Mercury look to extend winning streak to seven vs. slumping Aces

The Phoenix Mercury enter Sunday's home game against the struggling Las Vegas Aces on a six-game winning streak, including two wins over the reigning champs New York Liberty in that span.

The Aces (7-8) are under .500 for the fourth time this season after Thursday's 94-83 loss at home against the Washington Mystics.

A'ja Wilson, who led the Aces with 22 points in that game, did not speak to the media afterward. The three-time WNBA MVP is experiencing the worst start to a season since her rookie year in 2018.

"My frustration has been seeing greatness in moments, and seeing absolute disaster in moments," Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. "There's kind of no in-between."

Phoenix (12-4) overtook New York (11-4) for the second-best record in the WNBA behind the Minnesota Lynx (13-2) following the Mercury's 106-91 win Friday at home over the Liberty.

Phoenix took advantage of its six-day break since its last game June 21, a 107-86 win at Chicago. That win was two days after the Mercury beat the Liberty 89-81 at Brooklyn, handing New York its first home loss of the season.

Satou Sabally had a game-high 25 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in Friday's win over New York.

Alyssa Thomas, playing her first season with the Mercury after playing her first 11 years with the Connecticut Sun, nearly had a triple-double with 17 points, a game-high 15 assists (one shy of her career high) and nine rebounds.

Kahleah Copper had 12 points and four rebounds in her first home game this season after being sidelined because of a left knee surgery at the end of training camp in May.

"Every game we are getting more used to each other," Sabally said of herself, Thomas and Copper playing together. "(Thomas) finding these cuts and also finding these passes helps a lot."

Phoenix won at Las Vegas 76-70 on June 15 in the only meeting this season between the teams. The victory was the Mercury's second in their current six-game winning streak.

Sabally had 22 points and nine rebounds and Thomas 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win at Las Vegas. Copper made her season debut and scored 11 points.

--Field Level Media