PHOENIX (AP) — Georgia Amoore scored 16 of her career-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, Kiki Iriafen added 20 points and 12 rebounds for her 19th double-double of the season and the Washington Mystics beat the Phoenix Mercury 80-73 on Thursday night.
Washington (24-15) moved into sixth in the WNBA standings with the win and New York's loss to Golden State earlier Thursday.
Washington trailed 63-53 with 8:17 left in the fourth before going on a 17-2 run and taking a 70-65 lead.
Amoore made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Mystics a 78-73 lead with 1:18 left. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton sealed it by making two free throws with 28.1 seconds left, stretching the lead to seven points.
Amoore finished with a career-high six 3-pointers, helping to easily eclipse her previous best of 14 points in a game. Shakira Austin added 11 points for Washington.
Kahleah Copper led Phoenix (13-26) with 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting. Copper became the fastest player in franchise history to score 2,000 points with Phoenix, doing so in 103 games, a game quicker than Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter.
Phoenix guard Lexi Held banked in a 3-pointer while being fouled with 2:06 left in the third and she made the free throw to give Phoenix its first lead, 54-51, since it was 15-13. Held had a chance for a seven-point possession after the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1, but she was short on a 3-point attempt.
Up nextMystics: At Los Angeles on Friday.
Mercury: Host Toronto on Saturday.
___
Leave a Comment