Mercury extend win streak to 5 games
The Phoenix Mercury didn’t exactly mail in the second half of their fifth consecutive win Sunday, but it’s a good thing their opponent was Las Vegas instead of, say, Los Angeles.
After a 50-point first half, the Mercury scored just 22 on 25.7 percent shooting in the second and needed two late blocks from Brittney Griner to hold off the Aces 72-66 at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
“In the end, we won the game, that’s the most important thing,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “That’s what I’ll get from this game. I won’t be going over it because in the next game we can put 50 up in the second half.”
Fortunately for Phoenix (7-3), the Aces (1-7) shot just 28.9 percent in the second half and trailed 68-56 with 5:14 remaining before an 8-0 run to make things dicey for the Mercury with 3:28 left.
The 6-9 Griner was the deciding factor, blocking guard Kelsey Plum on a drive and rookie forward A’ja Wilson on a jump shot to keep the lead at four. Diana Taurasi, on the day before her 36th birthday, hit a game-clinching 3-pointer at 1:05 to finish with a game-high 25 points.
Griner came closer to a triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks.
“Blocks keep them from scoring and give us another possession,” Griner said. “It pumped me up (blocking 5-8 Plum) to try to get another one (vs. 6-4 Wilson). “I’ve gotten better at trying to keep it in play and block it without hitting them with my body. Jump away but still get the block. Because blocking then getting a foul, that’s the worst.”
Griner’s 15 boards were the most for her since September 2016. “I told coach don’t get used to it,” she said. “It’s a conscious effort I have to make to go try to get a board, but tonight they were just falling in my hands. Just the luck of the fall, I’ll take them though.”
The Mercury averaged 87.2 points in their previous four games and were well on their way to that total or higher at halftime, up 50-37. But they only scored nine in the third quarter – Las Vegas had just 11 – and 13 in the fourth.
“We weren’t aggressive to the rim,” Brondello said. “Obviously they were trapping BG (Griner) and taking us out of what we wanted to do. Then sometimes we were just taking bad shots. The ball didn’t move enough through people’s hands. A little bit of fatigue, not enough execution.”
Taurasi was just 8-of-23 shooting and 3-of-13 from 3-point.
“If you don’t shoot, you can’t make ‘em,” she said. “I spent too much time in the gym to have a bad half or bad quarter and stop. I kind of put my head down and try to take good ones. The shot selection was probably not the best tonight. We were taking too many risky shots. The bad ones outweighed the good ones.
“We relied on our defense and rebounding and timely offense. We found a way to win, and that’s really important.”
Longest win streak since 2015
The Mercury’s five-game win streak is their longest since 2015. The team record is 16 straight wins in 2014.
The Mercury had 20 assists, hitting that mark for a sixth straight game, and out-rebounded a second straight opponent, 49-40.
Griner had 29 career double-doubles, three off Candice Dupree’s franchise record 32.
DeWanna Bonner scored 14 points, including a 30-footer in the closing seconds of the second quarter. The Mercury are 7-0 when Taurasi, Griner and Bonner all score at least 12 points.
Wilson, No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, led the Aces with 17 points despite not scoring her first field goal until 6:42 in the second quarter. Kayla McBride had 16 and Plum 12.
Taurasi is impressed with Wilson and Chicago’s Gabby Williams, No. 4 draft pick.
“A’ja played like a 10-year vet,” Taurasi said. “She has this assurance about herself. She knows the things she wants to get done. Gabby (Williams) came in here and her athleticism jumps out at you the minute you’re on the court with her.’’
Taurasi is celebrating her birthday with her wife, infant son, parents and other family members. “Just a lot of reflection. I started as a little kid here and now I’m 36 and married with a baby. Being in this locker room still means a lot to me and I’m still playing a high level. It all pays off when you put the work in.”
Up next
The Mercury go back on the road to face Dallas (4-3) on Tuesday. They opened the season winning 86-78 over the Wings.