Emma Cannon scored a team-high 23 points, including the go-ahead layup with 60 seconds left, as the Indiana Fever nipped the Phoenix Mercury 72-71 in Indianapolis on Tuesday night for just their second win in 14 games.
Cannon’s bucket provided the only points for either club in the final 2:17. Phoenix (6-19) had four shots to take the lead after Cannon scored but couldn’t convert any of them. The last was a driving layup attempt by Shey Peddy with two seconds left that Aliyah Boston rebounded to seal the outcome.
Kelsey Mitchell added 21 points for Indiana (7-19), going 10 of 11 at the foul line, and Erica Wheeler chipped in 13 points. The Fever overcame 39.7 percent field-goal shooting and 21 turnovers to snap a five-game home losing skid.
Diana Taurasi poured in a game-high 29 points for the Mercury despite finding second-half foul trouble. Megan Gustafson added 17 points, but the duo didn’t have enough help. Phoenix made only 39.1 percent of its attempts from the field and was outrebounded 36-29.
The Mercury were without center Brittney Griner, who is taking a hiatus to focus on her mental health.
Boston grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
The first quarter was defense-optional as the teams scored almost at will. Taurasi got off to a fast start with eight points in the first 3:08 and had 12 for the period, helping Phoenix establish a 28-27 edge.
Neither team could maintain that blistering pace in the second period, although Cannon was able to give Indiana a leg up with some surprising punch. Averaging 5.2 points over 16 games coming into the night, she scored 14 points in the period and enabled the Fever to take a 46-43 lead into the break.
Taurasi started the third quarter with 23 points on just 10 shot attempts in a display that might have reminded one of her prime, but she quickly picked up her fourth foul at the 8:25 mark. Without her firepower, the Mercury managed just 14 points in the period and Indiana stretched the margin to 63-57 entering the fourth.
–Field Level Media
