Recap: Mercury improve to 3-1 for first time since 2014 with win over Mystics

Trailing by one with 1:30 left, the Mercury shocked the Mystics and scored the final seven points.

Trailing 62-61 with 1:23 left, the Phoenix Mercury (3-1) went on a 7-0 run to come back and beat the Washington Mystics (2-3) in front of 10,065 fans at PHX Arena.

The Mercury, who led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, allowed a 20-9 Mystics run over the final 5:22. Phoenix struggled mightily and made just 3-of-10 shots in the period.

The Mercury were poor from inside the paint, missing several layups. They could have put the game away, but their missed shots kept Washington in reach.

“Unexplainable,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said.

“To be a good team, which we want to do, we want to get to the rim. We got to finish those.”

But Phoenix’s team has stars Satou Sabally, who had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting with nine rebounds, and Alyssa Thomas, who finished with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds, and five assists. The Mystics did not.

Coach Nate Tibbetts drew up two plays that saw one of the Mercury star duo set up a teammate for a big 3-pointer. Thomas, who proved to be too difficult a matchup for Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen, drove the paint and kicked the ball out to center Kathryn Westbeld for a 3-pointer that gave the Mercury a 61-60 lead with 1:30 to go.

After two free throws from Mystics guard Brittney Sykes, Satou passed the ball to guard Monique Akoa Makani, who had a team-high 13 points, for a 3-pointer on the right wing. Akoa Makani made one of her three 3-pointers that gave the Mercury a 64-62 lead with 1:11 left.

Phoenix forced misses from the Mystics, who were forced to foul. Akoa Makani and Thomas each hit two free throws to ice the game for the Mercury, who have started 3-1 for the first time since 2014. That season, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner led the team to its third WNBA championship.

“We didn’t hang our head,” Tibbetts said. “I was so impressed with our defensive effort.”

The Mercury were on the right side of a close victory. They felt they gave away a victory against the Seattle Storm on Friday, when they surrendered a late 7-0 run in the fourth. Phoenix committed 20 turnovers in that game.

The Mercury turned the ball over 15 times against the Mystics. By forcing 16 combined turnovers on the Mystics’ top three scorers (Sykes, Iriafen and Sonia Citron), the Mercury were able to overcome a poor shooting game. Phoenix shot 33.3% (21-of-64) from the field and 11-of-34 (32.4%) from three. Meanwhile, the Mystics shot 19-of-54 (35.2%) and 6-of-24 (25.0%) from three.

Washington closed the gap in the third with 8-of-10 made free throws. Even though Sykes had eight points in the period, she shot 1-of-13 and was held in check.

Akoa Makani’s performance came on the heels of her 14-point night against the Storm on Friday. Teams have left her open from beyond the arc, but she has made them pay this season. She was 3-of-6 from three on Sunday and for the season has made 10-of-18 (55.5%) of her attempts.

“Just keep playing the game,” Akoa Makani said of her mindset.

Even though Thomas was held scoreless until the second half and Sabally did not become the first double-digit scorer for the Mercury until the fourth quarter, the two stars have been able to rely on Akoa Makani and others to make an impact.

“A lot of people might not know who they are, but we have the utmost faith in them,” Thomas said. “We go out there and battle with them each and every night.”

The Mercury return to PHX Arena on Tuesday night to face the Chicago Sky. The game will be televised by Arizona’s Family and Arizona’s Family Sports.

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