The Phoenix Mercury turned in a disciplined home performance Sunday at Mortgage Matchup Center, defeating the Connecticut Sun 72-63 to secure a nine-point victory in front of their Phoenix faithful.
DeWanna Bonner was the engine of the Mercury offense, pouring in a game-high 21 points while also hauling down a team-best 6 rebounds. Her ability to score and contribute on the glass gave Phoenix a reliable interior presence that Connecticut struggled to contain throughout the contest. Equally impressive was Alyssa Thomas, who orchestrated the Mercury attack with a dominant 11-assist performance, keeping the offense fluid and her teammates involved at every turn.
Connecticut’s Brittney Griner led all Sun scorers with 19 points, providing a consistent threat in the paint, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a Phoenix squad that controlled the game’s key stretches. Charlisse Leger-Walker distributed 5 assists for Connecticut, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa was a force on the boards, pulling down 12 rebounds to lead all players in that category.
Despite Nelson-Ododa’s rebounding effort, the Sun’s night was ultimately undermined by a costly turnover problem. Connecticut committed 21 total turnovers — a staggering number that gifted Phoenix repeated opportunities in transition and helped the Mercury maintain separation whenever the Sun threatened to close the gap.
Connecticut’s shooting woes compounded the damage. The Sun connected on just 22 of 58 field goal attempts, good for a 38 percent clip, and were even less effective from beyond the arc, converting only 4 of 14 three-point tries for a 29 percent rate. While the Sun did get to the free-throw line with some regularity — going 15-of-19 from the stripe for 79 percent — those points were never enough to offset the turnovers and cold shooting that plagued them all evening.
Connecticut did show some fight on the offensive glass, collecting 9 offensive rebounds, and their defense generated 6 steals and 4 blocks. But with 21 turnovers bleeding possessions away, any momentum the Sun built was consistently short-circuited before it could translate into a genuine run.
Phoenix, by contrast, benefited enormously from Thomas’s playmaking. Her 11 assists reflected a Mercury offense that moved the ball with purpose, finding open looks and capitalizing on Connecticut’s defensive breakdowns. Bonner’s 21-point, 6-rebound line gave Phoenix a go-to scorer who delivered when the game demanded it most.
The victory strengthens Phoenix’s position at home and adds another quality result to their 2026 campaign. For Connecticut, the 21 turnovers will be the primary talking point heading into their next outing — a correctable issue, but one that proved decisive on this night in the desert.
