Postgame Notes & Quotes: Mercury Top Sparks Behind Huge Bonner Night

KEY STAT
- Phoenix recorded 25 assists on its 29 made field goals on the night, the 25 assists were one shy of the team’s season-high mark of 26.
Sparks and Mercury Notes
- With the win over the Sparks, the Mercury joined the Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics as the only teams in the league to defeat every team in the league at least once this season.
- With the win tonight, the Mercury snapped a six-game regular season losing streak to the Sparks with the last win coming August 28, 2016.
- With tonight’s Mercury victory and Minnesota’s loss, the Mercury moved into sixth in the standings with two games left to play this season.
- The Mercury led 41-34 at the half and improved its record to 16-0 this season when heading into halftime with the lead.
- Phoenix moves to 17-5 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 took advantage of the fast break early and often, racking up a season-high 15 fast break points while holding the Sparks to just seven.
- The Mercury defense held the Sparks offense in check all night, limiting them to just 78 points on 69 shots. The Mercury improved to 13-2 on the season when holding its opponent under 80 points.
- DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 31 points on 10-of-21 from the field and 5-of-11 from three-point range. Her season-high five three-pointers give her 317 for her career and moved her past Penny Taylor (316) for the second spot in Phoenix franchise history behind teammate Diana Taurasi (1,094).
- Diana Taurasi recorded 20 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range, while dishing out a career-high 14 assists. She finished one short of Phoenix’s franchise record of 15 assists, and two assists short of the WNBA record of 16. Taurasi entered today’s action ranked seventh in the league in assists averaging 4.8 assists per game
- Taurasi’s two three-pointers gives her 98 on the season, which is the second highest season total in WNBA history behind her 121-make 2006 season. Taurasi owns the top six spots on the WNBA’s all-time three-point field goals in a season chart.
- Camille Little played in her 400th career WNBA game recording two points and two rebounds in six minutes of action off the Mercury bench.
- Brittney Griner recorded her ninth double-double of the summer (the most double-doubles she’s had in a season), compiling 20 points and 13 rebounds while adding three blocks. The game marked the fifth time that Griner has recorded a double-double with 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds on the season.
- Stephanie Talbot recorded a career-high three blocks on the night.
- Yvonne Turner scored eight points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range en-route to posting a plus-22 plus/minus in just 12 minutes of action off the bench.
- Los Angeles’ Candace Parker has racked up a team-high 23 points, including the first 12 points to open the game for the Sparks to open the game, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter by the Mercury.
MERCURY QUOTES
MERCURY HEAD COACH SANDY BRONDELLO
(On the game…)
“I thought tonight was one of our better games. We knew that we were going to turn it around. We had been playing better lately we just had to play a bit more consistently. I thought we did a really good job of executing the scout. This is a team we played just a week ago, and we had an opportunity to win that game, we just missed so many shots. Tonight we were making shots and it really was the difference.”
(On good defense and contesting shots…)
“That is what we wanted to do. We wanted to protect the paint, and I thought BG really protected the paint particularly in that first half. Obviously Candace scored 20, but we kept everyone else to a low percentage. We don’t want to give up open shots. We want to make sure we are contesting, and maybe with a little bit of contest they’re going to miss. That’s a great team and you know they’re always going to come back, but that was good preparation for us obviously if we make the playoffs.
(On if there is a preferred playoff match up…)
“No, look the most important thing is building momentum and playing the way we know we’re capable of playing for 40 minutes. Like I said the last few games we have been getting better and better, but it’s just been a bit more consistent. I thought Yvonne did a good job of coming in and made some really big shots for us. I think we’re playing well, and that’s what matters when it comes down to the playoffs, if we’re playing well.
mERCURY CENTER Diana Taurasi 20 points | 14 Assists
(On the team’s ball movement…)
“I think we are at our best when we play that way. I probably take a little bit too much of the scoring load in some games, and I think the last couple of games were better. We need more balance and more scoring from more people. We can’t be easy to guard. Today we took turns being aggressive, and overall it flowed a bit better.”
(On Alana Beard’s defending…)
“She’s an elite defender on the perimeter and she makes things hard. I think today I was more passive and observing more than trying to attack. Then, when I did have opportunities I tried to be more aggressive. She makes it hard.”
Mercury GUARD dewanna bonner 31 points | 8 rebounds
(On her high scoring night…)
“I just really wanted to win. I just really wanted to beat them, and right now we need to find a good rhythm to get ready for playoffs, and that was my mindset
(On momentum of deep three…)
“I think at that point I was like, ‘Okay we got this.’” I think it brings a certain energy, and when teams hit those against you it kind of drains you so I knew it would be a good energy boost for us going into the fourth quarter.”
SPARKS QUOTES
Sparks HEAD COACH Brian Agler
(On the game…)
“I think it was a tie game, with a minute, maybe less than two minutes to go, and then we went down seven going into the halftime. And then they separated, gradually separated from us in the third quarter. I don’t think we fought it that hard defensively and we were real stagnant on the offensive end. So there’s no question they just outplayed us.”
(On DeWanna’s buzzer-beater…)
“That was a big shot, it took the lead from 10 to 13. I guess the bad thing was they got the ball back because we turned the ball over. They outplayed us. They did a good job. For ourselves, we’ve just got to regroup and get ready for Tuesday.”
(On being able to control own destiny looking forward…)
“It’s an optimistic viewpoint but the reality is we have to do things better on the court. I just don’t see us, at this moment, doing that on a consistent basis. So, whether we find that, I don’t know. Has this core group done it before? Yes they have, but we’ve been inconsistent with that this year.”
sparks forward candace parker 23 points | 8 REBOUNDS
(On second half…)
“They did a good job of pushing tempo. DeWanna had a great game but I think they made some shots and defensively we couldn’t get stops.
(On second half defense…)
“I mean, they were hitting shots. Diana did a good job being a facilitator. Obviously it was DeWanna, Diana, and Brittney that hurt us.”