Phoenix Mercury beat Chicago 91-83

Phoenix beat Chicago 91-83 on Friday night at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, stopping a late Sky rally after leading by as many as 17 points. Jovana Nogic scored 27 points for the Mercury, and Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper added 17 each as Phoenix moved to 2-2. Rickea Jackson scored 29 points for Chicago, which fell to 2-1 after taking its first lead of the second half with less than six minutes left. The Mercury closed with the game’s final seven points after the Sky cut the margin to 84-83 with 2:09 remaining. ### How did Phoenix let Chicago back in before finishing it off? Phoenix led 54-37 in the third quarter and still held a 69-59 advantage entering the fourth, according to the official WNBA game summary. Chicago then surged ahead 75-73 on Jackson’s 3-pointer with less than six minutes to play, and Jackson gave the Sky another lead at 80-79 with 3:49 left. (wnba.com) The final stretch turned on Phoenix’s top scorers. Nogic, Thomas and Copper combined for the Mercury’s last seven points, and Phoenix held Chicago to no field goals after the Sky pulled within one point at 84-83. The official recap said that trio also supplied four rebounds and two steals in the closing sequence. (wnba.com) ### Who were the main scorers? Jovana Nogic, a 28-year-old rookie from Serbia, led Phoenix with 27 points, the official recap said. Thomas and Copper each scored 17, while Natasha Mack added 10 points for the Mercury. Rickea Jackson carried Chicago’s offense with 29 points. The Sky’s team recap said Jackson scored 23 of those points in the second half and 13 in the fourth quarter, while adding six rebounds and three blocks. (wnba.com) Rookie Gabriela Jaquez scored 13 points, and Kamilla Cardoso finished with seven points and eight rebounds. ### What numbers shaped the game most? Phoenix went 37-for-41 from the free-throw line, while Chicago went 19-for-23, according to the official WNBA summary. The Mercury also finished with 11 more made free throws than the Sky attempted, a gap that loomed large in an eight-point game. Chicago played short-handed. (wnba.com) The Sky’s recap said Skylar Diggins, Courtney Vandersloot, Azurá Stevens, DiJonai Carrington and Maddy Westbeld were out, and Elizabeth Williams remained on a minutes restriction. Diggins started but did not score before an eye injury ended her night in the second quarter, according to the official game summary. ### When did the game swing toward Phoenix? Phoenix built separation in the second quarter. The Mercury led 45-35 at halftime after stretching the margin to 45-30 when Nogic made a free throw following a technical foul on Chicago coach Tyler Marsh, the official recap said. The third quarter brought the biggest cushion. (wnba.com) Phoenix pushed the lead to 17 points at 54-37 before Chicago began its comeback, trimming the deficit to 10 by the end of the period and then briefly moving in front in the fourth. ### What comes next for both teams? Chicago closes its season-opening four-game road trip against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, according to the official WNBA recap and schedule listings. (wnba.com) Phoenix stays home to face Toronto on Tuesday in what the Mercury website bills as the club’s first game against the expansion Tempo.