Phoenix — Brittney Griner’s Valley-shattering dunk and Diana Taurasi’s amazing performance propelled the Phoenix Mercury to a 78-72 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday night. Griner dominated, racking up 29 points and 11 rebounds, while The White Mamba added 22 points and five assists, bringing her within striking distance of the 10,000 career points milestone.
Griner’s dunk in the second quarter was the highlight of the night. The former Baylor star caught a lob pass and threw down a powerful one-handed slam. This was her first dunk since the 2020 season.
AIR TIME! BRITTNEY GRINER HAS THE FIRST DUNK OF THE 2023 SEASON! ???? pic.twitter.com/9Kwg0hJCjp
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 9, 2023
The Sparks were led by Nneka Ogwumike, who had 20 points, 14 rebounds and three assists.
The win was a big one for the Mercury, who are still trying to find their mojo this season, but the difference tonight was players were healthy. Phoenix is currently in last place in the Western Conference, but this win could help them get back on track.
The Mercury face a crazy challenge Tuesday against the league-leading Las Vegas Aces. Can the dynamic duo of Griner and Taurasi continue their stellar play and upset the defending champions?
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J Russell is the Editor-in-Chief for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @jrussellTV
