The day after Brittney Griner was harassed at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, she dropped a team-high 29 points and made a key basket late to guide her Phoenix Mercury past the Indiana Fever 85-82 Sunday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
It was Diana Taurasi’s 41st birthday.
The Mercury (2-5) never trailed after a Griner inside bucket made it 82-80 with 1:32 remaining. Sophie Cunningham followed with the biggest shot of the game: her third three of the fourth. It made the score 85-80 Mercury with 50 ticks left.
GET SPICY SOPHIE!!!!
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 11, 2023
NaLyssa Smith (29 points, 12 rebounds, four assists in defeat) would score inside at 29 seconds remaining and appear to be going to the stripe with the chance to cut it to two, but a Vanessa Nygaard challenge negated the foul and an Erica Wheeler fadeaway desperation three to tie missed off the front rim at the buzzer.
Griner was 9-of-13 from the field and 11-of-12 at the stripe, adding six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Taurasi added 18 points, six boards, seven helpers and two swipes to the winning cause while Michaela Onyenwere had 11 points and 12 rebounds, Sug Sutton had 10 points and seven assists and Cunningham had 13 points….
