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As their home city sweltered in triple-digit temperatures throughout July, the Phoenix Mercury created their own heat earlier this month, winning back-to-back home games for their first consecutive victories this season.

But while their current four-game road trip has provided an escape from the scorching desert temperatures, the Mercury have cooled off in more ways than they would have liked.

Phoenix will also be without star center Brittney Griner for the final two games of the trip so she can focus on her mental health. The first of those games is Sunday against the Chicago Sky.

Griner will also miss Tuesday’s contest at the Indiana Fever.

Griner was detained for nearly 10 months in Russia in 2022. She returned to the Mercury this season and has been open about how the ordeal affected her mental health.

Phoenix (6-17) lost the first two games of the road trip and drags a WNBA-worst 1-11 road record into Chicago for a Sunday showdown against the Sky.

The persistent road struggles, compounded by injuries, have put the Mercury in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2012.

“We have to figure something out and just keep giving our best effort,” Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue said after Tuesday’s 78-65 road loss to the Atlanta Dream. “We have a couple more road games coming up here that we think if we are all healthy, we can come out strong and really compete.”

Phoenix played Tuesday without Diana Taurasi (quadriceps/toe), who missed her seventh game this season, although she could return for Sunday’s contest.

Megan Gustafson stepped up with a career-best 19-points off the bench in the loss, and Griner logged all 16 of her points before halftime. Griner went 0 of 3 from the field in nine second-half minutes.

The Sky (9-15) also are looking to remain in the playoff mix amid a two-game skid that includes Friday’s 83-74 home clunker against the Seattle Storm, who snapped their franchise-record 10-game losing streak.

Kahleah Copper scored 17 points to lead Chicago in scoring for the seventh straight game, but the Sky were dominated 46-26 on the glass.

Seattle snatched 16 offensive rebounds and cashed in with 26 second-chance points to nine for Chicago.

The Sky, which hasn’t missed the postseason since 2018, has lost six of their past seven games and enters Saturday jostling with the Los Angeles Sparks for the final spot in the WNBA playoffs.

Interim coach/GM Emre Vatansever still believes his squad is a legitimate threat.

“This team is capable of beating anybody,” Vatansever said, according to the Chicago Sun Times, after Friday’s loss. “We showed that a couple of days ago, it just didn’t reflect in the score.”

Sunday’s winner will claim the season series. Chicago took down Phoenix 75-69 on May 21 at Arizona before the Mercury pulled even at home with an 80-62 victory on July 20.

–Field Level Media