Phoenix Mercury beat Chicago 91-83

The Phoenix Mercury beat the Chicago Sky 91-83 on Friday, May 15, at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, stopping Chicago’s unbeaten start and steadying Phoenix after an uneven opening week. Jovana Nogic scored 27 points for the Mercury, and Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper added 17 apiece, according to the WNBA game recap. Rickea Jackson scored 29 points for Chicago, which erased a 17-point deficit in the second half before Phoenix closed the game with its veterans at the line and on the glass. The result left both teams with early-season questions answered only in part: Phoenix showed it could finish late, and Chicago showed it could climb back on the road. ### How did Phoenix let a 17-point lead turn into a one-possession game? Phoenix led 54-37 in the third quarter before Chicago began to chip away, the WNBA recap said. The Sky cut the margin to 69-59 by the end of the third, then took their first lead at 75-73 on Jackson’s 3-pointer with less than six minutes remaining. Jackson put Chicago back in front again at 80-79 with 3:49 left, capping the kind of second-half surge that had been missing from the Sky’s first two wins. Chicago got there despite a quiet night from Kamilla Cardoso, who was held to seven points, and with rookie Gabriela Jaquez supplying 13 points. ### Who actually decided the game in the final two minutes? Chicago pulled within 84-83 with 2:09 to play, but Phoenix answered with balance rather than a single isolation scorer. Nogic, Thomas and Copper combined for the Mercury’s final seven points, four rebounds and two steals, according to the WNBA recap. Thomas’ line underscored how much Phoenix leaned on her in the closing stretch. The veteran forward finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Copper matched her 17 points and got to the foul line 10 times. Phoenix finished 37-for-41 on free throws, compared with 19-for-23 for Chicago. ### Why was Jovana Nogic’s night so important? Nogic, identified in the WNBA recap as a 28-year-old rookie from Serbia, gave Phoenix its most efficient perimeter scoring. She made five 3-pointers and scored 27 points, more than any Mercury player and second only to Jackson in the game. Phoenix needed that scoring because Skylar Diggins, who had been averaging 18 points entering the game, did not score before an eye injury ended her night in the second quarter, the recap said. Without Diggins, the Mercury had to redistribute both shot creation and late-game possessions, and Nogic’s shooting kept the offense afloat long enough for Thomas and Copper to close it. ### What did Chicago get from Rickea Jackson, and what didn’t it get elsewhere? Jackson gave Chicago its clearest offensive edge. The forward scored 29 points, hit four 3-pointers and briefly swung the game with back-to-back go-ahead baskets in the fourth quarter. The Sky got 13 points from Jaquez, eight from Jacy Sheldon and seven assists from Natasha Cloud, but the rest of the attack was uneven. Cardoso finished with seven points and eight rebounds, and Chicago’s comeback did not hold once Phoenix regained control of the foul line and the defensive glass. ### What does the box score say about how Phoenix won? Phoenix led 45-35 at halftime and never lost control completely even after Chicago’s rally. The Mercury also turned a game with only four lead changes into a win by limiting mistakes late and converting at the stripe. Attendance was 11,094 in Phoenix, according to the official game page. The WNBA recap said the victory came on coach Nate Tibbetts’ 49th birthday. Sunday brings Chicago’s next game at Minnesota to finish its four-game road trip, and Phoenix returns Tuesday for a home game against Toronto, according to the WNBA schedule and game recap.