WASHINGTON (AP) — Natasha Cloud scored 23 points and had nine assists, Brittney Sykes also scored 23 points and the short-handed Washington Mystics beat Phoenix 84-69 Sunday, extending the Mercury’s road losing streak to seven games.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 13 points for Washington (12-10).
Phoenix (6-16), which is 1-10 away from home this season, has the longest active road losing streak in the WNBA. The Mercury had won back-to-back games (for the first time this season) and three of their last four.
Connecticut Sun All-Stars DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas are engaged to be married. Thomas posted a photo on Friday showing her getting down on one knee and presenting a ring to Bonner, with the caption “FOREVER.”
As the WNBA tips off the second half of its season, add expansion to the list of topics on the minds of players and the league.
Aliyah Boston just wanted to fit in as a WNBA rookie. Instead, her historic season has brought renewed hope and some desperately needed change to the Indiana Fever.
The Las Vegas Aces are on a historic pace heading into the second half of the season. With 19 wins in their first 21 games, the Aces sit atop the WNBA standings and have the top offense and defense in the league.
Two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne (left ankle sprain), Shakira Austin (left hip strain), Ariel Atkins (left ankle sprain) — all regular starters who combine to account for approximately 40% of Washington’s scoring this season — and Kristi Tolliver (plantar fasciitis) did not play for the Mystics.
Sykes made a driving basket with 4:52 left in the first quarter that gave the Mystics the lead for good and sparked an 8-0 run, capped when Tianna Hawkins scored to make it 17-10. Sophie Cunningham hit a 3-pointer that trimmed the Mercury’s deficit to 30-28 midway through the second quarter but Cloud and Walker-Kimbrough each scored five points in a 10-1 over the next three minutes and the Mystics led by double figures the rest of the way.
Washington scored 22 points off 19 Mercury turnovers. Phoenix went into to the game averaging a league-high 17.3 turnovers per game this season — 1.8 more than any other team.
Cloud scored 19 of her points on 7-of-9 shooting in the first half as the Mystics took a 46-31 lead into the break.
Cunningham hit five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting for Phoenix. Brittney Griner and Megan Gustafson each scored 12 points and Moriah Jefferson 11.
Diana Taurasi (quad/toe) missed her second consecutive game for Phoenix.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
#Cloud #assists #Sykes #scores #Mystics #beat #Mercury
English 
Hindi
Leave a Reply