Mercury Control Their Matchups Against West Rivals

The Phoenix Mercury did well against Eastern Conference teams in 2017, and the same could be said for their matchups against Western Conference teams.

Aug 17, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner (right) shoots against San Antonio Silver Stars center Kayla Alexander (left) during the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury had a respectable 2017 season, and it led to some competitive games against Western Conference rivals. The Mercury picked up some wins, and in their series against the Dallas Wings, they won two games.

That series started with a loss, as Dallas picked up a road win over Phoenix. The Wings beat the Mercury by 10, and Kaela Davis, who played for the Mercury later on, was the team's leading scorer with 20 points.

Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner (right) and Diana Taurasi celebrate after beating the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 17, 2018, at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz.Atlanta .vs Phoenix 2018 / Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports

Brittney Griner was the leader for Phoenix, and she had 18 points. Camille Little was next, and she finished the game with 11 points. That was a quiet game for the Mercury, but they bounced back with a blowout win in the second meeting.

The Mercury beat the Wings 107-65, and Leilani Mitchell led the charge. She had 19 points off the bench, and Phoenix had five other players who scored in double figures. It was a much better performance from the Mercury, and the series was tied. There was one final game, and Mitchell and her teammates won on the road. That game went into overtime, and Phoenix won by one.

Aug 17, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) posts up against San Antonio Silver Stars forward Danielle Adams (23) during the second half at the AT&T center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Mercury pull off a sweep, get swept by another rival

Phoenix won another series, as Griner and her teammates beat the San Antonio Stars 3-0. The Mercury were on the road for the first two games, and the Mercury was the leading scorer in the first one. She had 20 points in the team's 78-72 win, and Phoenix had three other players who scored in double figures.

Diana Taurasi was the leading scorer in the second win, and she had 17 points. Then, the Mercury returned home for the final game, and they beat the Stars 81-64.

The Mercury did lose a series, as the Los Angeles Sparks beat them 3-0. The Sparks were too much for them, and in the first game, Chelsea Gray had 24 points. That game was a balanced effort from Los Angeles, and Gray and her teammates beat the Mercury by two points. Then, they kept that momentum going and won the next two matchups.

Sep 23, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) guards Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) in the second half of game three of the Western Conference Semi-Finals at the Staples Center. Phoenix won 78-77. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Looking at all of their series, the Mercury were 3-2 in their season series. On top of their loss to the Sparks, they lost their matchups with the Minnesota Lynx. However, they did beat the Seattle Storm on top of their other victories. The Mercury did well, and in a strong conference, they beat some of their rivals.

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