Scoreboard
Sun 79, Sky 68 (Series tied 1-1)
Mercury 117, Aces 91 (Series tied 1-1)
What went down
Diana Taurasi reminded everyone why she's one of the best to ever play the game. At age 39 with a list of accolades worthy of a Hall of Fame career, the WNBA's all-time leading scorer had a signature performance against the Aces.
Taurasi erupted for a playoff career-high 37 points, highlighted by eight triples, to help the Mercury bounce back in a big way after their Game 1 loss.
Mercury dropped 37 points in the opening quarter, matching a WNBA playoff record and never looked back. They continued to pour it on and had a record-setting 68 points by halftime. The Aces tried multiple times for a comeback but the Mercury simply had an answer for every run.
Brittney Griner was her dominant self with 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while Skylar Diggins-Smith added 17 points and five dimes. Newly awarded Sixth Player of the Year Kelsey Plum led the Aces with 25 points.
Meanwhile, the Sun relied on a collective effort to tie the series with the Sky. MVP Jonquel Jones struggled with just four points on 2-for-9 shooting but five other Sun players were able to reach double figures. Alyssa Thomas was impactful off the bench with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
After a double-overtime Game 1 loss, the Sun left no room for error in the endgame this time around, outscoring the Sky in the final quarter, 21-9. Kahleah Copper put up 13 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals for Chicago.
Big-time baller
Diana Taurasi's stunning scoring display deserves a breakdown. To get to her playoff record and franchise record 37 points, she shot an efficient 10-for-13 from the field, including 8-for-11 from downtown. She also added six rebounds in only 27 minutes of play. Her eight triples are the second most in WNBA playoffs history.
.@DianaTaurasi was NOT playin' around tonight 🥶
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 1, 2021
She dropped 37 points and hit EIGHT 3-pointers in @PhoenixMercury's win 🎯 #CountIt pic.twitter.com/zaErYvND9c
What she said
It's crazy to think that Alyssa Thomas had surgery for her Achilles injury just last January and now she's playing significant minutes in a postseason series.
PLAYOFF AT IS BACK. pic.twitter.com/LjpiZLxsIG
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) October 1, 2021
Playoff AT is definitely back.
Did you see that?
Kelsey Plum's comeback story after tearing her Achilles last year continues and winning this season's Sixth Player of the Year plum is the cherry on top.
? Instant Offense ?
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 30, 2021
Kelsey Plum named the 2021 @Kia #WNBA Sixth Player of the Year after averaging a career-high 14.8 PPG. She also had two games of at least 30 PTS off the bench, tying a league record 👏#CountIt pic.twitter.com/CePpaKZNGL
