Connecticut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks also pick up wins
Monday 5 August 2019 14:37, UK
Brittney Griner had 26 points, nine rebounds, a career-high eight assists and four blocks to help the Phoenix Mercury beat the Washington Mystics 103-82 on Sunday.
Brittney Griner had 26 points, nine rebounds, a career-high eight assists and four blocks to help the Phoenix Mercury beat the Washington Mystics 103-82 on Sunday.
Leilani Mitchell made five three-pointers and finished with 23 points, and Yvonne Turner, who hit 4-of-5 from behind the arc, added a career-high 22 points for Phoenix.
The Mystics (14-7) had their five-game win streak snapped.
Turner and Mitchell scored five points apiece during a 14-2 run that gave Phoenix a 60-41 lead late in the second quarter. Griner scored 23 points on 10-of-11 shooting in the first half.
The Mercury (11-10) shot a season-high 58.2 per cent from the field and had 28 assists on 39 field goals. They tied their season-high with 12 three-pointers and made all 13 free-throw attempts.
Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman scored 18 points apiece for the Mystics.
Courtney Williams scored a season-high 28 points and the Connecticut Sun won their seventh consecutive game, beating the New York Liberty 94-79.
Alyssa Thomas added 16 points and Jonquel Jones had 14 points, 10 rebounds and five steals for the Sun (16-6).
Connecticut led 29-16 after the first quarter. It was the most points the Sun had scored in the opening quarter this season.
New York cut it to 39-32 on Tina Charles' jumper with 4:30 left in the half. The Sun outscored the Liberty 14-6 the rest of the period to take a 15-point lead at the half.
Williams was 12-for-18 from the field and had 17 of her points by the half, helping Connecticut improve to 12-0 when leading at the break this season.
New York (8-13) could not get within single digits in the second half. Charles had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Liberty, who have lost five of their past six games.
Candace Parker scored a season-high 21 points while Nneka Ogwumike added 13 points, 10 rebounds and three steals as Los Angeles beat Seattle.
Maria Vadeeva, a 20-year old who missed two-plus months because of international duty for Russia and a knee injury, scored 14 points for the Sparks (13-8).
Sami Whitcomb and Alysha Clark each had 16 points for Seattle (12-11). The Storm have lost three straight.
