Natasha Mack scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Phoenix Mercury snapped a six-game losing streak with a 72-68 victory against the host Seattle Storm in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday night.
Kahleah Copper also scored 16, Monique Akoa Makani tallied seven of her 12 points in the fourth quarter and DeWanna Bonner had 10 for Phoenix (3-8). Alyssa Thomas added nine points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Rookie Awa Fam led Seattle (3-8) with a career-high 18 points and six rebounds. Natisha Hiedeman overcame a scoreless first quarter to add 15 points. Flau’jae Johnson had nine points, four rebounds and five assists.
Jordan Horston made a 3-pointer with 9:19 left to give Seattle, which lost its fourth in a row, a 58-52 lead.
Akoa Makani sparked an 11-1 run with seven consecutive points — a 3-pointer sandwiched by four three throws — followed by baskets from Copper and Mack to put Phoenix up 63-59 with 4:39 remaining.
A Fam hook shot pulled the Storm within two before Bonner made back-to-back shots and added a free throw to give the Mercury a 68-61 lead.
A 3-pointer by Katie Lou Samuelson pulled Seattle within 70-68 with seven seconds left before Copper clinched the victory with two free throws.
The Mercury won despite shooting 37.5% from the field (24 of 64), including 3 of 22 from 3-point range. Seattle shot 38.4% (28 of 73) and was 9 of 33 from distance.
After trailing for more than two full quarters, the Storm tied it at 44-all on Hiedeman’s 3-pointer with 5:58 left in the third. Noemie Brochant made a layup to put the Mercury back on top before Hiedeman sank another from distance to give Seattle its first lead since the game’s opening basket.
Fam made a pair of shots and Mackenzie Holmes another in a 6-0 run to put Seattle up 53-48. Hiedeman added a layup before Thomas scored to trim the Storm’s advantage to 55-52 heading into the fourth quarter.
Phoenix used a 7-0 run in the second quarter, capped by Copper’s 3-pointer, to take a 32-19 lead, their largest, with 4:49 remaining in the half.
Hiedeman and Johnson made 3-pointers in the final minute of the quarter as Seattle cut its deficit to 36-33 at the half. Johnson misfired on a 32-foot heave at the buzzer that would’ve tied the score.
The Mercury led 21-15 after a first quarter that featured back-and-forth runs.
After Seattle’s Johnson opened the game with a 3-pointer, Mack scored six points during an 11-0 run to put Phoenix ahead.
The Storm scored nine of the next 10 points to pull even, with Melbourne making a 3-pointer to tie the score at 12-all.
A three-point play by Bonner capped a 7-0 run as Phoenix regained the lead.
–Field Level Media
