KEY STAT

Phoenix posted its best rebounding performance on the season outrebound the Aces 49-40. The team recorded a season-high in offensive rebounds (12), total rebounds (49) and rebound margin (9). The Mercury, who entered the game with a -48 rebound margin on the season, have now outrebounded its opponent in two consecutive games.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Trio of Brittney Griner (19), DeWanna Bonner (14) and Diana Taurasi (25) all scored 12-plus points for the seventh time on the year. The Mercury is a perfect 7-0 on the season when the feat occurs.
• The Mercury extended its win streak to five games. This is the longest win streak since the 2015 season when the team won six consecutive games from June 30th-July 14th.
• Brittney Griner scored 19 points to go with a season-high 15 rebounds and a season-high seven blocks. This marked Griner’s 29th career double-double and her second of the season. She is now just three away from tying Candice Dupree (32) for the most in franchise history. Her 15 rebounds were the most she has recorded since September 13, 2016 when she recorded 16 at Los Angeles.
• Brittney Griner’s seven block performance also vaults her ahead of Liz Cambage to reclaim the number one spot on the league’s leaderboard at 2.9 blocks per game. Her seven blocks also led the Mercury to its second 10-plus block game of the season, with the other coming against Cambage and the Wings in the team’s season opener.
• With today’s win the Mercury improve to 7-0 when taking a lead to halftime, and 7-0 when leading at the end of the third quarter.
• Phoenix recorded its sixth straight 20-plus assist performance, and its seventh of the season. The team improved to 6-1 in these contests, with the only loss coming May 30th to the Mystics to begin the streak.
• Diana Taurasi recorded her sixth 20-plus point game of the season putting up 25 points, including three three-pointers, and hitting 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Taurasi extends her three-point make streak to 21 consecutive games dating back to 2017, 17 of which are multi-three-point performances
• Las Vegas’ JiSu Park recorded a career-high 11 rebounds to go with four points on 2-of-6 from the floor in her third career start.
• Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson, who entered the game ranked fifth in the league in scoring, posted 17 points on 5-for-17 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line while adding seven rebounds.

Mercury Head Coach Sandy Brondello

(On rough second half….)

“We weren’t aggressive to the rim when they were trapping BG and taking us out of what we wanted to do. Sometimes I think we were just taking bad shots. The ball didn’t move enough between people’s hands. But we won the game and that’s the most important part. I won’t be going over it because in the next game we could go put 50 up in the second half.”

(On impact of Brittney Griner….)

“It was hard for us, we could get it in to BG but they trapped her really well. We didn’t execute out of the trapping tonight as well as we have. She impacted the game on the defensive end not just rebounding with seven blocks. She contested those shots and went and got those rebounds. That’s the difference between winning and losing.”

 (On outrebounding Las Vegas …)

“I wish we outrebounded our opponents every single game, but when we need to we do. Our offense kind of dried up tonight really and it’s been such a strong point for us lately, but when we needed it we buckled down defensively. To be a championship team you have to rebound, and we did, we went and got some boards.”

Mercury guard Diana Taurasi  25 points, 4 rebounds

(On what made this game so tough…)

“I mean when you’re not really clicking on the offensive end, not really making shots per say, it makes the game a little difficult, but once again I think we relied on our defense and rebounding and timely stop and then timely offense. I think at the end of the game that’s what gave us the advantage.

 (On shot selection and keeping confidence when shots aren’t falling…)

“If you don’t shoot you can’t make them. I spend too much time in the gym to have a bad half or a bad quarter and then just stop. Shot selection was probably not the best tonight, and I think that’s probably one thing that we’ve got to get a little bit better at.”

Mercury Center Brittney Griner 19 points, 15 rebounds

(On impact of Kelsey Plum block at end of game…)

“I was just trying to keep them from scoring. Block the shot, keep them from scoring, give us another possession. It pumped me up to try to get another one.

 (On looking forward…)

“We’ve been playing a lot of games so now it’s time for us to get off our feet and rest honestly. Get recharged so we can go play Dallas.”

Aces HEAD COACH bill laimbeer 

 (On second half comeback…)

“Well I think our defensive effort was better. I think we were more mentally engaged more so than we were the entire game. I think when we really get on our edge mentally I think we are a decent basketball team. We just have to do it for 40 minutes.”

(On JiSu Park…)

“I complimented her after the game. 19 years old in a foreign country going having to go against Brittney Griner and in her early part of her career. At 19 I thought she did a tremendous job out there, fought very hard. She’s a quality player and she’s going to get better and better every year.”

(On defense…)

 “I think a part of it was that they got a bit tired out there and we kept them on perimeter. We tried to make them take long shots. We took away Griner in the second half which is a big positive. But overall we need to be able to put the ball in the basket and we couldn’t do that tonight.”

Aces forward A’ja wilson 17 points | 7 REBOUNDS

(On matchup with Brittney Griner…)

“I think it went pretty well. She’s hard of course with her length. I think I didn’t pretty decently but of course we didn’t get the outcome we wanted. But I think as a team I give it all to JiSu Park. She’s 19 years old and I think she held her ground with her so I didn’t get a chance so much to guard her but she’s definitely difficult to play against of course but I think JiSu did a pretty decent job on her.”

(On being a role model for JiSu Park…)

“I mean I don’t know I would hope so. We kind of follow each other around the airport and I’m like I don’t know where I’m going but she doesn’t either so if we get lost, we get lost together. But that’s what it’s all about, this is what this team is all about. You find a rookie, your rookie companion and kind of stick close. We’re all going through the same transitions together so I definitely hope I can be a role model to her and try to help her out as much as I can, always encouraging her no matter what because I could only imagine being 19 in this league. This is the best league there is, you’re playing against great player’s day in and day out. To be 19, she’s holding it down. I don’t know if I would be able to do that at 19.”

Aces guard Kayla Mcbride 16 points | 6 rebounds

(On closing out games…)

Honestly I think it’s just time together and knowing how to each other and knowing how to play in different situations. We have a lot of young players who haven’t been in any situations like this, especially a team that’s has been to gather like Phoenix has with their core. Just keep pushing, I think this team is really tough. We get that from coach. Just keep building, it’s not going to be easy. It’s really hard in this league to get wins, everybody top to bottom. So just continue to learn from it. I thought we fought really hard tonight, we’re obviously on a four game road trip so to come out here and kind of start it like that is not the finish that we wanted but it’s a building block.”

(On improvement…)

“I think it’s just the fight, I think It’s just us learning how to win. We’re taking little steps. Like I said it’s really hard to get wins in this league for anybody, any team. Look at Minnesota, their struggling. Just finding ways to win, learning how to play with each other, finding that chemistry. We always have a lot of new pieces A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, its only her second year. Pieces that are missing Nia Coffey, she’s been great for us in the beginning of the season but now she’s out with injury. Just figuring out how to win basketball games, especially on the road.”