DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 21 points Sunday as the Phoenix Mercury beat the Connecticut Sun, 72-63 despite a late-game effort from Brittney Griner. The Sun vs Mercury matchup snapped a five-game losing streak for Phoenix (9-18) and avenged Friday's loss to Connecticut.
DeWanna Bonner, Kahleah Copper Fuel Phoenix Scoring
Kahleah Copper added 18 points, scoring 12 of them in the second half. Together, Bonner and Copper anchored the offense while the defense turned 21 Connecticut turnovers into 22 points.
Still, the Sun nearly erased the deficit late.
Charlisse Leger-Walker completed a 3-point play with 4:42 remaining to trim the Mercury lead to 63-62. But Phoenix responded immediately. Copper drove for a layup, and Bonner added key baskets down the stretch as the Mercury pulled away on a 9-1 run to close the game.
Brittney Griner Leads Late-Game Sun vs Mercury Surge
On the other end, Brittney Griner led Connecticut (7-19) with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. She also had five rebounds and two blocks on the night.
Center Olivia Nelson-Ododa recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. But the Sun's season-high 21 turnovers ultimately derailed their comeback effort.
Both teams return to action Wednesday as the Sun visit Indiana while the Mercury travel to Los Angeles.
