• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Phoenix Sports Today

Phoenix Sports News Continuously Updated

  • Cardinals
  • Diamondbacks
  • Coyotes
  • Basketball
    • Mercury
    • Suns
  • Soccer
  • Colleges
    • Arizona State
    • Grand Canyon University
    • Northern Arizona
    • University of Arizona

Week 6 in the WNBA with Aari McDonald and Sam Thomas

June 13, 2022 by AZ Desert Swarm Leave a Comment

Atlanta Dream v Phoenix Mercury
Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

For the first time in the 2022 WNBA season, Aari McDonald and the Atlanta Dream came to Phoenix. McDonald and her team faced off against Sam Thomas’ Phoenix Mercury for the second time this year, but it was the first opportunity for the Arizona fans to be in attendance to watch the two former Wildcats on the court.

The two teams are going in opposite directions right now. Phoenix started out slow this season but is now a winner of three straight. Atlanta did things just the opposite. After a strong start to the season, the Dream have dropped the last two and are losers of three of the last four.

One of Atlanta’s losses came in Phoenix in a tightly-contested game that ended 90-88. Both McDonald and Thomas saw some game action. The two will see each other again in Phoenix on July 17.

Arizona Wildcat mom’s forever. down! pic.twitter.com/qqWPQ6RykX

— Derek Thomas,NBCT (@coachDThomas84) June 11, 2022

Aari McDonald and the Atlanta Dream

The Dream are now 7-6 after their loss to the Mercury. They also dropped a game to the Seattle Storm this week. The team still stands sixth in the overall league standings and fourth in the Eastern Conference.

McDonald played more than 30 minutes in each of the Dream’s games this week, averaging 35 minutes per game. Starting point guard Erica Wheeler sustained an injury early in the team’s first game of the week, so McDonald saw both an increase in time on the court and her first start of the season.

Against the Storm, she played 31 minutes and went 3-10 from the field while coming off the bench. Wheeler played only three minutes, so McDonald saw considerably more time than her season average of 25.6 MPG. She added two rebounds, three assists, and two steals to her seven points, but the team came up far short in a 72-60 loss.

McDonald got her first start of the 2022 season against the Mercury and played a game-high 39 minutes. She wrapped up the night 6-12 from the field with 13 points. She also had four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Most importantly, she did it all without turning over the ball in what was a close loss.

If you blink, you might miss her . AARI gets it done on both ends @AariMcdonald pic.twitter.com/gUM9dsVpoX

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) June 11, 2022

Next week, the Dream will try to get back on the winning track, but it’s going to be a tough ask. They will be facing Connecticut Sun on Wed., June 15. The Sun currently sit in second in the overall league standings and lead the Eastern Conference.

Things don’t get much easier on Fri., June 17 when Atlanta goes to Chicago to face the defending champions. The Sky are currently third in the overall standings and second in the Eastern Conference.

Sam Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury have improved to 5-8 and currently occupy what would be the final playoff spot if the season ended now. Their current three-game winning streak put an end to a seven-game losing streak.

Thomas has seen little action of late, but she did get some early time against the Dream. She played four minutes when her former teammate was in town and accounted for one assist.

Still seems surreal that Sam Thomas was in an Arizona huddle like this only three months ago and now she is in one with Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles with the Mercury. pic.twitter.com/anTOqE5hvl

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 11, 2022

In addition to the win over the Dream, the Mercury also pulled out an overtime win against the Washington Mystics on Sunday. They will try to do it again on Tues., June 14 as they face the Mystics in D.C. for the second straight game. After that, they travel to Indiana on Wed., June 15 to play the Fever, then go to Dallas to take on the Wings on Fri., June 17.

Filed Under: University of Arizona

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Diamondbacks Minor-league Roundup, 7/3: Pavin who?
  • Scooby Wright pick-six seals inaugural USFL title for Birmingham Stallions
  • Phoenix Rising Ties It up against Orange County SC
  • Rising Comes from Behind to Draw Orange County, 2-2
  • Diamondbacks' top All-Star candidate might come as a surprise

Categories

Archives

Our Partners

All Sports

  • 247 Sports
  • ArizonaSports.com - 98.7 FM
  • Bleacher Report
  • Heat Waved
  • OurSports Central
  • The Arizona Republic
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • USA Today

Baseball

  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • AZ Snake Pit
  • Last Word On Baseball
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Venom Strikes

Basketball

  • Phoenix Suns
  • Amico Hoops
  • Basketball Insiders
  • Bright Side Of The Sun
  • High Post Hoops
  • Hoops Hype
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball
  • Pro Basketball Talk
  • Real GM
  • Valley Of The Suns

Football

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Cardinals Gab
  • Cards Wire
  • Deep Dive
  • Last Word On Pro Football
  • NFL Trade Rumors
  • Our Turf Football
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Football Talk
  • Raising Zona
  • Revenge Of The Birds
  • Words From The Birds

Hockey

  • Elite Prospects
  • Five For Howling
  • Howlin Hockey
  • Last Word On Hockey
  • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Talk
  • The Hockey Writers

Soccer

  • Last Word on Soccer
  • MLS Multiplex

College

  • AZ Desert Swarm
  • Busting Brackets
  • College Football News
  • College Sports Madness
  • Devils In Detail
  • House Of Sparky
  • Last Word On College Basketball - Univ of Arizona
  • Saturday Blitz
  • Zags Blog
  • Zona Zealots

Copyright © 2022 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in