Skylar Diggins-Smith’s three-point play in overtime helped her to a 27-point outing and lifted the Phoenix Mercury to a 99-90 victory against the host Washington Mystics on Sunday night.
Diana Taurasi added 20 points, with 12 of those coming in the fourth quarter, before fouling out on an offensive foul in the opening minute of overtime. Diamond DeShields had 13 points and Tina Charles chipped in with 12 points for the Mercury (5-8).
Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, was playing in her first game since turning 40 years old Saturday.
Myisha Hines-Allen’s 18 points and 10 rebounds and Ariel Aktins’ 15 points led the Mystics (9-6), while Alysha Clark and Shakira Austin both had 12 points. The team’s two-game winning streak was snapped.
Diggins-Smith had five straight points in the extra session to power the Mercury to a 93-87 edge. Shey Peddy added seven points in overtime to finish with 12.
The score was tied at 67 before the Mystics’ Shatori Walker-Kimbrough made a 3-pointer at the 7:14 mark of the fourth quarter. Less than a minute later, Taurasi gave the Mercury a brief lead before Atkins scored the next seven points, beginning with a three-point play.
But a 3-pointer and another basket by Taurasi helped bring the Mercury even at 81-81 with 2:02 to play.
Atkins hit two free throws at the 41.1-second mark before Diggins-Smith converted a four-point play with 32.1 to go. Clark tied the game again with two free throws on the next possession.
Both teams missed their final shot in regulation.
The Mystics played their second game in a row without forward Elena Delle Donne, who has been dealing with a back discomfort.
Phoenix led by as many as seven points in an otherwise closely contested first half. Washington went up 39-38 at halftime despite 3-for-13 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.
Phoenix snapped a five-game road losing streak and improved to 2-5 in road games.
–Field Level Media
