Mystics beaten at buzzer by ex-player

Shey Peddy made a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Phoenix Mercury an 85-84 come-from-behind victory over the defending champion Washington Mystics on Tuesday night in the first round of the WNBA playoffs in Bradenton, Fla.

Washington guard Leilani Mitchell went one for two from the free-throw line with 5.8 seconds to go for an 84-82 lead. After a timeout, Diana Taurasi inbounded it to Skylar Diggins-Smith, who drove the lane and lofted a pass across the court to the corner. Peddy pump-faked to get her defender in the air and calmly beat the buzzer.

Peddy, who was cut by Washington this season, finished with 12 points for Phoenix. Diggins-Smith had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Taurasi, who improved to 7-0 in single-elimination playoff games, added 23 points.

Sun 94, Sky 81: Alyssa Thomas had 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, DeWanna Bonner added 23 points and 12 boards, and seventh-seeded Connecticut beat No. 6 Chicago in the postseason opener. The Sun will play the No. 3 Sparks on Thursday.

Parker honored

Sparks forward Candace Parker was chosen Associated Press defensive player of the year after leading the WNBA in rebounding. With 9.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game, Parker anchored the third-rated Sparks defense as the team finished third in the league.

Parker also was selected to the all-WNBA team, along with player of the year A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas, Seattle forward Breanna Stewart, Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot and Dallas guard Arike Ogunbowale.