Sabrina Ionescu falls short of triple-double as Skylar Diggins-Smith leads Mercury past Liberty

The Mercury are on a run.

Phoenix downed the New York Liberty on Friday night, 80-64, to extend their win streak to six games.

Skylar Diggins-Smith led the team with 27 points and added seven assists and four steals in the victory. Friday marked Diggins-Smith’s 12th 20-point game this season.

One thing @SkyDigg4 is not doing IS PLAYING GAMES 😤

📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/njjly1BAtE

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 28, 2021

Diana Taurasi came up clutch for Phoenix as well, notching 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Blink and you'll miss it. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/4DpjDbjGLb

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 28, 2021

Sabrina Ionescu nearly recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while Natasha Howard led the Liberty in scoring with 18 points.

In the end, their efforts weren’t enough to keep pace with the Mercury. The Liberty have now last four straight and games and seven of their last eight. The team is hanging onto the eighth and final WNBA playoff spot with just five regular season games remaining.

Straight to the hole! 🗽@sabrina_i20 pic.twitter.com/FMhy2BwDtX

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 28, 2021

Next up: The Mercury will take on the Chicago Sky on Tuesday. New York will face the Lynx in Minnesota on Tuesday.