Mercury Continue Playoff Streak, Suns Miss Out

The 2017 Phoenix Mercury finished the season with a record of 18-16, and they made the playoffs for the fifth time in a row. Phoenix faced the Seattle Storm, the Connecticut Sun and the Los Angeles Sparks during its postseason run, and after beating the Storm and the Sun, the Mercury lost to the Sparks. The first two matchups were single-elimination games, and Brittney Griner played a role in her team's success. She had 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in the first game, and the Mercury beat the Storm 79-69. Griner had 26 points, nine rebounds and a block against the Sun. Alyssa Thomas, who would join the Mercury years later, had 20 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and an assist for Connecticut. Then, after getting those wins, the Mercury did not win a game against the Sparks. Los Angeles picked up a 79-66 win in the first game, and the Sparks beat the Mercury 86-72 in the second. Los Angeles beat Phoenix 89-87 in the third, and the Sparks faced the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals. The Lynx came out