Brittney Griner scores 21 as Mercury defeat Sun

Brittney Griner had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Moriah Jefferson added 17 points and the host Phoenix Mercury defeated the Connecticut Sun 90-84 on Thursday night.

Diana Taurasi added 16 points and Megan Gustafson had 10 as the Mercury (9-20) improved to 5-5 after the All-Star break.

Rebecca Allen scored 24 points, Alyssa Thomas had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and Tiffany Hayes scored 15 to lead the Sun (21-8).

Phoenix scored the first four points of the third quarter to take an eight-point lead before Thomas' short jumper produced Connecticut's first points of the period and ended a 3 1/2-minute scoring drought.

Phoenix increased the lead to as many as 12 points before holding a 70-60 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Hayes' 3-pointer pulled the Sun within one point with 2:05 left, but Jefferson answered with a jumper. Connecticut got within two with 30 seconds left, but Jefferson answered with another basket and two free throws.

The Mercury set a WNBA record for points in a quarter as they took a 45-24 lead at the end of the first period.

The Mercury scored the first five points of the game and Taurasi added a 3-pointer as they took a 10-2 lead.

Taurasi made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 15-6 and she added another as the advantage grew to 23-6.

DiJonai Carrington made two 3-pointers and Connecticut trimmed the lead to 25-14, but Gustafson scored eight points during a 17-10 finishing run.

The Mercury made 16 of 17 field-goal attempts, including 6 of 7 3-pointers, in the record-setting first period.

The Sun scored the first five points of the second quarter before Cunningham's 3-pointer produced Phoenix's first points of the period.

Allen scored seven points as Connecticut finished with a 19-4 run to pull within 52-48 at halftime. The Sun outscored the Mercury 24-7 in the second quarter.