Mercury advance in WNBA playoffs after buzzer-beating 3
Sep 15, 2020, 9:15 PM
Phoenix Mercury guard Shey Peddy, right, is congratulated by guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, second from right, guard Diana Taurasi and forward Alanna Smith, left, after Peddy scored the game-winning shot as time expired against the Washington Mystics during a WNBA basketball first-round playoff game Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
BRADENTON, Fla. — Shey Peddy made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Phoenix Mercury an 85-84 come-from-behind victory over the defending champion Washington Mystics on Tuesday night in the first round of the playoffs.
LET'S (NOT) GO HOME! @SheyP11's A HERO!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/FfA9UhEVvW
— Phoenix Mercury (x) (@PhoenixMercury) September 16, 2020
Fifth-seeded Phoenix moves on to play No. 4 seed Minnesota on Thursday in the second round.
Washington guard Leilani Mitchell went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line with 5.8 seconds to go for an 84-82 lead. After a timeout, Diana Taurasi inbounded it to Skylar Diggins-Smith, who drove the lane and lofted a pass over the defense across the court to the corner. Peddy pump-faked it to get her defender in the air and calmly beat the buzzer.
Peddy, who was cut by Washington earlier this season, finished with 12 points for Phoenix. Diggins-Smith had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists and Taurasi, who improved to 7-0 in single-elimination playoff games, added 23 points. The Mercury went on a 17-0 run over a five-minute span for a 78-73 lead.
Mitchell led Washington with 25 points, and Emma Meesseman added 18.
Meesseman’s steal and fast-break layup capped a 5-0 run to give Washington a 83-82 lead with 38.8 seconds left. And after a timeout, Myisha Hines-Allen drew an offensive foul on Diggins-Smith for Phoenix’s third straight possession with a turnover.
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