Brittney Griner posts 30 points, Mercury beat Mystics

PHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner scored 30 points for her third 30-plus game of the season and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Washington Mystics 88-80 on Wednesday night.

Griner also had 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.

Diana Taurasi made her second basket of the game with 5:26 left to extend Phoenix’s lead to 74-67 and she hit a 3-pointer on the Mercury’s next possession for a 10-point advantage. After Washington pulled to 83-78 on Ivory Latta’s 3-point play, Taurasi hit another 3 with 39.4 seconds left to seal it.

Camille Little added 14 points, and Taurasi finished with 12 for Phoenix (8-6).

Little and Griner combined to score 23 of Phoenix’s 44 first-half points as the Mercury built a five-point lead. Little’s steal and fast-break basket gave Phoenix an 11-point lead early in the third quarter, and Griner beat the shot clock on a lob from Leilani Mitchell for a 72-65 lead.

Elena Delle Donne scored 15 points, and Latta added 13 for Washington (10-7).