Diana Taurasi leads Mercury to victory over Sky

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury showcased a powerful performance on Sunday night, defeating the Chicago Sky 86-68. Diana Taurasi led the charge with 23 points, scoring 12 in the team's highest-scoring first quarter of the season. Sophie Cunningham contributed significantly with a career-best 13 points and 10 rebounds, marking her first double-double in the WNBA. Brittney Griner also added 18 points, while Monique Billings, who signed a seven-day contract earlier that day, made an impressive debut with 13 points and eight rebounds. The Mercury established an early lead, with Taurasi hitting a pull-up 3-pointer to set the tone at 7-4. By the end of the first quarter, Phoenix had surged ahead to a commanding 32-19 lead. The team maintained control for nearly 38 minutes, demonstrating strong offensive and defensive play throughout the game. For the Sky, Angel Reese stood out with 19 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, becoming the fastest player in league history to achieve 20 double-doubles in just 27 games. Chennedy Carter added 16 points, while Kamilla Cardoso and Isabelle Harrison each contributed 12 points. However, Chicago struggled offensively, shooting only 35.9% from the field and failing to make any of their 14 attempts from beyond the arc. With this victory, the Mercury have now won the first two matchups of the season series against the Sky, with one more game scheduled for next month.