Mercury outdueled by Storm, Skylar Diggins in 1st loss of the season

SEATTLE (AP) — Skylar Diggins scored 24 points with a career-high 14 assists, and the Seattle Storm scored the last seven points to beat the Phoenix Mercury 77-70 on Friday night.

Diggins’ assists tied Sue Bird’s franchise record.

Nneka Ogwumike scored 24 points for Seattle, which avenged a season-opening 81-59 blowout in Phoenix last Saturday when the Storm had their lowest scoring game in four seasons. Gabby Williams added 11 points for Storm (2-1) in their home opener.

Alyssa Thomas had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Mercury (2-1) to pass Rebekkah Brunson for 10th on the WNBA’s all-time list with her 82nd double-double. Satou Sabally added 15 points and rookie Monique Akoa Makani scored a career-high 14.

Akoa Makani hit a layup and back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game at 70 with 4:46 to play, but the Mercury suffered their second dry spell of the second half, missing their last six shots — with Diggins and Ogwumike both recording blocks at the basket — with two turnovers.

Diggins hit a jumper for the lead and then Ogwumike made a pair of layups for a 76-70 lead before Diggins added a free throw to make it a three-possession game with 28 seconds remaining.

Phoenix was up 61-54 late in the third quarter but did not make a field goal for eight minutes, going 0-for-10, and the Storm scored 12 straight points. But Seattle only led 67-62 with Akoa Makani’s layup ended the drought.

There were seven ties and eight lead changes and the big lead for both teams was seven points.

Phoenix hosts Washington on Sunday.

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