interiano put it, “We kept our composure, we were patient and we knew we would pull it off!”

It was another fantastic end to a fun CMEK Women’s League season. The teams all had fun competing against each other throughout the season and the playoff games did not disappoint. When asked how Phoenix pulled it off again, Elana Tamas explained, “The players on Team Phoenix have a mutual respect for each other, which I think comes from having an excellent leader and a group of intelligent and good-natured women. I think the personalities of the women on our team have been the secret to the Phoenix team’s success.”

The next season of the CMEK women’s league begins October 31. Games are played Monday evenings at BPY in Paramus. For more information, please contact league director Chad Mekles by email at [email protected].