PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury’s slogan for the 2007 WNBA playoffs was “Oneteam, one city, one goal.”

On Tuesday, it was one big party as the new WNBA champions and about 1,000of their fans celebrated at a U.S. Airways Center rally. A championship bannerwas unfurled as purple and gold confetti fluttered from the ceiling.

“You stuck with us through thick and thin, and there was quite a bit ofthin,” All-Star forward Penny Taylor told the crowd. “We fought for you.”

Taylor wasn’t kidding. She bore four bruises and an inch-long scratch on herarms, evidence of an intense, physical series with the Detroit Shock.

The Mercury have had a small but ardent fan base since their inception in1997. Some of the rally’s loudest cheers were reserved for Mercury assistantcoach Bridget Pettis, who scored the first basket in team history.

“I feel that I’m asleep right now, and I’m having the best dream of mylife,” an emotional Pettis said.

It was a dream season for the Mercury, who scored a WNBA-record 89 pointsper game and became the first team in league history to clinch a title on theroad.

Phoenix rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Detroit in the best-of-fiveseries. The final score of the clincher — PHX 108, DET 92 — flashed on ascoreboard above the dais.

Championships are rare in this city. Among the four major pro sports teams,only the Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2001, have brought a trophy to the desert.

Perhaps that why the rally stirred so many emotions. Arizona fans haven’tbeen spoiled by success.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much,” All-Star Diana Taurasisaid. “We’re going to do it all again next year.”

Before the 12:30 p.m. rally, the Mercury gathered on an underground practicecourt to have a team photo taken with the WNBA trophy.

The question is, how many of the faces in that picture will be back nextsummer?

Coach Paul Westhead, who has spent the last two years with the Mercury, ismulling an offer to join P.J. Carlesimo’s staff with the Seattle SuperSonics.”I don’t have any deal in hand,” said Westhead, who is expected to make hisdecision in the next week.

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Westhead, a 68-year-old basketball nomad, said this was one of the moreenjoyable seasons in a long career.

“This is really special because I don’t think I’ve ever been around a teamthat just collectively were so together in everything they do,” said Westhead,who also won an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980. “This might bethe best team, meaning a collection of athletes who played together unselfishly,that I’ve ever experienced. Ultimately, that wins for you.”

The Mercury may also lose Taylor, a free agent. She is a member of theAustralian national team and might take next season off to concentrate onpreparing for the Beijing Olympics.

Taurasi is a restricted free agent, and the Mercury is expected to match anyoffer from another team.

This is Taurasi’s seventh title. She won three NCAA championships at theUniversity of Connecticut, an Olympic gold medal and professional titles inEurope and Russia.

“It doesn’t get old,” Taurasi said. “This is the way I look at it: youmaster a craft. That’s what winning is. It’s really mastering something. And wedid that this year. We figured out a way to master it and kind of mold it intowhat we wanted it to be. And that was the best thing about it.”