MYSTICS TRADE AALIYAH EDWARDS TO SUN FOR JACY SHELDON
The Washington Mystics traded forward Aaliyah Edwards to the Connecticut Sun on Thursday for guard Jacy Sheldon.
Edwards, 23, is averaging 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21 games off the Washington bench this season. She averaged 7.0 points and 4.7 boards in 55 career games (17 starts) with the Mystics.
Sheldon, 24, is averaging 7.5 points and 2.0 assists and shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range in 28 games (17 starts) for Connecticut this season. She has career averages of 6.3 points and 2.3 assists in 68 games (43 starts) with the Dallas Wings (2024) and Sun.
Sheldon (fifth overall) and Edwards (sixth) were selected with back-to-back picks in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
The deal also gives Washington the option to swap rights for two 2026 first-round picks: the pick the Sun received from the New York Liberty for the pick the Mystics received from the Minnesota Lynx.
ALYSSA THOMAS’ RECORD TRIPLE-DOUBLE LEADS MERCURY PAST FEVER
Alyssa Thomas had her WNBA-record third straight triple-double, DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 23 points, and the host Phoenix Mercury blew past the Indiana Fever 95-60 on Thursday.
Thomas had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, her final assist setting up a Bonner 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:47 remaining.
Thomas, who exited to chants of MVP, is the first player in league history with three straight triple-doubles. She had triple-doubles against Chicago and Connecticut in the last two.
Satou Sabally had 15 points and eight rebounds and Kahleah Copper had 11 points as the Mercury avenged a 107-101 loss at Indiana eight days ago.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham had a season-high 18 points in her return to Phoenix, but leading scorers Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston combined for only 16 points on 5 of 23 shooting.
Mitchell, averaging 20.0 points per game, had 12 points on 4 of 17 shooting. Boston (15.5) did not have a field goal until the fourth quarter and finished with four points and nine rebounds.
The Fever had won five of six.
For the second game in a row, the Mercury led wire-to-wire. After Cunningham’s fifth and final 3-pointer midway through the third quarter cut the Mercury lead to nine, they went on a 14-0 run and led 73-47 after three quarters.
The Mercury, who have won three in a row and four of six, stitched their lead to as large as 36 in the fourth quarter.
Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark missed her ninth straight game with a right groin injury and has played in only 13 games this season. The Fever are 9-9 without her.
The Mercury had a 44-32 rebounding edge and limited the Fever to 34.3 percent shooting from the field.
Fever guard Aari McDonald, who had a season-high 27 points in the first meeting, had four points on 2 of 5 shooting.
Cunningham spent her first six seasons with the Mercury before going to the Fever as a part of a 10-team offseason deal that brought Thomas and Sabally to Phoenix.
Fever reserve forward Sydney Colson suffered a left knee injury with 44.8 seconds remaining in the first quarter. She was helped from the floor and did not return.
JULIE ALLEMAND’S FIRST TRIPLE-DOUBLE SEND SPARKS PAST SUN
The surging Los Angeles Sparks picked up their eight win in nine games on Thursday, beating the visiting Connecticut Sun 102-91 thanks to balanced scoring and Julie Allemand’s first career triple-double.
Los Angeles (14-15) trailed at halftime as season-long leading scorer Kelsey Plum struggled mightily to get going offensively. She did not make her first basket until late in the third quarter, but did so in time to contribute to a pivotal Sparks run.
Trailing 59-51 with 7:42 left in the third, Los Angeles went on a 9-0 before Connecticut responded with five quick points. The Sparks regained the lead as Azura Stevens, Rae Burrell and Plum connected on back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers.
Cameron Brink was the fourth Los Angeles shooter to knock down a triple over a flurry spanning 2:46, and the Sparks never trailed again.
Connecticut (5-24) battled back to force a tie in the early fourth quarter, but the Sun — playing the second date on a four-game road swing — could not keep up down the stretch.
Los Angeles went on a 10-2 run capped with one of Plum’s three made 3-pointers on the night to establish a double-digit lead, then held on.
Plum rallied from her slow start to score 18 points, joining five other Los Angeles players in double figures. Allemand totaled 10 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Dearica Hamby led the Sparks with 21 points, while Rickea Jackson posted her fourth 20-plus-point game in the last five outings with 20 points. Stevens added 10, and Brink delivered her best offensive performance since returning from a 13-month absence caused by an ACL tear, scoring 11 points.
Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey led Connecticut with 19 points each. Bria Hartley added 16 points, and Leila Lacan contributed 10 points and seven assists.
Mabrey and Hartley combined to shoot 9-for-18 from 3-point range, and the Sun were 13-for-29 (44.8 percent) from deep overall, but they were only 20-for-51 (39.2 percent) on attempts from inside the arc.
Los Angeles shot 11-for-25 (44 percent) from long distance, 56.5 percent overall.
DREAM SURGE PAST SKY IN SECOND HALF FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN
Allisha Gray had 25 points, and the visiting Atlanta Dream overcame a rough first half to win their fourth game in a row, 86-65 over the Chicago Sky on Thursday night.
Atlanta (19-11) never led during a first half in which they shot 30.3 percent, trailing by as many as nine points and 34-28 at intermission. Then the Dream scored the first 10 points of the second half to take their first lead and assume control of the game.
Gray knocked down a 3-pointer near the corner out of the break, and Te-Hina Paopao (12 points) followed with her own make from distance. Two free throws from Naz Hillmon, who recorded 11 rebounds, gave the Dream their first lead with 8:27 left in the third, and another Gray basket made it a 38-34 lead the visitors would never give up.
Jordin Canada added 17 points, six assists and six rebounds for the Dream, who shot 64.3 percent and outscored Chicago 32-18 during the pivotal third quarter. Nia Coffey scored all 10 of her points in the second half for Atlanta, which has won six of seven and swept the four-game season series from the Sky.
Atlanta, which also owned a 13-2 advantage in fast-break points, won all four meetings with Chicago by at least 13 points.
Rachel Banham went 3-of-6 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points for the Sky (8-22), while star teammate Kamilla Cardoso notched 12 points, five assists and four blocks.
Chicago committed 13 turnovers that led to 15 Atlanta points. Losers in nine of 10, the Sky played without injured star Angel Reese (back) for the seventh time in the last nine games.
Chicago scored 12 of the game’s first 15 points and held Atlanta to 3-of-11 shooting from behind the arc during the first half. Cardoso had eight points, five rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals through the first two quarters for the Sky, who totaled 12 assists on 15 field goals to that point.
