Mercury Nearly Pull Off Sweep Against Conference Rival

The Phoenix Mercury beat one of their conference rivals in 2018, and they nearly had the sweep.

Scorch fires up the crowd before the Phoenix Mercury plays against the Dallas Wings in Phoenix, at PHX Arena on Jun 11, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury fought hard in their 2018 series, and they beat a Western Conference rival that they met later on in the playoffs.

The Mercury beat the Dallas Wings 2-1 in that series, and Phoenix started that series with a win.

Aug. 21, 2018; Tempe, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner puts up a shot over Dallas Wings guard Allisha Gray (15) in the first half during round one of the WNBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK / The Arizona Republic-USA TODAY N

In what was the Mercury's first game of the season, Diana Taurasi helped her team get an 86-78 victory. It was their home opener, and the star guard had 26 points. She made five 3-pointers in that game, and she made history as a result. She became the first player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 career 3-pointers. That was a big moment for Taurasi and her team, and they picked up a win along the way.

Aug. 21, 2018; Tempe, AZ, USA; Dallas Wings guard Maggie Lucas drives to the basket and scores against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half during round one of the WNBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK / The Arizona Republic-USA TODAY N

Phoenix had four more players who scored in double figures, and DeWanna Bonner was the second-leading scorer. She had a double-double, as she had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Brittney Griner had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Then, Briann January and Leilani Mitchell both had 10 points.

The Wings were led by two players as Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins both had 18 points. Diggins would play for the Mercury a few years later, and she averaged 17.7 points in her first season. Diggins and her teammates put up a fight, but the Mercury were the victors.

Sep 17, 2020; Palmetto, Florida, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (4) drives past Minnesota Lynx guard Odyssey Sims (1left during the second half at the FELD entertainment complex. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Mercury get another win

Dallas hosted Phoenix in the second game, and the Mercury gained a 2-0 lead. They beat the Wings 75-72, and Taurasi had 21 points. Diggins was the leader for Dallas, and she had 18. That game was Phoenix's sixth win in a row, and the team's starters made it happen. Griner had 18 points, Bonner had 13 and Sancho Lyttle had 12.

The Mercury were one game away from a sweep, but the Wings foiled their plans. Dallas beat Phoenix 101-72 in the final game, and Diggins had 20 points. Phoenix was led by Griner, and she had 21 points. Bonner was right behind her, and she had 20 points. The Mercury had another player who scored in double figures, as Yvonne Turner had 10 points off the bench.

Phoenix played well in that series, and later on, the Mercury beat the Wings in the playoffs. It was a single-elimination game, and the Mercury beat them 101-83. After winning that game, Phoenix beat the Connecticut Sun and lost to the Seattle Storm.

Both the Mercury and the Wings fought hard to get to that point, and their season series was a glimpse of what was to come.

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