Phoenix, AZ (July 17, 2026) – The Connecticut Sun (7-18) dominated the Phoenix Mercury (8-18), 96-83, Friday at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Leila Lacan led the Sun’s performance with a 26-point career night, going 10-of-13. Kennedy Burke provided a major spark off the bench with 13 points, followed closely by Aaliyah Edwards with 12 points and seven rebounds. Brittney Griner also grabbed 12 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Diamond Miller posted 11 points.

Claiming the first points of the night, Griner got to work under the rim. Olivia Nelson-Ododa set the tone for the Sun’s defensive pressure, forcing a shot clock violation against Alyssa Thomas. Griner got back for two more points, before Charlisse Leger-Walker stormed the paint for her first make. Griner scored again before Phoenix’s first points of the night, sealing an 8-0 run, behind Lexi Held. Thomas followed that with a bucket in the paint. Leger-Walker snagged the ball from Thomas and sent it to Miller for a three. Thomas responded with a mid-range shot and Noemie Brochant responded with a three-bucket. Miller put up another make from downtown, but Kahleah Copper put the Mercury within two points. Lacan hit the paint for back-to-back makes with a response from Copper down the stretch. Saniya Rivers grabbed a basket, followed by Nelson-Ododa. Marta Suarez, Edwards and Held traded baskets, before Edwards and Copper closed the first quarter.

Griner opened the second frame, outbattling Suarez to the rim. Griner grabbed a second-straight basket with a mid-range jumper, and the and-1, to help Connecticut surmount a 10-point advantage. Copper sparked Phoenix’s offense with a layup, but Burke grabbed a last-second shot from beyond the arc to keep Mercury at double-digit deficit. After forcing two turnovers on back-to-back Phoenix possessions, Burke grabbed a second-chance basket to regain a 10-point lead after Valeriane Ayayi made three at the charity stripe. Lacan grabbed eight straight points to stretch the score to 45-26 with 4:10 remaining in the quarter. Thomas broke up Lacan’s scoring streak, but Lacan and Copper traded baskets. DeWanna Bonner put up her first make of the night with a shot from 20’ out, but Burke answered with a 25’ three. Rivers pushed the Sun to a 20-point lead, but Brochant and Thomas narrowed the gap to 15 points. Edwards grabbed the last basket of the half to give the Sun a 17-point lead, tying a season-high halftime lead (17-point lead, 6/22 vs. CHI).

The Mercury started off the second half with eight straight points, thanks to Bonner and Copper. Phoenix held Connecticut scoreless for the first two minutes before Lacan made it to the rim for two. Thomas fired off a shot from mid-range, followed up by a make from Copper to tamper with the Sun’s double-digit lead. Miller followed through with a layup, an and-1 and a second make to rebuff the lead while the Sun buckled down defensively. Burke rushed to the rim for a bucket, while Copper and Nelson-Ododa matched makes. Sami Whitcomb joined in, and Edwards didn’t let her basket go unanswered, holding the Sun’s 15-point advantage. Edwards grabbed a second-chance basket to reassemble a 17-point lead, erasing Phoenix’s progress throughout the quarter before Thomas battled to the rim. Bonner tracked that with a layup and Whitcomb found some space in the paint to grab another two. Lacan shot a mid-range jumper to seal the third frame.

Rivers started off the fourth quarter with a shot from the field. Lacan added two from the line, responded to by Held. Burke and Ayayi traded threes before Lacan snagged another basket. Copper scored at the rim and took home the and-1, but Leger-Walker added a basket for the Sun to stretch the 17-point lead. Lacan tied her career-high of 24 points with a nine-foot jumper before Thomas responded on the other end. Thomas and Griner traded points at the line, and Lacan recorded a new career-high from the foul line. Ayayi put one up at the rim and snagged the and-1. Gianna Kneepkens grabbed her first points at the charity stripe, going 2-for-2. Raegan Beers followed suit, before Held put up a three from 25’ out. Beers made it back to the line to grab two more points. The Mercury closed the game out with five makes from the charity stripe, sealing the Sun’s 13-point win and second straight.

The Sun dominated in fast-break points (19-6), points off turnovers (25-12), and outperformed the Mercury in assists (24-18), rebounds (34-27) and blocks (5-2).

Game Notes:

Leila Lacan set a new career-high record with 26 points.

The Sun picked up its second-straight win and seventh of the season.

Team	Score	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	PTS	REB	AST
CON	96	26	28	19	23	Lacan – 26	Edwards – 7	Leger-Walker – 7
PHX	83	21	16	22	24	Copper – 21	Bonner – 10	Thomas – 6

NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun return to Mortgage Matchup Center to face the Phoenix Mercury again on Sunday, 7/19 at 4 PM MST/7 PM EST.

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Photo Gallery: Brittney Griner's Introductory Press Conference