INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tina Charles scored a season-high 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, Diana Taurasi hit four 3-pointers and had 17 points and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Indiana Fever 93-80 on Wednesday night.
Charles, who led the WNBA in scoring (23.5 per game) for the New York Liberty in 2021, added seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks. The 2012 WNBA MVP signed with Phoenix in February, a day after the team acquired Diamond DeShields via a three-team trade in hopes of pushing the team back to the Finals — where the Mercury lost to DeShields and the Chicago Sky last season.
DeShields finished with 16 points and Skylar Diggins-Smith had 13 for Phoenix (6-9). The Mercury have won four of their last five games following a seven-game losing streak.
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana (4-13) with 20 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Queen Egbo scored 14 points and Victoria Vivians added 10 but shot just 4 of 17 from the field. NaLyssa Smith, the No. 2 overall selection in April's draft, tied her season low with four points on 1-of-7 shooting but grabbed 14 rebounds — for the second consecutive game.
The Fever, who beat Minnesota 84-80 on Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak, have lost 11 of their last 13 games.
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