Los Angeles extended their winning streak to five games, beating Phoenix 91-62 in a home game, held not at Crypto.com Arena but at the Galen Center at USC.
Things started and ended with Azurá Stevens for LA. The UConn alum started red hot from the field, hitting her first five field goal attempts and ending the night with 20 points.
Phoenix got a productive game from Sophie Cunningham, who led the team with 16 points, but not much from anyone else. The Mercury went 24-for-59 from the field, which is just over 40 percent, while L.A. shot 54 percent overall and an even better 58.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Key moments
The Sparks were in control from the opening jump, getting out to a 30-15 lead after the opening frame. Stevens drove the Sparks’ offense, with the Mercury bigs unable find a defensive strategy to slow down or disturb her flow. By the end of the first half, she had 14 points.
In the first half and throughout the game, simply hitting shots was an issue for Phoenix. They got plenty of good looks; they just failed to convert them. And many Mercury possessions ended after just one missed shot attempt, as 22 of the Sparks’ 30 rebounds were defensive.
In the second half, LA slammed the door shut on any hopes Phoenix had of winning the game with a 21-14 third…
