by Shoni Schimmel scored a season-high 12 points but the Atlanta Dream couldn’t hold on to its halftime lead and lost to the Phoenix Mercury.
PHOENIX — Candice Dupree and Brittney Griner scored 22 points apiece and Phoenix beat the Atlanta Dream 80-71 on Tuesday night, the Mercury’s sixth straight win.
Atlanta pulled within 76-71 on Angel McCoughtry’s 3-pointer with 2:25 remaining. But Phoenix’s Noelle Quinn hit two free throws to make it a two-possession game and Griner added a late layup, while Atlanta missed its final five shots.
DeWanna Bonner added 18 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, for Phoenix (9-5). She was 10 of 10 from the free throw line and grabbed eight rebounds. Leilani Mitchell made Phoenix’s only 3-pointer of the game, compared to Atlanta’s 13.
Tiffany Hayes scored 19 points for Atlanta (6-8), which lost its first of six straight road games. McCoughtry, Atlanta’s leading scorer at 21.9 points per game, had just 11 points on 3-of-20 shooting.
Atlanta’s Sydney Carter opened the third-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer for a 51-38 lead. But Phoenix scored the next eight points, four from Griner, and outscored Atlanta 11-0 in the final 4 minutes for a 60-58 lead.
Shoni Schimmel finished with a season-highs of 12 points and five assists for the Dream. She was 4 of 12 from behind the three-point arc and added five rebounds in more than 29 minutes on the court.
