Indiana Fever at Phoenix Mercury
· Women's National Basketball AssociationGriner scores 22, Mercury beat Fever 85-63 to snap their six-game losing streak
It was the first win for interim coach Nikki Blue, who took over after Phoenix fired Vanessa Nygaard on Sunday. The Mercury only scored 62 points against Dallas on Tuesday in Blue's debut.
Brianna Turner added a season-high 11 points for Phoenix (3-11). The Mercury had a season-high 28 assists on 34 made field goals. Sophie Cunningham (concussion evaluation) and Moriah Jefferson (ankle) did not play in the fourth quarter.
Phoenix led 31-23 after its highest-scoring first quarter of the season, and it was 52-35 at the break behind Griner's 15 points.
Taurasi made a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions late in the third quarter to help the Mercury lead 72-51 entering the fourth.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 15 points for Indiana (5-10), which lost its third straight after back-to-back losses against Las Vegas. NaLyssa Smith had 10 points and nine rebounds, and rookie Aliyah Boston added six points and nine rebounds.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 2-2
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 63 - 85 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 63 - 85 |
| 4th 22.0 |  |
Grace Berger makes free throw 2 of 2 | 63 - 85 |
| 4th 22.0 | |
Grace Berger makes free throw 1 of 2 | 62 - 85 |
| 4th 22.0 |  |
Kadi Sissoko shooting foul | 61 - 85 |
Statistics
 IND |
 PHX |
|
|---|---|---|
| 24-72 | FG | 34-64 |
| 33.3 | Field Goal % | 53.1 |
| 6-17 | 3PT | 6-19 |
| 35.3 | Three Point % | 31.6 |
| 9-10 | FT | 11-16 |
| 90.0 | Free Throw % | 68.8 |
| 33 | Rebounds | 30 |
| 13 | Offensive Rebounds | 5 |
| 20 | Defensive Rebounds | 25 |
| 17 | Assists | 28 |
| 4 | Steals | 6 |
| 1 | Blocks | 8 |
| 16 | Turnovers | 14 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 2 |
| 17 | Total Turnovers | 16 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 2 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 20 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 9 |
| 2 | Fast Break Points | 14 |
| 28 | Points in Paint | 38 |
| 18 | Fouls | 17 |
| 0 | Largest Lead | 25 |
Game Information
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 9,047 · Capacity:
2024-25 Eastern Conference Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Indiana |
- | 0 | W3 | 1 | 3 |
 Chicago |
1 | 1 | L1 | 0.6666667 | 2 |
 Connecticut |
1.5 | 1 | W1 | 0.5 | 1 |
 New York |
1.5 | 1 | W1 | 0.5 | 1 |
 Atlanta |
1.5 | 1 | L1 | 0.5 | 1 |
 Washington |
2.5 | 2 | L2 | 0 | 0 |
2024-25 Western Conference Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Las Vegas |
- | 0 | W2 | 1 | 2 |
 Seattle |
0.5 | 0 | W1 | 1 | 1 |
 Los Angeles |
0.5 | 0 | W1 | 1 | 1 |
 Minnesota |
1 | 1 | W1 | 0.5 | 1 |
 Dallas |
1 | 1 | W1 | 0.5 | 1 |
|
|
1 | 1 | W1 | 0.5 | 1 |
 Phoenix |
2 | 2 | L2 | 0 | 0 |
WNBA News
Liberty's Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (knee) to miss WNBA season
Liberty standout Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will miss the 2025 WNBA season as she recovers from an offseason knee injury, the team announced Wednesday.
How could the new GOP tax bill affect your favorite team?
A new tax plan that aims to curb breaks for team owners could lead to increased costs for fans, experts say.
What will Clark, Reese, Jackson, more do for a WNBA encore?
The 2024 WNBA rookies had a historic impact. What should we expect from the likes of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark in Year 2?
How to watch the 2025 WNBA season opener on ESPN+
WNBA fans can check out the Aces, Liberty, Sky, and Fever in the 2025 season opener on ESPN+. Check out how to watch the action now.
Fantasy women's basketball draft advice
Andre Snellings is moving the Connecticut Suns' Tina Charles and Seattle Storm's Skylar Diggins up fantasy draft boards and fading Indiana Fever's DeWanna Bonner and Las Vegas Aces' Jewell Loyd.