Atlanta frontcourt outduels Phoenix as Dream sweeps Mercury

Brionna Jones scored 15 points and added 11 rebounds and Allisha Gray recorded 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Atlanta Dream finished a sweep of the season series with a 74-66 victory over the host Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.

Naz Hillmon had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Jordin Canada had 13 points for the Dream, who have won five in a row and seven of eight.

Alyssa Thomas totaled 21 points and eight rebounds and DeWanna Bonner tallied 16 points off the bench for the Mercury, who had won three straight.

The Dream (20-11) moved into a tie with the New York Liberty for second place in the league, six games behind Minnesota. The Mercury (19-12) are one game back. The Lynx beat New York 83-71 Sunday afternoon.

Atlanta won the first two games of the season series by double figures.

The Dream played the fourth quarter without Canada, who was helped to the locker room with 1:13 remaining in the third quarter after suffering an apparent right leg injury while attempting a driving layup moments earlier.

Jones' three-pointer with 4:56 left broke a tie at 58, and the Dream never trailed again.

Gray made her only three-pointer to give the Dream a 66-62 lead with 3:34 remaining, and she made a driving layup on the next possession for a six-point edge.

Satou Sabally cut the Mercury's deficit to 70-66 on a layup with 1:10 remaining but Gray and Hillmon made two free throws apiece to close it out.

Neither team shot well. The Mercury made 34.8% from the field. Atlanta shot 38.5%.

Dream guard Rhyne Howard had four points in 16 minutes off the bench in her return from a knee injury that kept her out for 10 games. She received two technical fouls and was ejected with 6:11 left.

Atlanta's Brittney Griner had two points and two rebounds in 13 minutes in her return after missing the last three games with a neck injury.