The Phoenix Mercury are peaking at the right time, giving themselves a chance at securing homecourt advantage in the first round of the postseason.
The Mercury will attempt to maintain their hot streak and tie a season high with their sixth straight win Thursday night when they visit the Washington Mystics.
Phoenix (26-14) is on its second-longest winning streak of the season and 10-3 in the past 13 games. The Mercury kept their streak alive Tuesday by earning an 85-79 home win over the Indiana Fever and lead the fifth-place New York Liberty by 2 1/2 games.
Alyssa Thomas scored 23 points and was Phoenix’s leading scorer for the first time during the winning streak. Rookie Monique Akoa Makani, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper have also led the team in scoring during this current stretch.
Thomas helped the Mercury control things for most of Tuesday night, scoring 14 in the first half to give them a 15-point lead.
“Super dangerous,” Thomas said about the Mercury’s surge in a postgame television interview with Arizona’s Family network. “When we share the ball, it’s anybody’s given night. That’s what makes it special. That’s what makes it dangerous, and we just got to continue doing that.”
Washington (16-25) is 5-15 over its past 20 games. The team was last over .500 on July 13 following a 74-69 win at Seattle. The Mystics’ average margin of defeat during their current seven-game losing streak is 14.3 points, though they also own a two-point defeat to Seattle on Aug. 24. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention after Sunday’s 81-78 loss at the Los Angeles Sparks.
Kiki Iriafen scored 22 on Sunday, reaching 20-plus points for the sixth time this season. Sonia Citron added 12 points, marking the 36th time this season she’s finished with at least 10 points. That surpasses the previous WNBA rookie record of 35 games set by Caitlin Clark last year.
“We’re out of the playoffs, but we still want to play Mystics basketball,” Washington’s Stefanie Dolson said. “We just want to continue to play together and have fun.”
The Mystics may determine how the playoff seeding winds up. After facing Phoenix, Washington hosts Indiana on Sunday and visits New York next Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
