The Phoenix Mercury couldn’t bounce back from a difficult start against the Atlanta Dream and fell 72-63 in Atlanta on Wednesday in the first of two away games.
The Mercury (15-14) had their worst first quarter this season, scoring only six points on 2-of-13 shooting; the Dream capitalized on this with 19 points.
Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting and added six rebounds. Brittney Griner contributed 14 points and eight rebounds.
Trade deadline news: Phoenix Mercury traded guard Sug Sutton for Klara Lundquist to free up roster space.
Dream center Tina Charles surpassed Hall of Famer Tina Thompson on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list during the fourth quarter, moving into second place behind Diana Taurasi.
Charles overtook Thompson with a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, scoring her 12th point of the game, giving the Dream a 51-48 lead. Charles ended with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.
Allisha Gray led the Dream with 21 points, while Rhyne Howard contributed 19 points.
Monique Billings initiated a comeback that erased the 13-point deficit from the first quarter by starting the second quarter with a 15-1 run, tying the game at 21.
After tying the game, the Mercury and Dream exchanged baskets until Gray hit two 3-pointers during a 10-1 run to give the Dream a 34-26 lead at halftime. The Mercury struggled from the 3-point line, going 0-for-7.
The game was tied at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Dream went on a 9-0 run. The Mercury only scored 15 points in the final quarter.
The Mercury shot 10-for-31 (32.3%) in the first half but improved to 14-for-30 (46.7%) in the second half. They also made six 3-pointers on 12 attempts.
The teams will meet again on Friday in Atlanta at 4:30 p.m. on ION.
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