Shay Ciezki’s third-quarter jolt carries Mercury past Fire 94-91 after Portland led most of the night

Portland set the terms, but never broke the game open

The Fire earned their early control. Emily Engstler opened the scoring with a three at 9:42 of the first quarter, and Portland kept finding answers whenever Phoenix briefly nudged ahead. After Amy Okonkwo tied it 20-20 with 1:45 left in the opening period, Holly Winterburn took over the last minute with six straight free throws, sending Portland into the second quarter ahead 26-20.

That cushion grew quickly. Jordan Harrison buried a step-back three at 9:28 of the second for a 29-20 lead, and Portland kept stacking useful possessions behind Harrison’s playmaking and balanced scoring from Engstler, Serah Williams, Samuelson and Winterburn. The Fire pushed the margin to 50-41 on Harrison’s free throws with 46.1 seconds left in the half before Alyssa Thomas trimmed it to 50-43 with a layup just before the break.

Even then, the warning signs for Portland were already there. Phoenix was not shooting poorly; the Mercury finished at 49.1 percent from the field, 48.0 percent from three and 26 of 30 at the line. They also assisted on 23 baskets. Portland’s pressure created damage — 12 steals and 29 points off 20 Mercury turnovers — but because Phoenix kept scoring efficiently in the half court, the Fire’s lead always felt useful rather than secure.

Ciezki bent the third quarter in Phoenix’s direction

Portland looked ready to make the game tilt for good in the third. Engstler hit from deep at 8:40, Nyadiew Puoch added a three at 7:49, and Okonkwo’s triple at 5:38 helped stretch the lead to 61-52. When Puoch scored again at 4:07, the Fire were up 63-52 and still had the rhythm of the night.

Then Shay Ciezki detonated the quarter. She scored on a driving layup at 3:52, knocked down a 29-footer at 3:20, drilled another three at 2:37, made four straight free throws at 2:00 and 1:38, and then buried a step-back three with 5.1 seconds left. That was 15 points in one burst, enough to wipe out Portland’s 11-point edge and briefly put Phoenix in front before Winterburn answered with a 31-foot bank shot at the horn for a 69-68 Fire lead.

That sequence is the game’s defining turn because it changed the emotional math without requiring a full takeover from one player alone. Ciezki’s scoring was the headline, but Noemie Brochant and Thomas kept feeding the possession flow that made the rally possible. Brochant finished with 14 points and six assists, Thomas had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Phoenix suddenly had a closing formula instead of just a chase.

Our take: Phoenix closed like the calmer team

The fourth quarter kept the tug-of-war going, but Phoenix handled the swing possessions better. Portland went back up 74-70 on Samuelson’s step-back three at 8:30, and Engstler answered again from deep at 6:21 for a 77-75 lead. Each time, though, the Mercury produced a clean reply: Brochant’s layup at 8:14, Ciezki’s three-point play at 7:16, Thomas tying it at 77-77 with 5:53 left, Brochant’s go-ahead three at 5:16, and then Whitcomb’s jumper and three in the final 4:31 that pushed Phoenix to 87-82.

Portland still had one last push. Engstler’s three at 3:12 cut it to two, Samuelson’s free throws made it 90-88 with 50.8 seconds left, and Winterburn’s three with 4.8 seconds remaining brought the Fire within 92-91. But Phoenix answered the last pressure moment with the simplest play available: free throws. Natasha Mack made two with 15.6 seconds left, and Brochant made two more with 3.4 seconds left to set the final margin.

Our take: this was a sharp offensive win by Phoenix, but not a clean one. A team that shoots 49.1 percent overall, hits 12 threes and goes 26 of 30 at the line should not also be donating 20 total turnovers and 29 points off those mistakes. For Portland, the loss is harder to live with because the Fire led for 63 percent of the game, got 21 points from Engstler, 18 from Winterburn and 10 assists from Harrison, and still came up short. The obvious places to look are the seven missed free throws in a three-point game and the inability to finish every defensive trip on the glass, where Phoenix held a 22-17 edge in defensive rebounds. When both teams make 12 threes, the little accounting matters most.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 9:42

   Emily Engstler makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jordan Harrison assists)

2. 1st Quarter · 9:34

   Alyssa Thomas makes free throw 1 of 2

3. 1st Quarter · 9:34

   Alyssa Thomas makes free throw 2 of 2

4. 1st Quarter · 8:57

   Sami Whitcomb makes 25-foot three point jumper (Noemie Brochant assists)

5. 1st Quarter · 8:33

   Emily Engstler makes two point shot (Karlie Samuelson assists)

6. 1st Quarter · 8:07

   Jordan Harrison makes running layup

7. 1st Quarter · 7:55

   Lexi Held makes 25-foot three point jumper (Noemie Brochant assists)

8. 1st Quarter · 6:45

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

9. 1st Quarter · 6:45

   Natasha Mack makes free throw 1 of 1

10. 1st Quarter · 6:08

    Karlie Samuelson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jordan Harrison assists)

11. 1st Quarter · 5:51

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

12. 1st Quarter · 5:26

    Noemie Brochant makes 24-foot running jump shot (Alyssa Thomas assists)

13. 1st Quarter · 5:06

    Serah Williams makes 6-foot driving floating jump shot (Emily Engstler assists)

14. 1st Quarter · 4:30

    Emily Engstler makes two point shot

15. 1st Quarter · 4:20

    Alyssa Thomas makes driving layup

16. 1st Quarter · 3:25

    Alyssa Thomas makes driving layup (Shay Ciezki assists)

17. 1st Quarter · 2:58

    Serah Williams makes two point shot

18. 1st Quarter · 2:21

    Karlie Samuelson makes 10-foot two point shot

19. 1st Quarter · 1:45

    Amy Okonkwo makes layup (Emily Engstler assists)

20. 1st Quarter · 1:10

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 1 of 2

21. 1st Quarter · 1:10

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 2 of 2

22. 1st Quarter · 36.2

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 1 of 2

23. 1st Quarter · 36.2

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 2 of 2

24. 1st Quarter · 18.3

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 1 of 2

25. 1st Quarter · 18.3

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 2 of 2

26. 2nd Quarter · 9:28

    Jordan Harrison makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot

27. 2nd Quarter · 9:05

    Sami Whitcomb makes 25-foot three point jumper (Kara Dunn assists)

28. 2nd Quarter · 8:48

    Serah Williams makes 4-foot layup (Jordan Harrison assists)

29. 2nd Quarter · 8:33

    Kara Dunn makes 25-foot three point jumper (Marta Suarez assists)

30. 2nd Quarter · 7:27

    Serah Williams makes running layup (Jordan Harrison assists)

31. 2nd Quarter · 7:09

    Lexi Held makes 25-foot three point jumper (Noemie Brochant assists)

32. 2nd Quarter · 6:47

    Holly Winterburn makes 5-foot layup (Jordan Harrison assists)

33. 2nd Quarter · 6:33

    Natasha Mack makes free throw 1 of 2

34. 2nd Quarter · 6:33

    Natasha Mack makes free throw 2 of 2

35. 2nd Quarter · 6:07

    Amy Okonkwo makes 3-foot reverse layup

36. 2nd Quarter · 5:58

    Natasha Mack makes 3-foot layup (Noemie Brochant assists)

37. 2nd Quarter · 5:16

    Alyssa Thomas makes free throw 2 of 2

38. 2nd Quarter · 4:41

    Alyssa Thomas makes two point shot

39. 2nd Quarter · 4:27

    Frieda Buhner makes 3-foot two point shot (Holly Winterburn assists)

40. 2nd Quarter · 4:06

    Nyadiew Puoch makes running layup (Emily Engstler assists)

41. 2nd Quarter · 3:13

    Saylor Poffenbarger makes 25-foot three point jumper (Alyssa Thomas assists)

42. 2nd Quarter · 2:46

    Nyadiew Puoch makes free throw 2 of 2

43. 2nd Quarter · 2:03

    Emily Engstler makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jordan Harrison assists)

44. 2nd Quarter · 1:48

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 1 of 2

45. 2nd Quarter · 1:48

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 2 of 2

46. 2nd Quarter · 1:27

    Emily Engstler makes free throw 1 of 2

47. 2nd Quarter · 1:27

    Emily Engstler makes free throw 2 of 2

48. 2nd Quarter · 59.1

    Nyadiew Puoch makes free throw 2 of 2

49. 2nd Quarter · 46.1

    Jordan Harrison makes free throw 1 of 2

50. 2nd Quarter · 46.1

    Jordan Harrison makes free throw 2 of 2

51. 2nd Quarter · 1.8

    Alyssa Thomas makes driving layup (Sami Whitcomb assists)

52. 3rd Quarter · 9:00

    Alyssa Thomas makes 16-foot jumper (Lexi Held assists)

53. 3rd Quarter · 8:40

    Emily Engstler makes 24-foot three pointer

54. 3rd Quarter · 7:49

    Nyadiew Puoch makes 23-foot three point jumper (Karlie Samuelson assists)

55. 3rd Quarter · 7:31

    Lexi Held makes 3-foot two point shot

56. 3rd Quarter · 7:31

    Lexi Held makes free throw 1 of 1

57. 3rd Quarter · 7:19

    Karlie Samuelson makes layup (Jordan Harrison assists)

58. 3rd Quarter · 6:58

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 1 of 2

59. 3rd Quarter · 6:58

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 2 of 2

60. 3rd Quarter · 6:31

    Noemie Brochant makes 3-foot two point shot (Natasha Mack assists)

61. 3rd Quarter · 5:38

    Amy Okonkwo makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jordan Harrison assists)

62. 3rd Quarter · 4:07

    Nyadiew Puoch makes 6-foot driving floating jump shot

63. 3rd Quarter · 3:52

    Shay Ciezki makes driving layup (Noemie Brochant assists)

64. 3rd Quarter · 3:20

    Shay Ciezki makes 29-foot three point jumper (Alyssa Thomas assists)

65. 3rd Quarter · 3:03

    Amy Okonkwo makes 3-foot layup (Emily Engstler assists)

66. 3rd Quarter · 2:37

    Shay Ciezki makes 23-foot three point jumper (Noemie Brochant assists)

67. 3rd Quarter · 2:00

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 1 of 2

68. 3rd Quarter · 2:00

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 2 of 2

69. 3rd Quarter · 1:38

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 1 of 2

70. 3rd Quarter · 1:38

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 2 of 2

71. 3rd Quarter · 1:22

    Alyssa Thomas makes free throw 2 of 2

72. 3rd Quarter · 1:05

    Serah Williams makes free throw 1 of 2

73. 3rd Quarter · 5.1

    Shay Ciezki makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot

74. 3rd Quarter · 0.0

    Holly Winterburn makes 31-foot jump bank shot (Jordan Harrison assists)

75. 4th Quarter · 9:06

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 1 of 2

76. 4th Quarter · 9:06

    Holly Winterburn makes free throw 2 of 2

77. 4th Quarter · 8:45

    Natasha Mack makes driving layup (Sami Whitcomb assists)

78. 4th Quarter · 8:30

    Karlie Samuelson makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot (Emily Engstler assists)

79. 4th Quarter · 8:14

    Noemie Brochant makes 3-foot layup (Shay Ciezki assists)

80. 4th Quarter · 7:16

    Shay Ciezki makes driving layup

81. 4th Quarter · 7:16

    Shay Ciezki makes free throw 1 of 1

82. 4th Quarter · 6:21

    Emily Engstler makes 26-foot three point jumper (Holly Winterburn assists)

83. 4th Quarter · 5:53

    Alyssa Thomas makes 5-foot layup (Sami Whitcomb assists)

84. 4th Quarter · 5:38

    Holly Winterburn makes 4-foot two point shot

85. 4th Quarter · 5:16

    Noemie Brochant makes 23-foot three point jumper (Shay Ciezki assists)

86. 4th Quarter · 4:58

    Alyssa Thomas makes free throw 1 of 2

87. 4th Quarter · 4:58

    Alyssa Thomas makes free throw 2 of 2

88. 4th Quarter · 4:31

    Sami Whitcomb makes 11-foot pullup jump shot (Alyssa Thomas assists)

89. 4th Quarter · 4:01

    Serah Williams makes free throw 1 of 2

90. 4th Quarter · 3:44

    Karlie Samuelson makes free throw 1 of 2

91. 4th Quarter · 3:44

    Karlie Samuelson makes free throw 2 of 2

92. 4th Quarter · 3:31

    Sami Whitcomb makes 23-foot three point jumper (Alyssa Thomas assists)

93. 4th Quarter · 3:12

    Emily Engstler makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jordan Harrison assists)

94. 4th Quarter · 2:14

    Lexi Held makes free throw 1 of 3

95. 4th Quarter · 2:14

    Lexi Held makes free throw 2 of 3

96. 4th Quarter · 2:14

    Lexi Held makes free throw 3 of 3

97. 4th Quarter · 2:04

    Jordan Harrison makes free throw 2 of 2

98. 4th Quarter · 50.8

    Karlie Samuelson makes free throw 1 of 2

99. 4th Quarter · 50.8

    Karlie Samuelson makes free throw 2 of 2

100. 4th Quarter · 15.6

     Natasha Mack makes free throw 1 of 2

101. 4th Quarter · 15.6

     Natasha Mack makes free throw 2 of 2

102. 4th Quarter · 4.8

     Holly Winterburn makes 25-foot three point shot (Frieda Buhner assists)

103. 4th Quarter · 3.4

     Noemie Brochant makes free throw 1 of 2

104. 4th Quarter · 3.4

     Noemie Brochant makes free throw 2 of 2