Diana Taurasi scores 25 points, Mercury beat Aces 72-66
PHOENIX (AP) Diana Taurasi scored 25 points, Brittney Griner had 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots and the Phoenix Mercury held off the Las Vegas Aces 72-66 on Sunday.
The Aces had a 10-1 run to close to 68-64 with about three minutes to go, but Griner had two blocked shots to give the Mercury (7-3) back-to-back defensive stops, and Taurasi hit a baseline 3-pointer to push the lead back to seven with 1:05 left.
DeWanna Bonner added 14 points and seven rebounds to help the Mercury win their fifth straight.
Phoenix had an 11-2 run to close the first half with 13-point lead and scored the opening basket of the third quarter to reach their largest lead at 52-37.
A'ja Wilson had 17 points for the Aces (1-7). Kayla McBride added 16, and Kelsey Plum had 12.
SPARKS 77, SKY 59
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Candace Parker scored 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting and blocked three shots in Los Angeles' victory over Chicago.
The Sparks (5-2) never trailed and went on a 17-3 run starting late in the third quarter and extending into the fourth to build to their largest lead at 69-45.
Nneka Ogwumike added 16 points and eight rebounds, and Chelsea Gray scored 10 of her 15 points after the break for Los Angeles.
The Sky (3-5) made 21 of 74 (28.4 percent) shots from the field and hit only one of their first 21 3-point attempts before making the last two when the game was out of reach.
Cheyenne Parker had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead Chicago. The Sky have lost five of six.
LIBERTY 78, FEVER 75
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - Marissa Coleman hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 16.1 seconds left to help New York beat winless Indiana.
With the game tied at 75, Coleman caught the ball on the wing and made the 3 against her former team. Coleman came to New York as a free agent in the offseason.
Indiana (0-8) had one last chance to tie it, but Kelsey Mitchell couldn't get a good look from behind the arc and her shot fell short. Mitchell finished with 19 points.
Sugar Rodgers led New York (3-4) with 16 points.
At 0-8, Indiana is off to the worst start in franchise history.
DREAM 67, STORM 64
SEATTLE (AP) - Tiffany Hayes scored eight of her 23 points in the fourth quarter and Angel McCoughtry had 15 points and 10 rebounds in Atlanta's victory over Seattle.
Damiris Dantas added 12 points, and Jessica Breland had six points, three steals and a season-high 14 rebounds, one shy of her career best. The Dream (4-3) have won three in a row.
Natasha Howard led the Storm (5-3) with 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
