Kelsey Plum shines in Mercury debut, helps produce win over Sky

Kelsey Plum had 20 points in her Phoenix debut, highlighted by a go-ahead 3-pointer with 53.2 seconds left in the Mercury's 106-101 road win over the Chicago Sky on Monday night.

Kahleah Copper scored 31 points and Alyssa Thomas recorded her second triple-double of the season for Phoenix (12-19).

The Mercury led by as many as 12 in the second quarter but trailed 99-92 with 3:22 left in the fourth. However, Thomas scored the next seven points to tie the contest, and Copper's free throw put the Mercury ahead by one with 1:30 to go.

After Kamilla Cardoso's basket put Chicago (11-19) back ahead, Plum sank a corner 3-pointer to put Phoenix ahead for good. Plum shot 6-for-10 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3-point range.

Thomas finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for Phoenix, which shot 50.8% and went 31 of 40 (77.5%) from the free-throw line to win for the fourth time in five games.

Cardoso had 16 points and 13 rebounds while Courtney Vandesloot (10 assists) and DiJonai Carrington also scored 16 apiece for the Sky, who shot 48.7% but saw their two-game winning streak end.

Acquired from the Los Angeles Sparks over the weekend for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and 2028 second-rounder, Plum, a five-time All-Star who entered averaging 23.9 points in 12 games this season, returned to action for the first time since sustaining a lower leg injury on June 21.

She checked in with 4:13 left in the first quarter, and minutes later sank a 3-pointer on her first Mercury shot attempt.

Phoenix posted two 9-0 runs in the first half. However, the Mercury led only 38-37 before Plum's running layup with 4:38 remaining in the second quarter kick-started an 11-0 surge by the visitors. That spree featured back-to-back four-point plays from Bonner and Valeriane Ayayi and gave the Mercury a 49-37 advantage.

The Sky chipped away and got within 52-47 via a free throw from Carrington. However, Plum knocked down her second 3-pointer with 33.8 seconds remaining to give Phoenix a 55-47 lead at the break.

Midway through the third quarter, a Plum layup followed by a Copper 3-pointer off an assist from Plum pushed the Mercury's lead to seven. Another Plum basket with 1:37 remaining in the third put Phoenix up 75-70, but Chicago scored seven of the final 10 points of the period to trail 78-77.

Sky rookie Sydney Taylor had 14 points, but she exited with 7:11 left in the third quarter due to a groin injury.

--Field Level Media