5 Amazing Stats: Mercury Undefeated Since the All-Star Break

Thu, Aug 6, 2015, 9:00 PM

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At 13-7 on the year, the Mercury is the only WNBA team without a loss following the All-Star break.

And with five of their next seven games at home, Phoenix certainly hopes to build upon that foundation.

“We’ve just been fighting,” Sandy Brondello said. “We haven’t reached anywhere near our potential but we’re finding ways to win. I’m proud of that effort, so we can dig deep when we need to.”

But just how good have the Mercury been this season? Check out a new edition of “Steiny Stats” courtesy of Mercury Stat Guru John Steinmiller.

DeWanna Bonner: MVP Candidate

DeWanna Bonner needs to be in the MVP discussion.

The forward has made 52 consecutive free throws dating back to July 10, marking the longest such streak in team history and the fourth-longest streak in WNBA history.

She’s averaging 18 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. In fact, Bonner is one of two WNBA players who ranks in the top 15 in points, rebounds and assists this season.

The other? Reigning WNBA MVP and 2015 All-Star starter Maya Moore.

Comeback Kids

Remarkably, the Mercury have recorded comebacks of ten or more points in four games this season, including three of the last four games.

The 19-point comeback on July 28 vs. Chicago tied the largest comeback in team history (June 22, 1999 vs. Washington). The last time a WNBA team came back from 19 points down to win a game was August 25, 2013 when Los Angeles won at home vs. Tulsa, 90-88 in double overtime.

“I think just mental toughness,” Dupree said. “We want to put on a show for our fans, we want to keep it suspenseful. I don’t know, I just think every game we make it so difficult on ourselves, but it says a lot. I think earlier on in the season we wouldn’t have been able to pull out a win like this. We’ve grown mentally, we’ve grown as a team, and we were able to pull it out.”

15 or More

As two of the top teams in the WNBA, Phoenix and Minnesota have split the season series so far in 2015 with each team winning by 15 points on their home floor.

Phoenix has three wins this season by 15 or more points while Minnesota has seven wins this season by 15 or more points this season.

BG Doing BG Things

Brittney Griner has tallied four double-doubles in 13 games this season.

Most recently, she scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against the Shock on August 4. Furthermore, her four double-doubles lands her in a tie for 7th in the league.

Griner also leads the WNBA in field goal shooting this season at 55.2-percent. BG is 79-of-143 from the floor in her 13 games and is the only player in the WNBA shooting above 54.5-percent.

Dupree the Difference-Maker

Selected as an All-Star starter (5th overall selection, 1st as starter), Candice Dupree has scored in double-figures in 17 of 20 games this season.

Dupree is also 6th in WNBA in minutes per game (32.8), 7th in FG% (.510) and 6th in scoring.