Phoenix Mercury tie WNBA record with seven players in double figures in win over Indiana Fever
The Phoenix Mercury were on another level Wednesday night.
With seven different players scoring in double figures, the Mercury (9-12) tied a league record and nearly set a new record when Megan Gustafson scored five straight points in the final two minutes. Gustafson finished with seven points, but the 99-78 win over the Indiana Fever (5-16) at Footprint Center was a remarkable feat from start to finish.
“I think when we face adversity, some people say it builds character, but it’s really revealing the character of our players. They’re tremendous workers, tremendous competitors, and everyone has really stepped up,” Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard said.
On Monday, the Mercury clamped down on the Fever’s starting five in an 83-71 win. It showed the much-needed growth of communication for the team on defense as it nears the All-Star break.
The Mercury continued that communication on offense with 29 assists. Mercury Guard Skylar Diggins-Smith led with seven assists, while Diana Taurasi and Shey Peddy each had five.
“We’ve been talking about that for a while and we’re really starting to see that come to fruition here on the court,” Nygaard said.
Some of the credit goes to forward Reshanda Gray’s defense, which opened the game for the guards. Gray improved even more in her second game with the Mercury, using her physicality and gelling with Diamond DeShields’ athleticism. When DeShields’ jumper missed in the second, DeShields leapt for the rebound and passed it back to Gray from inside for the layup.
“Chemistry-wise, it seems like she’s been here all year and she can adapt, that’s the great thing about her,” Diggins-Smith said.
Offensive depth wasn’t an issue for the Mercury with Diggins-Smith leading with 17 points. Sophie Cunningham went four-for-nine from 3 and scored 14 points in another impressive game since returning from injury. The bench eased the load off the starters with 33 points.
Brianna Turner’s game flourished at center after earning a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Turner began a sequence of two consecutive blocked shots on the Fever in the third quarter when she denied Victoria Vivians entry to the basket. DeShields followed with a block on Kelsey Mitchell.
Taurasi worked more in the background in the first half of the game with only two points, but three assists. The team provided offense all around in the first half with Peddy and Diggins-Smith leading with 10 points each and the bench providing 14 points. Taurasi started getting more shots in the second half and bolstered the 3-point shooting with three 3s. Taurasi scored nine points in the second half and finished with 11 in the game.
While the Mercury got its offense rolling, the Fever struggled in the second half with its starting five unable to take over. The Fever scored a game-low 15 points in the fourth quarter, while the Mercury posted 24 points. Rookies NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo were shut down with only Smith scoring on a free throw. Kelsey Mitchell led with 21 points and four 3-pointers, but her effectiveness wasn’t as pronounced as the previous game.
The Mercury will begin its two-game road trip at Chicago on Saturday at 10 a.m. on ESPN.
Reach the reporter at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com or 602-647-4122. Follow her on Twitter @jennarortiz.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury tie WNBA scoring record in 99-78 win over Indiana Fever
