MERCURY NOTES

KEY STAT

• Phoenix had dominant performances from its ‘Big 3’ with Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner and Diana Taurasi all recording double-doubles. Griner recorded 33 points and 18 rebounds, Bonner put up 21 points and 16 rebounds and Taurasi pitched in 27 points and 14 rebounds.

HIGHLIGHTS

• With the win over the Dream and the Sun’s win over the Lynx, the Mercury secured itself at-worst the sixth spot in the playoffs and a home game in the first round, which will take place at Wells Fargo Arena on the campus of Arizona State University on Tuesday, August 21.
• Phoenix took home its seventh-straight home victory over Atlanta and its 11th victory in the last 15 games overall against the Dream.
• The Mercury recorded a season-high 29 assists in the contest, falling one short of the franchise-record mark of 30 which last occurred July 13, 2011.
• The Mercury kept the Dream off the boards all night holding the team to a season-low 21 total rebounds in the game, six fewer than the team’s previous low of 27.
• Phoenix moves to 18-5 on the season when the Big 3 of Diana Taurasi (20), Brittney Griner (20) and DeWanna Bonner (31) all score 12-plus points in a game.
• The Mercury matched its season high for points in a game with 104 on the night. The win moves the team to 3-0 on the season when scoring 100-plus points in a game.
• The Mercury matched its season high for points in the paint scoring 48 points on 24-for-36 (.667) from inside the painted area in the contest.
• Brittney Griner, who entered tonight’s game 2,983 career points, poured in 33 points while tying her career-high for rebounds and matching her season high for blocks with seven. Her 33 points put her over the 3,000 mark (Fifth Mercury player to do so in franchise history) and gives her 3,016 for her career. It was the 10th double-double of the season for Griner and marks the first time in her career she has recorded 10 double-doubles in a season (Previous high was eight).

• Griner’s seven blocks on the night put her at 573 career blocks, just one behind Sylvia Fowles (574) for the fourth spot on the WNBA’s all-time blocks list.
• Diana Taurasi recorded her second consecutive double-double (both points & assists) racking up 27 points and matching her career-high mark for assists (set last game) with 14. Taurasi was one assist away from becoming the second player in WNBA history to record a 20-point and 15-assist game after Courtney Vandersloot did so July 20th.
• Taurasi’s four three-pointers gives her 102 on the season, marking the second time a player has recorded 100 or more three-pointers in a season in WNBA history. The other time came by Taurasi when she made 121 in 2006.
• DeWanna Bonner scored 21 points while tying career highs for rebounds (16) and assists (7). The game marked Bonner’s sixth double-double of the season and brings her career total to 32, matching Candice Dupree for the second spot on the Mercury’s all-time double-double list headed by teammate Brittney Griner (37).
• Atlanta’s Alex Bentley scored a season-high 24 points on a career-high six three-pointers while dishing out a team-high six assists on the night.
• Atlanta’s Tiffany Hayes recorded her 12th 20-plus point game of the season putting up 21 points and grabbing three steals on the night.
• Atlanta’s Jessica Breland reached the 1,500 career point mark with her eight points on the evening.
• The Dream turned 15 Mercury turnovers into 27 points.

MERCURY QUOTES 

Head Coach Sandy Brondello

(On the Dream…)

“They’re a good team, second in the league at the moment, very athletic. I think Nicki’s done a fantastic job with them. They’re versatile. I think picking up Bentley was a big pick up for them during the season because she’s a playmaker, but she can obviously put the ball in the hole. Tough team, I think it’s a great win for us. I think we have good momentum, we had to fight and that’s what we want.”

(On Taurasi’s assists…)

“She’s a great passer, I don’t think anyone passes the ball as well as her, that sees how they’re defending her.  And then it’s just about making shots. We’re shooting the ball well and we have that confidence. Every game is a new challenge for us, and I think we did a good job of executing the scout for the most part.”

(On 3 point shooting opening up the floor)…

“I think moving DB to the four creates more opportunities to get more threes. Obviously they have to make a decision whether to trap BG or not, and to trap Diana or not so out of that movement there is usually going to be somebody open. From there it’s just about putting the ball in the hole. There have been some games where we struggle a little bit, but we’re peaking at the right time and that’s what you want. A three is better than a two at times and if you’re open you’re going to shoot it.”

Mercury Center Brittney Griner 

(On high minutes…)

“Some games you don’t play that much, some games you do. Tonight was one where I played more minutes. I’m tired right now but I just need to get some sleep tonight and I’ll be good.”

(On playing Atlanta without McCoughtry…)

“Angel is an awesome player. She can get going, get to the basket, and hit open shots. She floats around a lot on defense so I can’t see her back there. Her being out was good for us, but I hate to see her out she’s one of my close friends. I definitely want to see her come back stronger next year.”

Mercury Guard Dewanna Bonner

(On bouncing back after her slow first quarter…)

“I think I had to crash the boards a bit more to get myself going. Get stops, get some rebounds, get some steals, and then try to let the game come to me.”

(On rebounding well against a good rebounding team…)

“Man, they are a great team. They’re fast, they can shoot the three, and they rebound. I think we just wanted it a little bit more tonight. We were a little bit greedier. BG had a great game. Dee got us in the right spots, and I think we’re just focused right now. We’re a team that’s focused because we know that playoffs are coming up.”

DREAM QUOTES: 

Dream Head Coach Nicki Collen

(On shooting 52% from the three-point line)

“I think anytime you play Phoenix and you have Griner in the lane you’re not going to typically get as many points in the paint. We’ve always wanted to attack inside out and to drive it and kick it. That’s just the way you have to play against Phoenix.”

(On limiting Phoenix on the offensive glass)

“I think it was more related to the shots that Phoenix took. Sometimes we were caught in between rotations or in situations where they had more people at the rim than we had that could box out.”

(On losing Angel McCoughtry)

“This team is really together with Angel. You have to take the mentality that it’s the next man up. You have to do it collectively, and since we’ve lost her for the season it’s been a collective effort. We certainly miss her in big moments.”

Dream guard Alex Bentley

(On 52% shooting from the three- point line)

“Post were setting great screens and we just stayed aggressive.”

(On Phoenix’s offensive rebounding)

“The game-plan going in was box out, rebound and run. That’s what we like to do and that’s usually the game-plan.”

(On team chemistry after losing Angel McCoughtry)

“Just play together, stay together, everybody steps up.”

Dream Forward Tiffany Hayes  

(On 52% shooting from three)

“Drive and kicks, that’s what works for us so that’s what we were getting.”

(On what needs to be improved upon going into the playoffs)

“Just keep trusting our pass and getting our defense right.”