Mercury Battle Western Conference Rivals In 2021

The Phoenix Mercury beat several Eastern Conference teams in 2021, but they had some trouble against conference rivals.

Jul 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) passes the ball against LA Sparks guard Aari McDonald (15) and forward Dearica Hamby (5) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury were in control of their 2021 season series against Eastern Conference teams. They beat every team in that conference with the exception of the Connecticut Sun. The Sun swept them, but the Mercury swept teams like the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky.

Aug 3, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) and Atlanta Dream forward Nia Coffey (12) defend against Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) during the game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Phoenix's matchups against Western Conference teams were a different story. They lost some of those series, and the matchups against the Dallas Wings are an example.

Dallas beat Phoenix 2-1 in that series, and the Mercury's win came early. They beat the Wings 89-85, and Brittney Griner finished the game with 27 points and 16 rebounds. The Mercury had two more players who scored in double figures, and they both had 21 points. Skylar Diggins had seven assists, six rebounds and a block to go along with her points. Kia Nurse had three assists and two rebounds.

The Wings tied the series with a road win, and they beat the Mercury 85-81. Griner had 27 points and 16 rebounds, which was identical to what she did in the first game. Diggins had 22 points and Megan Walker had 10. After that game, the Wings won the final meeting and took the series.

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) blocks a shot by Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) during the second quarter at Footprint Center on Sept. 1, 2024, in Phoenix. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Phoenix lost its series against the Las Vegas Aces, as the Aces won 2-1. Las Vegas started the series with a road win, and Griner led the way for Phoenix. She had 27 points in what was a Commissioner's Cup game.

Mercury get an overtime victory over the Aces

The Mercury picked up a road win of their own in the second game, and Griner scored 33 points. That game went into overtime, and Phoenix came out on top. Then, Las Vegas beat Phoenix 84-83 in the last meeting.

Jul 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) shoots the ball against Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Phoenix won its series against the Los Angeles Sparks, and it started with a loss. The Sparks beat the Mercury 85-80, but Phoenix controlled the last two games. Griner and her teammates beat the Sparks 80-66 in the second meeting and 88-79 in the third. The third game was significant, as Diana Taurasi became the first player in WNBA History to reach 9,000. Later on, she made history and scored 10,000 points.

The Mercury competed against West teams, and they were 1-4 in those series. The West was stacked that year, and while Phoenix lost most of its series against conference rivals, the team redeemed itself during the playoffs.

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