Photo Credit: Phoenix Mercury/Instagram
By: Jennifer Portee
Kahleah Copper waited until the fourth quarter to take over, then gave Dallas more than it could handle.
Copper scored 16 of her 31 points in the final period, finishing Phoenix’s comeback with a backdoor layup off an Alyssa Thomas dime with 2.4 seconds left as the Mercury defeated the Dallas Wings 87-86 on Monday night.
Phoenix had been down 74-63 early in the fourth. The game looked like it was headed toward another Dallas win, especially with Paige Bueckers putting together another big night. But Copper started attacking gaps, getting downhill, drawing contact and forcing the Wings to defend every inch of the floor instead of sitting comfortably on the lead.
By the time the final possession came around, the Mercury had the momentum and Copper had the moment.
A foul called against Phoenix with 13.3 seconds remaining was overturned on review, giving the Mercury a chance to make one last play. They won the jump ball, and Thomas found Copper slipping behind the defense along the baseline. Copper caught it clean and put it in before Dallas could recover.
Bueckers had a chance to answer, but Phoenix made the rookie work for it. Her deep 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed everything, and the Mercury walked away with the one-point win.
Copper finished 10-of-17 from the field and made 10 of her 13 free throws. It was not just a hot stretch of shot-making. She found ways to get to the line, put pressure on the rim and kept coming after Dallas had built its biggest lead.
Thomas did a little of everything again, finishing with 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for her fifth triple-double of the season. When Phoenix needed calm late, she delivered it. The final assist was the biggest one, but her fingerprints were all over the comeback.
Dallas had chances to close it out.
Arike Ogunbowale hit a baseline jumper with 1:43 remaining only her second basket of the game to put the Wings ahead 81-77. Phoenix answered with four straight points to tie it. Bueckers then got free on the wing and drilled a deep 3-pointer for an 84-81 lead.
But Dallas could not hold on.
The Wings went just 14-for-21 at the free-throw line, leaving seven points at the stripe in a game decided by one. That will sting, especially after Dallas led by as many as 14 and had been playing some of its best basketball heading into the final week of the regular season.
Bueckers finished with 30 points and seven assists, reaching the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season. She also set a new Dallas single-season scoring record with 853 points. Jessica Shepard added 17 points and 19 rebounds, giving the Wings a major presence inside.
Still, the result snapped Dallas’ six-game winning streak its first loss since Aug. 17 and left the Wings at 26-17, tied for sixth place in the WNBA standings. Phoenix improved to 16-27 with one game remaining.
The Wings will close the regular season Wednesday at Seattle. The Mercury finish Thursday at home against Las Vegas.
Copper made sure Phoenix left this one with the last word.