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Alyssa Thomas recorded her 20th career regular-season triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds, and the Phoenix Mercury edged the Los Angeles Sparks 86-82 on Wednesday for their second straight win after a six-game losing streak. Thomas assisted on seven of the Mercury's final eight baskets, capped by a pass to Monique Akoa Makani with 14 seconds left that sealed it.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said finally closing out a tight game was a needed confidence boost heading into the break.
"Great. Really good. Really, really good heading into this break to give us some confidence. We've had plenty of those games," Tibbetts said. "I think this is maybe one of the first ones where we actually had the lead in crunch time. Typically, we've been playing from behind. I'm really proud of the group."
Kahleah Copper scored 21 points, and Akoa Makani added 14 as Phoenix (10-18) finished with 28 assists on 35 made baskets, including a 12-of-18, 10-assist fourth quarter. Copper said the group treated a challenging midday, pre-break matchup as an opportunity rather than a distraction.
"We were locked in. These are hard games to play. It's an early Kids Day game, there's a little bit of pressure because you're fighting for something, and at the same time you're thinking about the break coming up," Copper said. "I think we did an incredible job of following the game plan and just being locked in defensively."
Copper, Thomas, and Akoa Makani combined for 32 points as Phoenix took a 43-41 halftime lead, and the two teams traded the lead throughout the second half, tying at 60 entering the fourth after Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell hit 3-pointers in the final minute of the third. Copper opened the fourth with a basket and an assist to spark a Phoenix run that built a 79-72 lead with 3:46 left.
Thomas said the offense fed off a defense that had tightened up over the previous two games. The Mercury has gone 5-5 in their last 10 games and is now one win away from the fifth-ranked Portland Fire in the Western Conference standings.
"The coaches did a great job preparing us and letting us know that transition was going to be a big opportunity for us. It all started on the defensive end. When we were able to get stops, we really kind of had our way in transition," Thomas said.
Copper added that Sami Whitcomb's return from injury, including a handful of clutch shots off the bench, has given the team a needed lift.
"Sam has had a long road to recovery," Copper said. "She had some roadblocks getting back, and she's somebody who lives in the gym. She hit some huge shots tonight, so flowers go to Sam."
Burrell led Los Angeles (10-16) with 20 points, and Dearica Hamby added 18 points and 10 rebounds but missed a potential tying layup with 19 seconds left. It was the third player in franchise history, joining Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker, to record at least 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks in a game, and just the ninth player in WNBA history to do it in 32 minutes or fewer. Ariel Atkins scored 15 points, and Nneka Ogwumike had 13 points and 13 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season; her ninth rebound of the night moved her past Candace Parker for second on the Sparks' all-time rebounding list behind Lisa Leslie.
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said the loss, capping a five-game skid heading into the break, came down to execution rather than effort.
"Our execution needs to be better. Attention to detail, our communication defensively. They weren't doing anything that we didn't show on film and go over. We just got to be locked in," Roberts said. "I don't think there was ever not pressure to figure it out. We've had a tough stretch, and we've been right there in all these games, so I do think that we're really close. Pressure is a privilege. That means people care, people want us to do well."
Phoenix hosts the Golden State Valkyries on July 29. Los Angeles hosts the New York Liberty on Tuesday.
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Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said finally closing out a tight game was a needed confidence boost heading into the break.
"Great. Really good. Really, really good heading into this break to give us some confidence. We've had plenty of those games," Tibbetts said. "I think this is maybe one of the first ones where we actually had the lead in crunch time. Typically, we've been playing from behind. I'm really proud of the group."
Kahleah Copper scored 21 points, and Akoa Makani added 14 as Phoenix (10-18) finished with 28 assists on 35 made baskets, including a 12-of-18, 10-assist fourth quarter. Copper said the group treated a challenging midday, pre-break matchup as an opportunity rather than a distraction.
"We were locked in. These are hard games to play. It's an early Kids Day game, there's a little bit of pressure because you're fighting for something, and at the same time you're thinking about the break coming up," Copper said. "I think we did an incredible job of following the game plan and just being locked in defensively."
Copper, Thomas, and Akoa Makani combined for 32 points as Phoenix took a 43-41 halftime lead, and the two teams traded the lead throughout the second half, tying at 60 entering the fourth after Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell hit 3-pointers in the final minute of the third. Copper opened the fourth with a basket and an assist to spark a Phoenix run that built a 79-72 lead with 3:46 left.
Thomas said the offense fed off a defense that had tightened up over the previous two games. The Mercury has gone 5-5 in their last 10 games and is now one win away from the fifth-ranked Portland Fire in the Western Conference standings.
"The coaches did a great job preparing us and letting us know that transition was going to be a big opportunity for us. It all started on the defensive end. When we were able to get stops, we really kind of had our way in transition," Thomas said.
Copper added that Sami Whitcomb's return from injury, including a handful of clutch shots off the bench, has given the team a needed lift.
"Sam has had a long road to recovery," Copper said. "She had some roadblocks getting back, and she's somebody who lives in the gym. She hit some huge shots tonight, so flowers go to Sam."
Burrell led Los Angeles (10-16) with 20 points, and Dearica Hamby added 18 points and 10 rebounds but missed a potential tying layup with 19 seconds left. It was the third player in franchise history, joining Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker, to record at least 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks in a game, and just the ninth player in WNBA history to do it in 32 minutes or fewer. Ariel Atkins scored 15 points, and Nneka Ogwumike had 13 points and 13 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season; her ninth rebound of the night moved her past Candace Parker for second on the Sparks' all-time rebounding list behind Lisa Leslie.
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said the loss, capping a five-game skid heading into the break, came down to execution rather than effort.
"Our execution needs to be better. Attention to detail, our communication defensively. They weren't doing anything that we didn't show on film and go over. We just got to be locked in," Roberts said. "I don't think there was ever not pressure to figure it out. We've had a tough stretch, and we've been right there in all these games, so I do think that we're really close. Pressure is a privilege. That means people care, people want us to do well."
Phoenix hosts the Golden State Valkyries on July 29. Los Angeles hosts the New York Liberty on Tuesday.
Continue reading...
