The Phoenix Mercurys are the seventh seed heading into the WNBA playoffs, while the Los Angeles Sparks, who have the worst record in the league, are looking to finish their season on a high when they host them in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The Mercury improved to 18-20 with a 93-88 road win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday.
With two games remaining, Phoenix is 1.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever (20-19), which is one game back. Indiana holds the tiebreaker against Phoenix after winning the season series 3-0.
Brittney Griner had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Diana Taurasi added 25 points for Phoenix in the win over Chicago. Natasha Cloud had 18 points and 11 assists, but leading scorer Kalia Copper (21.6 ppg) missed her second straight game with a back injury.
Mercury head coach Nat Tibbetts said guarding Griner continues to be a heavy burden for the defense, as he shot 12-of-20 from the field.
“We’re hoping she’ll be patient (with her poor shooting) or get pushed off the block early on her possession,” Tibbetts said Sunday about the defensive options for Griner, “but she took a ton of shots in the paint, and that’s what we need.”
Sophie Cunningham, who just signed a contract extension with the Mercury through next season, sealed the win with two free throws with 5.5 seconds left in the game. Cunningham finished with 13 points and five rebounds.
Cunningham is averaging career-highs of 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game and is a candidate for the WNBA Sixer of the Year Award.
The Sparks (7-31) lost their seventh straight game, 90-87, on the road to the Seattle Storm on Sunday. Dearica Hamby (17.1 points per game) had 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in the loss to Seattle.
Los Angeles will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year because of a slew of injuries, the most significant of which was a torn ACL suffered by first-round draft pick Cameron Brink in June, while Lexi Brown (Crohn’s disease) and Lacia Clarendon (mental-health reasons) are also out.
“She’s been very important to us and has been a big part of our load early on,” Sparks coach Kurt Miller said of Hamby. “She’s the most improved player in this league.”
–Field Level Media
