Former Sun star DeWanna Bonner scores season-high 21 to power Mercury past Connecticut to end skid
PHOENIX — DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 21 points, Kahleah Copper added 12 of her 18 points in the second half, and the Mercury beat the Sun, 72-63, Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak.
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Monique Akoa Makani added 11 points for the Mercury (9-18), who ended a three-game home skid. Natasha Mack (foot) returned from an eight-game absence and had 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and a block in 20 minutes off the bench.
Charlisse Leger-Walker converted a three-point play that pulled the Sun within a point with 4:42 left in the game. But Copper answered with a driving layup, and then hit two free throws to make it 67-62 less than a minute later.
Thomas threw an alley-oop to Bonner for a layup, and the and-one free throw made it an eight-point lead with 1:44 left. Bonner, who had six rebounds, also became the Mercury’s all-time rebound leader, eclipsing the mark of Brittany Griner, now with the Sun.
The Sun (7-19) had their two-game win streak halted. Griner scored 19 points and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
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Leila Lacan, who scored a career-high 26 in Connecticut’s 96-83 win over the Mercury on Friday, had seven points on 2-of-9 shooting and a career-high nine turnovers.
The Mercury scored 22 points off the Sun’s season-high 21 turnovers.
Phoenix shot 50 percent from the field and had 12 assists on 17 made field goals in the first half to grab a 10-point lead at the break.
Connecticut’s Aaliyah Edwards left the game due to a knee injury in the first quarter and did not return. Aneesah Morrow (reconditioning) and Saniya Rivers (ankle/foot) were already missing for the Sun.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Sun, who travel to Indiana to face Caitlin Clark and the Fever on Wednesday.
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