Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) and guard Diana Taurasi talk during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Aces at Footprint Center on Sept. 1, 2024, in Phoenix. Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

How The Mercury Defeated A Future Rival

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The 2020 season was a success, as the Phoenix Mercury finished the year with a record of 13-9. They made the playoffs, and they faced the Washington Mystics and the Minnesota Lynx.

The Mercury won their season series against the Mystics, and they beat them 88-87 in the first game and 94-72 in the second.

Phoenix and Minnesota's series ended in a tie, and the Lynx won the first game. They beat the Mercury 90-80, and Bria Hartley was Phoenix's leading scorer. As far as the second game, the Mercury beat the Lynx 83-79. Skylar Diggins was the star in that game, as she had 25 points.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Diggins and the Mercury did well in their series, and when it came to their series against the Las Vegas Aces, that was one of their victories.

Phoenix swept Las Vegas, and the series started with a 102-95 victory. The Mercury hosted the Aces, and their stars had an excellent performance. Diggins and Diana Taurasi both had 22 points, and in Taurasi's case, she had a double-double. She had 10 rebounds, and she also had a rebound.

Brittney Griner had 18 points, and she also had seven assists, six rebounds and three blocks. Hartley had a solid game off the bench, as she had 15 points, five rebounds and an assist. Then, Sophie Cunningham had 11 points, an assist, a steal and a block.

In what was considered a road game for the Mercury, they beat the Aces 92-85. Taurasi had a big game, as she had 32 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two blocks. Diggins had 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds, a steal and a block.

Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. Kia Vaughn had 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block.

Mercury get the sweep

The Mercury pulled off a sweep, and while these teams did not meet in the playoffs, both of them were a part of the postseason. The Aces beat the Connecticut Sun, and right after that, they faced the Seattle Storm in the WNBA Finals.

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Both the Mercury and the Aces played well that year, and since then, they have had their share of battles. The Aces won the 2025 season series, and they also won the Finals. The Mercury put up a fight, and come next season, these teams will have even more battles.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Mercury On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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