May 19, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Game footage from the second half of the game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun at Gambridge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Brittney Griner had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Diana Taurasi had 25 points and six assists to help the visiting Phoenix Mercury on Sunday Defeated the Chicago Sky 93-88, ending a three-game losing streak.
The two WNBA legends scored 11 of Phoenix's 16 fourth-quarter points. The Mercury (18-20) took an 87-86 lead with 2:10 left in regulation on Taurasi's elbow shot and then Griner's basket to give Phoenix a final shot in a tight game. of buffering.
Natasha Cloud had 18 points and 11 assists, and Sophie Cunningham scored 13 points for the playoff-bound Mercury, which shot 54.5% from the field. It was the second win in eight games.
Chennedy Carter scored 20 points for the Sky, Michaela Onyenwere had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Rachel Banham scored for the Sky (13-25), who added 17 points and seven assists, shot 14 of 25 from 3-point range but scored half of his 31 total points in the second quarter.
Chicago has suffered a three-game losing streak, losing 10 of 12 games, and is tied for the final spot in the playoffs with Atlanta and Washington, who are currently in tiebreakers.
In the first half, both teams performed very well on the court, especially from beyond the three-point line. Chicago hit 10 of its 14 3-pointers in the first half, a season high, and Barnum scored 15 points on 5-for-6 3-point shooting in the first two quarters.
At the same time, Phoenix made 3 of 16 shots, including 3 points each from Taurasi (13 points in the first half) and Cunningham (11 points). Griner scored 15 points in the first half for the Mercury, who shot 58.3 from the field in the first 20 minutes, but trailed 57-55 at halftime.
Taurasi scored six points, and Griner went on a 10-0 run in the middle of the third quarter to help Phoenix lead 69-64. However, entering the fourth quarter, the Sky used three-pointers to narrow the score gap. Dana Evans and Carter each hit long-range shots and fell behind 77-76.
Chicago rookie Camila Cardoso played only nine minutes in the first half due to a shoulder injury. She only had two points and three rebounds.
Mercury's leading scorer and former Sky star Kaalia Cooper (21.6 points per game) missed the game for the second consecutive time with back issues.
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