PHOENIX – The Indiana Fever never trailed in the first quarter, but once Phoenix took control in the second, the Mercury rarely led by fewer than double digits while racing to a 91-69 WNBA win at Talking Stick Resort Arena

HIGHLIGHTS

BOX SCORE

Brittney Griner scored a game-high 23 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the floor, and Leilani Mitchell contributed 18 points and 11 assists as the Mercury beat Indiana for the fifth straight time. Mitchell (4 of 4) and Sophie Cunningham (3 of 3) combined for perfect 3-point shooting to lead a Mercury long-distance assault with Phoenix hitting 59 percent (10 of 17) behind the arc.

Cunningham’s last 3-pointer staked Phoenix to the game’s largest lead, 89-61. The rookie from Missouri had just four points through eight games entering the contest but finished with 19.

The Fever (5-8) absorbed their third consecutive defeat and the Mercury (4-5) won their second straight game after three straight losses.

The Mercury’s 52.4 percent shooting marked the first time an Indiana opponent shot better than 50 percent in 2019. Indiana, last in defensive field goal percentage in 2018, was second in the WNBA entering the game, allowing just 40 percent shooting overall. Indiana shot 40 percent overall, but just 2-of-18 from 3-point range.

“We allowed Phoenix to get comfortable early, especially Griner, and then Leilani, both early and late,” said Fever coach Pokey Chatman. “We gave their bench some confidence, especially Cunningham, and it gave them a little extra bounce in their step. That hurt us, then we missed some shots and we just let their momentum continue.”

Indiana got 15 points from Candice Dupree, making a return to Phoenix where she starred and won a title during seven seasons. Kelsey Mitchell scored 13 points and Betnijah Laney shot 6-of-11 to match the best scoring night of her career with 12.

Indiana rookie Teaira McCowan had six points and 10 rebounds to mark the fourth time in five starts she collected double-figure caroms.

Indiana led 21-17 after one quarter but the Mercury used three 3-pointers to spark a 24-10 response in the second. A 3-pointer from Cunningham gave Phoenix its first lead of the game, 24-21, and Briann January hit another for a six-point lead.  Overall, Phoenix used four second-quarter 3s to outscore the visiting Fever 33-18 in the period.

Griner’s putback on a missed free throw gave the Mercury a 13-point bulge with 3:12 before intermission. A January jumper lifted the lead to 14 and free throws from Cunningham raised the margin to 50-34 with a minute left in the half. The Fever never crept closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Indiana flies to Las Vegas in the morning where the Fever play their sixth game in 11 days, against the Aces Saturday night (10:30 p.m. ET/CBS Sports Network).