Kahleah Copper scored 35 points and became the fastest player in Phoenix Mercury franchise history to reach 2,000 points with the club. The night still ended in a loss.
Copper went 13-for-22 from the field, 2-for-4 from three and 7-for-9 at the line with four rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes Thursday at Mortgage Matchup Center. CBS Sports' box matches that line. The Associated Press reported she hit the 2,000-point mark with Phoenix in 103 games, one game quicker than Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter.
Washington beat the Mercury 80-73. Phoenix fell to 13-26. The Mystics moved to 24-15 and into sixth in the WNBA standings after New York's loss to Golden State earlier Thursday, the AP wrote.
Early heater, late fade
Copper scored Phoenix's first 12 points of the game, including a steal-and-layup stretch in the first quarter, before Washington climbed back. She kept attacking in the third, converting a three and several finishes inside as the Mercury built a lead that reached 63-53 with 8:17 left in the fourth.
Then the Mystics went on a 17-2 run. Georgia Amoore scored 16 of her career-high 25 points in the fourth, including back-to-back threes that made it 78-73 with 1:18 left. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton sealed it with two free throws with 28.1 seconds remaining. Amoore finished with six threes, a career high of her own.
Kiki Iriafen had 20 points and 12 rebounds for her 19th double-double of the season. Shakira Austin added 11 for Washington. Laney-Hamilton finished with six points, five rebounds and seven assists in 22 minutes off the bench.
Support that was not enough
Natasha Mack scored 10 with nine rebounds, two steals and four blocks for Phoenix. Alyssa Thomas finished with four points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Lexi Held added eight points off the bench, including a banked three-point play late in the third that briefly put Phoenix ahead 54-51 after a Flagrant 1 upgrade; Held missed the ensuing free-possession three.
Copper's scoring load was more than double any teammate. Phoenix shot 40.9 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three while committing 15 turnovers. Copper was plus-6 individually, but the Mercury's fourth-quarter collapse erased a double-digit cushion she had helped create.
