Allisha Gray scored 28 points, Brittney Griner celebrated her return to Phoenix with 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds, and the Atlanta Dream beat the host Mercury 90-79 on Wednesday.
Jordin Canada added 14 points and six assists and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough contributed 11 points and knocked down three 3-pointers for the Dream, who shot 10 of 24 from long distance and hit 50.7 percent from the field. Gray had three treys, seven rebounds and six assists.
DeWanna Bonner scored 18 points, Satou Sabally added 13 and Alyssa Thomas registered seven points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Mercury. Thomas did not score in the first half.
The Mercury played a video tribute to franchise icon Griner before the game, and she received a prolonged standing ovation. She was a nine-time All-Star in 11 seasons with the Mercury and helped them to the 2014 WNBA title.
Griner shot 8-for-12 from the field and wound up two rebounds short of her second double-double of the season.
The Dream took a 10-7 lead on Canada’s 3-pointer three minutes into the game and never trailed thereafter.
Atlanta took its largest lead at 79-63 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. Bonner scored six straight points to close the gap to 10 before Gray pushed the lead to 13 on a 3-pointer with 3:55 left. The Mercury did not get closer than seven down the stretch.
The Dream, who lead the league in rebounding, had a 36-32 advantage on the boards and a 42-24 edge in points in the paint.
The Dream had 25 assists on 34 field goals, exploiting the Mercury defense on cuts to the basket. Gray and Canada had six assists apiece.
The Mercury had won three of four.
Atlanta had lost three of four and six of nine.
Kahleah Copper tallied 10 points in her return from injury and reserve Natasha Mack notched a season-high eight points for the Mercury, who put up 35 bench points. Bonner did not start with the return of Sabally, who like Copper had missed the previous four games.
The Dream played their fourth game without second-leading scorer Rhyne Howard, who is expected to miss the rest of the month with a left knee injury suffered July 11. She is averaging 16.5 points.
–Field Level Media
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