Aces vs. Mercury preview: Sunday’s game
Who: Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix.
How To Watch: WNBA League Pass
About the Aces: The Aces (1-6) begin their four-game, eight-day road trip with a doozy of an opponent, against whom they’ll try and reverse their fortunes. They were 0-3 against Phoenix as the San Antonio Stars last season, and have lost back-to-back games after earning the franchise’s first victory June 1. Rookie forward A’ja Wilson leads the charge, averaging a team-high 20.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. Veteran guard Kayla McBride is the top perimeter scoring option, averaging 14 points while shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range. The Aces are among the worst defensive teams in the league this season, sporting a net defensive rating of 106.3 (points allowed per 100 possessions), and have the second worst offensive rating (94.2) as they search for continuity on both ends of the court.
About the Mercury: The perennial WNBA championship contenting Mercury (6-3) is off to another strong start behind the inside-out combination of Britney Griner and Diana Taurasi. Griner is third in the league in scoring, averaging 21.3 points per game on 59.2 percent shooting. She’s also good for 6.7 rebounds per game, and, at 6-foot-8, is one of the top rim protectors in the league, averaging 2.4 blocks. Taurasi, perhaps the greatest player in WNBA history, is enjoying a fine 2018 season. She’s averaging 18.8 points per game to go with 4.7 assists, and is still dynamic with or without the ball. Phoenix is third in the league in offensive efficiency at 107 (points per 100 possessions) and shoots 48.4 percent from the field.
More Aces: Follow our Aces coverage at reviewjournal.com/aces and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.
