Diana Taurasi hasn’t decided on retirement, but ‘end is near’; Brittney Griner ejected in Mercury win

Brittney Griner scored 14 points before being ejected after a scuffle, and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Los Angeles Sparks 85-81 on Tuesday night.

After the game, Mercury star Diana Taurasi spoke of her own future with one regular season game left.

Because the Mercury found out before the game they would play second-seeded Minnesota when the playoffs open on Sunday, that became the biggest item of note.

“I don’t know,” Taurasi told reporters in Los Angeles. “The last couple of weeks have been a little nerve-racking for myself. I don’t want to make any emotional, rash decisions. I know the end is near. When that is, I don’t know.

“I’ve always been a person that just concentrates on what’s next. And that’s practice tomorrow and then [versus] Seattle on Thursday. I guess when the season’s over, I’ll reflect and I’ll get advice from the people that are closest to my heart.”

Griner and Sparks standout rookie Rickea Jackson were thrown out after exchanging shoves while in rebounding position following a Mercury free throw in the closing seconds of the first half.

Natasha Cloud had 13 points and 12 assists and Sophia Cunningham scored 14 points for the Mercury (19-20). Taurasi added 13 and Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan had 10.

Dearica Hamby had 21 points for the last-place Sparks (7-32), who lost their eighth straight in an injury-plagued season. Li Yueru scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Kia Nurse had 10 points.

Phoenix turned 20 turnovers into 31 points to offset a 49-25 rebounding deficit.

Natasha Mack’s three-point play had the Mercury up 71-56 with 7:32 to play but the Sparks reeled off 10 straight points, pulling within five on Hamby’s layup with five minutes to go.

Cunningham pushed the lead to 13 with a 3-pointer with 3:44 left but Hamby hit a 3 that made it 79-74 with two minutes to play. Herbert-Harrigan ended that threat with a 3 and the Mercury closed it out.

The game was tied at 14 after one quarter before the Sparks raced to a 44-36 lead at the half.

It was after Celeste Taylor made a free throw for Phoenix, cutting the lead to 43-36, that Griner and Jackson got tangled up, exchanged words and shoves and appeared ready for more before others intervened. After review, both players were ejected and L.A.’s Crystal Dangerfield and Cunningham were given technical fouls.

Griner was 7 of 8 for 14 points in 14 minutes and Jackson played all but those last 18.8 seconds and was 2 of 11 with four free throws.

Phoenix scored the first seven points of the second half, tied the game at 46 on Taurasi’s 3-pointer and took the lead for good on her free throw as she started her own run of five straight points that made it 53-48.

The Mercury led by as many as 14 and took a 64-54 lead into the fourth quarter after outscoring the Sparks 28-10. Phoenix was 9 of 18 in the quarter to 4 of 18 for the Sparks, who had nine turnovers.

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