Noemie Brochart and Shay Ciezki each contributed 15 points as the Phoenix Mercury secured a dominant 101-69 victory over the Toronto Tempo on Saturday night. This win marked the second-largest winning margin for Phoenix this season, following their 99-66 season opener triumph against the Las Vegas Aces.
Sami Whitcomb added 14 points to the scoreboard, while Marta Suarez and Maddy Westbeld, coming off the bench, scored 13 and 12 points respectively. Lexi Held also chipped in with 11 points for the Mercury (14-26), breaking a four-game losing streak.
Alyssa Thomas showcased her playmaking skills by dishing out 12 assists, marking her 11th game this season with 10 or more assists. On the other side, Isabelle Harrison recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, Kiki Rice scored 14 points, and Laura Juskaite contributed 10 points for the Tempo. The Tempo (11-29) were looking to bounce back from a 93-73 defeat to Las Vegas on Friday.
Unfortunately, the Tempo are still missing their leading scorer Marina Mabrey, who averages 20.8 points per game, due to an adductor injury. Mabrey has been sidelined for the past six games.
Phoenix took control early in the game, establishing a 21-8 lead and maintaining it throughout. They closed the first quarter with a 27-17 advantage and extended it to 58-35 by halftime. A strong third quarter performance, where they outscored the Tempo by 30 points, resulted in an 88-49 lead heading into the final quarter.