Monday, July 31, 2017

Currie, Mercury charge past Stars

(TSX / STATS) -- Phoenix wing Monique Currie scored 20 points against her old team, guard Diana Taurasi added 13 points, and the Mercury completed a season sweep of the San Antonio Stars with an 81-64 victory on Sunday at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.

Currie, acquired in a trade in late June, came off the bench to help pick up the scoring slack for injured center Brittney Griner. Currie made 4 of 7 3-point shots for Phoenix (13-10), which won all three games this season against the last-place Stars (3-21).

Taurasi hit 3 of 6 shots from behind the arc, and she tied for the team high with six rebounds. Point guard Danielle Robinson has 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

San Antonio guard Shay Murphy came off the bench for a team-high 14 points. Starting guard Kayla McBride added 13 for the Stars, who never got closer than 14 points in the fourth quarter. Center Isabelle Harrison was a bright spot, producing 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Although the Stars had a plus-13 rebounding margin, they were chasing the Mercury most of the game because of poor shooting. They hit 22 of 65 shots from the field, 33.8 percent. Phoenix made 26 of 64 shots, 40.6 percent.

The Mercury brought in Currie -- who played in Phoenix during the 2015 season -- to complement the scoring of Taurasi and Griner, who is likely out until at least mid-August with knee and ankle injuries. Currie has scored 38 points in the Mercury's two-game winning streak.

Currie hit a 3-pointer as part of a 7-0 run that gave the Mercury a 17-6 lead in the first quarter. Phoenix led by as many as 14 points before settling for a 42-35 halftime advantage.

The third quarter was decisive as the Stars -- the lowest-scoring team in the WNBA at 74.1 points per game entering Sunday -- were held to 10 points. Phoenix guard Yvonne Turner hit a 3-point shot late in the period for a 63-45 lead.

Phoenix starts a three-game road trip Friday at the Connecticut Sun. San Antonio begins a three-game homestand Tuesday against the New York Liberty.

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