3 Things We Learned From #MercAtSky

Sun, Aug 9, 2015, 8:16 PM

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The last time the Mercury played in Chicago, they won the 2014 WNBA Championship.

This year, however, the two teams would first meet in Phoenix on July 28 as the Mercury came back to win in overtime, 89-87, after being down by 19 points earlier in the game. The win tied the franchise record for the largest come-from-behind victory in team history.

Unfortunately for the Mercury, their next visit to Chicago wouldn’t be quite as celebratory. A hot-shooting Elena Delle Donne combined with an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from Phoenix was too much for the Mercury to overcome as Chicago used a 24-6 third quarter to fuel a 74-64 win over Phoenix, snapping their five-game winning streak.

Here are three things we learned from #MercAtSky:

Another Double-Double for BG  

Mercury center Brittney Griner and Sky forward Elena Delle Donne each rank in the top five in the WNBA in total double-doubles this season.

With a stellar 21 points and 14 rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting against the Sky, Griner now has six double-doubles on the season and four in her last five games.

BG also finished with five blocks. The dominant center has 69 blocks in just 15 games for the Mercury this season.

Elena Delle Donne is Good at Basketball    

Okay, we obviously knew she was great before Sunday’s game.

Still, 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting including five three-pointers against one of the league’s best defensive teams is more than respectable.

Comeback Wasn’t in the Cards This Time

Phoenix has made news of late for their impressive come-from-behind wins.

In fact, the Mercury has recorded comebacks of ten or more points in four games this season, including three of the last five.

The last time these two teams played, Phoenix came back to win in overtime after being down 19 points to the Sky on July 28 at US Airways Center.

Against the Sky on Sunday, Phoenix fought back after finding themselves down by double-digits again to cut Chicago’s lead to single-digits in the fourth quarter but couldn’t quite get over the hump.