Taurasi returns to the lineup, but Sky outlasts Mercury

By Scott Mammoser

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Mercury welcomed back Diana Taurasi on Sunday, but the Chicago Sky erased a 10-point deficit and used a 28-15 third quarter run to win, 94-86. Brittney Griner, the league’s scoring leader, recorded a season-best 34 points, four off her career high for Phoenix, which fell to 13-15 and still holding onto the final playoff spot in the WNBA. The Sky improved to 18-11, with Allie Quigley leading the way with 24 points.

After undergoing back surgery this spring, Taurasi appeared in 16 minutes of the July 12^th game at Connecticut, scoring five points. Sunday, she recorded 12 points in 22 minutes, although she was 2-of-13 shooting.

Mercury is still holding on for spot in playoff

“You forget how physically and mentally draining they are,” Taurasi said of her injuries, “when you are constantly rehabbing and constantly in pain. I need to get better if we have any chance of competing. It’s good to be on the floor, but overall, a pretty (poor) game for myself. I need to play better, whether I haven’t played or not.”

 Sancho Lyttle was also appearing in her first game for the Mercury since the same July 12^th game, in which she injured her knee. Lyttle missed the second half of the 2018 season with a torn ACL.

“It felt great to play again,” Lyttle said, “but you always feel bad when you lose your first game back. I don’t feel like I missed anything really. I wasn’t that tired, I didn’t play much minutes, but it could have been worse. We have a full team now, so we will go from here.”

In addition, DeWanna Bonner recorded a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Mercury. Courtney Vandersloot, the WNBA leader in assists, dished out 13 for Chicago. Diamond DeShields scored 18 points, and two Sky players posted double-doubles, with Cheyenne Parker notching 14 and 12, plus Astou Ndour 13 and 10.

“Even though the result isn’t what we wanted, it’s great to see Diana back on the court today,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello added. “The more games we play, the better she will get. It’s good she came back now, with six games to go, so she can get back into her rhythm.” 

The Mercury will next play three games on the road, at New York, Atlanta and Chicago, each two days apart, beginning on Aug. 27. The team returns home for three games to conclude the regular season, the first on Sept. 3 against Seattle, the latter two versus Minnesota and Las Vegas. Those will be the only appearances for the Storm and Lynx in Phoenix this season. The Sky next plays at the Lynx on Aug. 27.

Mystics are no problem for Griner and shorthanded Mercury

By Scott Mammoser

PHOENIX - What was left of the Phoenix Mercury surprised the Washington Mystics in a 103-82 runaway victory on Sunday. The Mercury’s injury list is composed of a group that could form a sufficient starting five. Diana Taurasi is still out with her back injury and is now joined in street clothes on the bench with Sancho Lyttle (knee), Alanna Smith (ankle), Essence Carson (calf), and Briann January (foot).

Mercury defeat Mystics in runaway victory 103-82

Phoenix still had the WNBA’s scoring leader healthy as ever though. Brittney Griner opened the game with a first quarter for the ages, shooting 7-of-8 for 17 points, as the Mercury grabbed a 28-23 lead of which it never lost control. She ended with 26 points, nine rebounds and a game-high eight assists from the post.

“We knew we had to pick it up,” Griner said. “All of the stuff we have going on, playing with our pain, we need to put it all out there.”

Leilani Mitchell and Yvonne Turner combined to shoot 9-of-15 from downtown for 23 and 22 points, the latter being Turner’s career best. The Mystics (14-7) had won five straight, including a six-point win over the Mercury (11-10) in Washington last week, and were just about deadlocked with Connecticut for first place in the Eastern Conference.

“We’ve been really focused this week in practice,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “It’s attention to detail and executing what we want. We have athleticism. We had tough losses to them, but it was close. Everyone knows that we are going to play, it’s not that we want to play with seven for the rest of the year.”

Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman equaled one another for the Mystics’ lead in scoring with 18 points. The Belgian, Meesseman, came off the bench and recorded all of hers in 16 minutes on 8-of-12 shooting. Griner, DeWanna Bonner (who scored 10 on Sunday) and Delle Donne are the top three in the league in scoring. Kristi Toliver also recorded 12 points for the Mystics, while rookie Brianna Turner scored 12 in a starting role with Phoenix.

The Mercury brought back rookie guard Arica Carter to compensate for the injuries. Carter, from the University of Louisville, was waived after the second game of the season.

“Everybody is welcoming me back with open arms,” Carter said. “I’ve been at home (in Los Angeles) working out and trying to stay ready. I just want to do whatever the team needs me to do and keep learning.”

The Mercury will be at the Sparks on Aug. 8, before returning home to face the Dallas Wings at 7 p.m. on Aug. 10. The Mystics are at home against the Fever on Aug. 8.