Mercury’s Big Three rises to occasion in playoff-chase win over Sparks

By Scott Mammoser

Mercury wins in intense 86-78 game against the Sparks

PHOENIX- With home-court advantage on the line for the postseason, the Phoenix Mercury played some of its most-intense basketball this season in an 86-78 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.

DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 30 points, going 5-of-11 from downtown, Brittney Griner collected a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Diana Taurasi dished a career-high 14 assists to go along with 20 points. Any time you see the words career-high after Taurasi’s name, you know it’s something major. Griner’s nine double-doubles on the season are also the most in her six-year career.

It was the Mercury’s first win over a team currently in playoff positioning since July 5 over Connecticut, a span of 12 games (3-9). The victory equalizes the Mercury (18-14) with the Sparks (18-13) in wins, along with the Sun (18-13), as the three teams occupy the fourth-through-sixth seeds going into the final week of the regular season.

“We need more scoring from more people,” Taurasi said. “It was a big game for us. We’re trying to play well and feel good going into the playoffs.”

Bonner paused and launched a half court shot to put the Mercury up by 13 at the end of the third. She had 11 in the period as the team erased a six-point deficit.

“I just really wanted to win,” Bonner said. “I really wanted to beat them, and right now, we need to find a good rhythm to get ready for the playoffs. That was my mindset.”

Sparks two-time MVP Candace Parker opened the first quarter 6-of-7 from the floor with 15 points and five rebounds and finished with 23 and eight. Maria Vadeeva, the 20-year-old Russian rookie, increased her career-high in scoring from 10 to 16 in just 15 minutes.

“This is more about us building momentum and us playing the way we are capable of playing for 40 minutes,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “The last two games have been consistent. The bench came on and made good plays. We are playing well, and that’s what it all comes down to in the playoffs, so we can come out there in any situation.”

The Mercury has two regular season games remaining, both at home, at 7 p.m. on Friday against Atlanta and at 3 p.m. on August 19 versus New York. The Sparks host the Liberty on Tuesday and close out the campaign on the road in Washington and Connecticut on August 17 and 19.