Kahleah Copper scored 18 points and the visiting Phoenix Mercury extended their winning streak to six games by leading most of the way in a 75-69 victory over the host Washington Mystics on Thursday.
The Mercury (27-14) matched their longest winning streak of the season and won for the 11th time in 14 games. The result leaves Phoenix tied with the Atlanta Dream for second place in the WNBA, a half-game ahead of the Las Vegas Aces, who play later Thursday night.
Copper scored 14 points in the first half en route to a 7-of-21 shooting performance.
Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas collected 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, just missing her eighth triple-double of the season.
Sami Whitcomb added 12 points while Satou Sabally contributed 10 for the Mercury, who shot 41.8 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent (13-for-34) from 3-point range.
Kiki Iriafen scored 18 points to lead the Mystics (16-26), who dropped their eighth straight game and fell. Shakira Austin added 15 points and 10 rebounds, but rookie Sonia Citron was held to seven. Washington shot 38.4 percent on field-goal attempts, 25 percent (4-for-16) from beyond the arc.
Washington was within 61-59 after Sug Sutton’s 18-footer with 8:42 left, but Phoenix gradually pulled away. The Mercury took a 69-62 lead with 3:41 remaining on Copper’s 7-footer after Thomas secured an offensive rebound.
Following a Phoenix timeout, Thomas sank a 13-footer for a 71-62 lead with 2:52 left before Washington scored seven straight points, getting within two on a basket by Iriafen with 66 seconds left. Phoenix called another timeout, and Sabally sank a 3-pointer with 50.3 seconds remaining to clinch it.
Phoenix shot 8-for-15 and held a 22-16 lead through the opening quarter. Copper converted a three-point play with 2:41 left in the half and sank two 3-pointers in the final minute as the Mercury ended the half with a 14-4 run for 44-36 lead.
The Mercury went up 48-40 on a basket by Copper with 7:07 left in the third and were ahead 51-45 following a trey by Sabally less than two minutes later. Citron’s free throw forged a 53-53 tie, but Whitcomb sank two 3-pointers in the final two minutes as Phoenix entered the fourth with a 61-55 advantage.
–Field Level Media
