A block to settle it
Connecticut needed one stop, and Brittney Griner delivered it. She tipped away Kelsey Plum’s potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Sun held on for a 75-72 win over the visiting Phoenix Mercury. The swat came against the franchise Griner called home for most of her career.
The finish capped a frantic closing stretch. Connecticut led 72-68 on a Kennedy Burke three with 1:49 left before Phoenix clawed back. Leila Lacan iced it from the line, sinking two free throws with 12.9 seconds to go, and Plum’s last look never had a chance.
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Phoenix’s playoff math gets harder
Plum poured in a game-high 25 points in just her third game for the Mercury, but the defeat dropped Phoenix to 12-21. That leaves the Mercury 7 1/2 games behind Washington for the final playoff spot with 11 games left, a gap that now looks close to fatal.
Connecticut, at 8-23, had little to chase in the standings and still found a reason to celebrate. The Sun trailed by as many as 16 points in the second quarter, then took over as Phoenix went cold after halftime. Burke’s 15 points off the bench led four Connecticut scorers in double figures, with Aaliyah Edwards adding 14.
A homecoming spoiled
The night carried extra weight in Connecticut. The Sun retired the number of former star Alyssa Thomas before tip-off, then handed her visiting side a defeat. Thomas managed 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting and went 4-for-10 at the line, a quiet return on an emotional evening.
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