Kahleah Copper’s 2.4-second winner lifts Mercury past Wings after Dallas led nearly all night

Dallas built the game from the perimeter

The Wings set the tone with shot-making and second chances. Awak Kuier opened the scoring with a three, Paige Bueckers quickly found rhythm from mid-range and deep, and Dallas finished the first quarter ahead 26-19. That early margin matched the way the numbers would look for most of the night: Dallas had the better three-point output, better rebounding total and, for long stretches, the cleaner offensive flow.

Bueckers was the obvious headliner in that stretch and across the full game. She finished with 30 points on 12-for-22 shooting, hit 4 of 5 from three and added seven assists with only one turnover. When Dallas needed a composed answer, she usually had it. Kuier chipped in two early threes and five blocks overall, while Maddy Siegrist added nine points, including a pair of second-quarter threes that helped Dallas stretch the lead.

The second quarter is where the Wings seemed to have the game on their terms. They climbed to a 14-point advantage, and even when Phoenix responded, Dallas kept landing another jumper. Jessica Shepard’s all-around work mattered here as much as Bueckers’ scoring. Shepard posted 17 points, 19 rebounds and six assists, and her rebounding helped Dallas get to 11 offensive boards for the game. Phoenix did close the half well, though. Kara Dunn hit back-to-back threes in the final 90 seconds, trimming the deficit to 47-43 and keeping the Mercury within one good run.

Phoenix kept returning to Copper and Thomas

That run arrived in the third quarter, and it came from the Mercury’s most reliable combination. Kahleah Copper scored on a layup, then a three, and Natasha Mack followed with two free throws to push Phoenix in front 50-49. A little later, Noemie Brochant’s pull-up jumper made it 52-51. For a team that spent almost the entire night chasing, those were important reminders that Phoenix could still change the game without suddenly catching fire from outside.

Dallas answered with one more surge that looked decisive. Bueckers buried another three, Shepard finished at the rim, Arike Ogunbowale knocked down a three, and Li Yueru added a three-point play as the Wings built the lead back out. By the time Bueckers hit from 26 feet with 3:15 left in the third, Dallas had real separation again, and the Wings carried a 68-61 edge into the fourth after Sami Whitcomb’s late three for Phoenix.

Even the opening of the fourth suggested Dallas would close it out. Bueckers and Shepard scored, Kuier added a short basket, and with 8:48 remaining the Wings led 74-63. But Phoenix kept finding points in the same places all night: at the rim and at the stripe. Copper repeatedly got downhill, Alyssa Thomas kept the offense connected, and Mack’s finishing around the basket gave the comeback a second interior option. Thomas’ final line — 15 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists — explains how Phoenix stayed organized enough to keep chipping away without wasting possessions.

Our take: the line and the lane decided it

The closing sequence was sharp, strange and brutally efficient. Ogunbowale’s jumper with 1:43 left made it 81-77 Dallas, but Thomas answered with a layup 20 seconds later. Copper then tied the game with two free throws at 49.6 seconds. Bueckers appeared to seize it back with a 28-foot three at 33.3 seconds for an 84-81 lead, and Ogunbowale’s two free throws with 16.9 seconds left pushed Dallas to 86-83. Still, Phoenix had one more response each time: Copper made two more free throws at 27.7, Mack scored with 15.7 seconds left, and Thomas found Copper for the winning layup at 2.4.

Our take: Phoenix won a one-point game by winning the most repeatable areas on the stat sheet. The Mercury made only 5 of 21 from three, but they hit 26 of 30 free throws, scored 40 points in the paint and committed just five turnovers. Dallas, by contrast, made 10 threes and grabbed 42 rebounds, yet left seven free throws behind and gave Phoenix enough chances to survive. In a game decided by one basket, that arithmetic is hard to ignore.

There is plenty for both teams to like, and something clear for both to clean up. Dallas can look first to the foul line after a 14-for-21 night, especially with the margin so thin. The Wings may also revisit how a 74-63 lead turned into a scramble while Phoenix kept scoring inside. For the Mercury, the comeback should not hide the strain of playing from behind for so long. Dallas won the rebounding battle 42-32, including 11 offensive rebounds, and Phoenix never led by more than one point. The result was impressive; the path to it was perilous.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 9:07

   Awak Kuier makes 25-foot three point jumper (Paige Bueckers assists)

2. 1st Quarter · 8:42

   Alyssa Thomas makes driving layup (Noemie Brochant assists)

3. 1st Quarter · 7:56

   Maddy Siegrist makes running layup (Paige Bueckers assists)

4. 1st Quarter · 7:16

   Alyssa Thomas makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot (Lexi Held assists)

5. 1st Quarter · 6:49

   Alyssa Thomas makes 18-foot jumper (Kahleah Copper assists)

6. 1st Quarter · 6:37

   Paige Bueckers makes 13-foot fade away jump shot

7. 1st Quarter · 6:17

   Natasha Mack makes 4-foot layup (Alyssa Thomas assists)

8. 1st Quarter · 6:05

   Paige Bueckers makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jessica Shepard assists)

9. 1st Quarter · 5:34

   Awak Kuier makes 23-foot three point jumper (Paige Bueckers assists)

10. 1st Quarter · 4:30

    Sami Whitcomb makes free throw 1 of 3

11. 1st Quarter · 4:30

    Sami Whitcomb makes free throw 2 of 3

12. 1st Quarter · 4:30

    Sami Whitcomb makes free throw 3 of 3

13. 1st Quarter · 4:14

    Paige Bueckers makes 17-foot pullup jump shot (Odyssey Sims assists)

14. 1st Quarter · 3:00

    Jessica Shepard makes 16-foot jumper (Paige Bueckers assists)

15. 1st Quarter · 2:46

    Alyssa Thomas makes driving layup

16. 1st Quarter · 2:07

    Paige Bueckers makes free throw 1 of 2

17. 1st Quarter · 2:07

    Paige Bueckers makes free throw 2 of 2

18. 1st Quarter · 1:25

    Li Yueru makes 4-foot two point shot (Aziaha James assists)

19. 1st Quarter · 1:13

    Natasha Mack makes 2-foot layup (Sami Whitcomb assists)

20. 1st Quarter · 56.7

    Alysha Clark makes 25-foot three point jumper (Aziaha James assists)

21. 1st Quarter · 41.3

    Kahleah Copper makes driving layup

22. 1st Quarter · 31.9

    Odyssey Sims makes driving layup

23. 1st Quarter · 29.0

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 1 of 2

24. 1st Quarter · 29.0

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 2 of 2

25. 2nd Quarter · 9:40

    Alysha Clark makes free throw 2 of 2

26. 2nd Quarter · 9:13

    Aziaha James makes 17-foot step back jumpshot

27. 2nd Quarter · 8:30

    Aziaha James makes 15-foot pullup jump shot (Odyssey Sims assists)

28. 2nd Quarter · 7:46

    Jessica Shepard makes free throw 2 of 2

29. 2nd Quarter · 7:32

    Alyssa Thomas makes 3-foot layup (Lexi Held assists)

30. 2nd Quarter · 7:21

    Maddy Siegrist makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jessica Shepard assists)

31. 2nd Quarter · 7:04

    Kahleah Copper makes 3-foot layup (Alyssa Thomas assists)

32. 2nd Quarter · 7:04

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 1 of 1

33. 2nd Quarter · 5:35

    Kara Dunn makes 24-foot three point jumper (Lexi Held assists)

34. 2nd Quarter · 5:05

    Jessica Shepard makes layup (Paige Bueckers assists)

35. 2nd Quarter · 4:23

    Kahleah Copper makes 5-foot layup (Lexi Held assists)

36. 2nd Quarter · 4:02

    Paige Bueckers makes 17-foot jumper

37. 2nd Quarter · 3:46

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 1 of 2

38. 2nd Quarter · 3:46

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 2 of 2

39. 2nd Quarter · 3:14

    Maddy Westbeld makes free throw 1 of 2

40. 2nd Quarter · 3:14

    Maddy Westbeld makes free throw 2 of 2

41. 2nd Quarter · 2:58

    Maddy Siegrist makes free throw 2 of 2

42. 2nd Quarter · 2:45

    Alyssa Thomas makes 11-foot driving floating jump shot

43. 2nd Quarter · 2:20

    Maddy Siegrist makes 24-foot three point jumper (Paige Bueckers assists)

44. 2nd Quarter · 2:05

    Sami Whitcomb makes 20-foot pullup jump shot (Alyssa Thomas assists)

45. 2nd Quarter · 1:43

    Paige Bueckers makes 14-foot pullup jump shot (Jessica Shepard assists)

46. 2nd Quarter · 1:32

    Kara Dunn makes 24-foot three point jumper (Alyssa Thomas assists)

47. 2nd Quarter · 1:03

    Kara Dunn makes 22-foot three point jumper (Alyssa Thomas assists)

48. 2nd Quarter · 34.2

    Jessica Shepard makes free throw 1 of 2

49. 2nd Quarter · 34.2

    Jessica Shepard makes free throw 2 of 2

50. 3rd Quarter · 9:40

    Paige Bueckers makes 8-foot pullup jump shot

51. 3rd Quarter · 8:58

    Kahleah Copper makes running layup (Alyssa Thomas assists)

52. 3rd Quarter · 8:20

    Kahleah Copper makes 25-foot three point jumper (Lexi Held assists)

53. 3rd Quarter · 7:36

    Natasha Mack makes free throw 1 of 2

54. 3rd Quarter · 7:36

    Natasha Mack makes free throw 2 of 2

55. 3rd Quarter · 7:17

    Paige Bueckers makes 9-foot two point shot (Jessica Shepard assists)

56. 3rd Quarter · 6:52

    Noemie Brochant makes 16-foot pullup jump shot (Alyssa Thomas assists)

57. 3rd Quarter · 6:34

    Paige Bueckers makes 23-foot three point jumper (Arike Ogunbowale assists)

58. 3rd Quarter · 5:59

    Jessica Shepard makes running layup (Paige Bueckers assists)

59. 3rd Quarter · 5:49

    Natasha Mack makes 12-foot jumper (Alyssa Thomas assists)

60. 3rd Quarter · 5:35

    Arike Ogunbowale makes 23-foot three point jumper (Li Yueru assists)

61. 3rd Quarter · 4:58

    Jessica Shepard makes driving layup (Odyssey Sims assists)

62. 3rd Quarter · 4:33

    Li Yueru makes 2-foot layup (Jessica Shepard assists)

63. 3rd Quarter · 4:33

    Li Yueru makes free throw 1 of 1

64. 3rd Quarter · 4:00

    Alyssa Thomas makes free throw 1 of 2

65. 3rd Quarter · 3:15

    Paige Bueckers makes 26-foot three pointer

66. 3rd Quarter · 2:56

    Jessica Shepard makes free throw 2 of 2

67. 3rd Quarter · 2:20

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 1 of 2

68. 3rd Quarter · 1:19

    Natasha Mack makes free throw 1 of 2

69. 3rd Quarter · 1:19

    Natasha Mack makes free throw 2 of 2

70. 3rd Quarter · 29.0

    Sami Whitcomb makes 22-foot three point jumper (Shay Ciezki assists)

71. 4th Quarter · 9:45

    Kahleah Copper makes 7-foot two point shot (Sami Whitcomb assists)

72. 4th Quarter · 9:30

    Paige Bueckers makes 13-foot pullup jump shot (Jessica Shepard assists)

73. 4th Quarter · 9:13

    Jessica Shepard makes running layup (Odyssey Sims assists)

74. 4th Quarter · 8:48

    Awak Kuier makes 6-foot two point shot (Arike Ogunbowale assists)

75. 4th Quarter · 7:53

    Marta Suarez makes free throw 1 of 2

76. 4th Quarter · 7:53

    Marta Suarez makes free throw 2 of 2

77. 4th Quarter · 6:44

    Shay Ciezki makes 10-foot turnaround jump shot

78. 4th Quarter · 5:50

    Paige Bueckers makes 15-foot pullup jump shot (Odyssey Sims assists)

79. 4th Quarter · 5:33

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 2 of 2

80. 4th Quarter · 4:31

    Kahleah Copper makes 4-foot layup (Alyssa Thomas assists)

81. 4th Quarter · 4:10

    Jessica Shepard makes free throw 1 of 2

82. 4th Quarter · 3:49

    Kahleah Copper makes driving layup

83. 4th Quarter · 3:18

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 1 of 2

84. 4th Quarter · 3:06

    Jessica Shepard makes free throw 1 of 2

85. 4th Quarter · 3:06

    Jessica Shepard makes free throw 2 of 2

86. 4th Quarter · 2:48

    Kara Dunn makes free throw 1 of 2

87. 4th Quarter · 2:48

    Kara Dunn makes free throw 2 of 2

88. 4th Quarter · 2:23

    Kahleah Copper makes 2-foot reverse layup (Alyssa Thomas assists)

89. 4th Quarter · 1:43

    Arike Ogunbowale makes 15-foot step back jumpshot

90. 4th Quarter · 1:23

    Alyssa Thomas makes driving layup

91. 4th Quarter · 49.6

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 1 of 2

92. 4th Quarter · 49.6

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 2 of 2

93. 4th Quarter · 33.3

    Paige Bueckers makes 28-foot three point jumper (Awak Kuier assists)

94. 4th Quarter · 27.7

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 1 of 2

95. 4th Quarter · 27.7

    Kahleah Copper makes free throw 2 of 2

96. 4th Quarter · 16.9

    Arike Ogunbowale makes free throw 1 of 2

97. 4th Quarter · 16.9

    Arike Ogunbowale makes free throw 2 of 2

98. 4th Quarter · 15.7

    Natasha Mack makes 6-foot layup (Alyssa Thomas assists)

99. 4th Quarter · 2.4

    Kahleah Copper makes 4-foot layup (Alyssa Thomas assists)