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Brionna Jones scored 20 points and Marina Mabrey added 19 off the bench as the visiting Connecticut Sun extended their winning streak to three games with an easy 88-69 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Friday.
DeWanna Bonner scored 14 points and Tyasha Harris had 12 as the Sun (27-10) won for the eighth time in their last 11 games while improving to 5-3 since clinching a playoff spot on Aug. 24. Alyssa Thomas had 11 assists.
Connecticut finished 4-0 this season against Phoenix, winning each game by double digits.
The Sun remained a game behind second-place Minnesota, and they will host the Lynx on Thursday after playing their final road game of the regular season at Las Vegas on Sunday.
Brittney Griner logged 26 points and nine rebounds and Natasha Cloud added 17 points for the Mercury (17-20), who clinched a playoff spot on Sept. 3. Phoenix was without leading scorer Kahleah Copper (21.6 points per game) because of a back injury, as she missed a game for the first time this season.
Phoenix's Diana Taurasi shot 2-for-10 from the floor while scoring seven points.
The Sun led by as many as seven points in the first quarter and had a 22-17 edge at the end of the opening period. The gap grew as high as 11 points in the second quarter, and Connecticut took a 46-38 lead into halftime behind 13 points from Mabrey and 10 from Jones.
The Sun established firm control with a 22-0 run in the third quarter and took a 70-44 lead into the fourth. Phoenix shot just 15 percent (3-for-20) from the floor in the third quarter and missed all 10 of its attempts from 3-point range.
The Mercury finished 6-for-33 (18.2 percent) from 3-point range in the game, while the Sun went 8-for-26 (30.9 percent) from long distance.
Connecticut is 14-5 on the road this season, second best in the league to the New York Liberty's 15-4 mark.
Phoenix visits the Chicago Sky on Sunday.
More must-reads:
- Could Aaron Donald come out of retirement amid Rams' latest pursuit of Super Bowl?
- New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
- The 'NFL single-game completions leaders' quiz
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New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, new Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez believes there is a big reason why he is ready to put his injury history behind him in Anaheim. Just three days after turning 26 years old, Rodriguez is now a member of the Angels after a one-for-one trade that sent outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore. He is also hoping that a new location means an end to injuries that have limited him to 43 starts over the past three seasons. That includes zero starts and innings in 2025 because of an elbow issue in spring training, followed by a right lateral strain in April. More elbow problems popped up for Rodriguez in July before he underwent debridement surgery on his elbow in August, officially ending his season. That surgery, however, is, Rodriguez believes, the key to his return to the mound in 2026 as well as his ability to stay on it. Angels' Grayson Rodriguez said bone spurs have been an issue for a long time In a Zoom meeting with Angels reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the bone spurs that were removed had been a problem for years. "That was something that's kind of lingered with me for about three or four years now," Rodriguez said. "I've had them for a while and kind of just got to the point where I couldn't really pitch through it. Pretty sure that's kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries." If that's the case, it could unlock a pitcher who has logged a 4.11 ERA in 238.2 innings over those 43 starts. He has also registered 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while issuing just 2.9 walks. Getting those kinds of numbers would be a big boost for an Angels rotation that finished 28th out of MLB's 30 teams last season in ERA at 4.91. It would also represent a missed opportunity for an Orioles team that has stated it is looking for another front-line starter. Rodriguez said on Wednesday he would be ready for spring training, giving hope to the Angels that they have found a pitcher who can be a long-term answer for them on the mound. Rodriguez is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2030 season. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and produce in Anaheim, it would be a gut punch for an Orioles team that is looking to get back into the postseason conversation in 2026. However, time will tell if those bone spurs are truly the answer to Rodriguez staying healthy and on the field.
Aaron Rodgers explains his criteria for playing Sunday vs. Bears
Aaron Rodgers has always been a tough quarterback. He has dealt with several injuries throughout the course of his career, but he's always done everything he could to see the field. That's no different now that he's with the Pittsburgh Steelers and dealing with a fracture in his left (non-throwing) wrist. Rodgers injured himself against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but he's already talking about trying to get back for Pittsburgh's Week 12 contest against the Chicago Bears. In fact, he revealed on Wednesday that he will try things out at practice before this week is over. "It feels better than it did Sunday, that's for sure," Rodgers said Wednesday afternoon, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "... Was thankful to get today to work with [head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah] and just focus on rehab for today. Trying to get back on the field tomorrow and see what I can do." Aaron Rodgers going to test out his wrist injury on Thursday Rodgers wants to be able to play against the Bears, a team he has owned throughout the years, but he's also saying that he'll be cautious. Remember, he is just weeks away from turning 42. A fractured wrist would be tough to play with at 24. As anyone who has ever gotten older would attest, things tend to hurt even more as you age. Throw in the fact that Rodgers is playing perhaps the most physical sport on Earth, and it makes sense that he does have a very specific standard that he must meet before he decides if he can play — and it has nothing to do with pain. "It's a safety thing," Rodgers said. Rodgers has played in 29 regular-season games against the Bears in his NFL career. Including two playoff wins, he boasts a 26-5 record against them. Since he last squared off with Chicago as the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers in 2022, he had won nine games in a row against the Bears. If he feels he can keep himself safe on Sunday, you can bet he's going to try to play.
Update surfaces on Joe Schoen's future with Giants
While the New York Giants held onto general manager Joe Schoen after they parted ways with head coach Brian Daboll, subsequent reports hinted that it was not guaranteed that Schoen would remain in his role through the winter. It seems like somebody within the Giants wants it known that Schoen won't be going anywhere anytime soon. What inside sources have heard about Joe Schoen's Giants future "While there have been some whispers about Schoen's status being tenuous, his contract runs through 2026, and multiple league sources who have spoken to the Giants believe he is likely to remain unless there is a strong head coaching candidate who wants to bring in his own general manager," ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported on Thursday. "Though, that seems unlikely considering Schoen is leading the search and compiling the list of candidates." Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch previously revealed that Schoen would "lead the search for a new head coach." That said, Schoen has been responsible for a handful of noteworthy draft misses during his tenure. Most recently, rookie pass-rusher and 2025 first-round choice Abdul Carter was benched for a series after he missed a walk-through. Additionally, the Giants have gone 11-34 since the start of the 2023 season under Schoen's watch. Nevertheless, it seems like candidates for the Giants gig aren't turned off by the fact that Schoen allegedly won't be shown the door in January. According to Raanan, "one source with intimate knowledge of the opening described the Giants' job as 'highly coveted'" due to the club's "young core" of talent that includes rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, injured wide receiver Malik Nabers, left tackle Andrew Thomas, injured rookie running back Cam Skattebo and Carter. Unnamed executive sends warning to Giants about keeping Joe Schoen For a different article published on Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic spoke with an unnamed "senior executive" about the Giants potentially attaching a new head coach to Schoen. "(A) red flag, to me, when an organization just fires a coach is that they’re not being introspective enough about the shortcomings around the coach," the executive told Rodrigue. "That would be my red flag. It’s not necessarily on the GM. It’s on the owner, president, everyone. 'Oh, if we just change the coach, everything will be better.' No, there’s always stuff to change in your organization. A head coaching change is a symptom that something is wrong in your organization. It’s rarely just the coach." As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the 2-9 Giants as 10-point underdogs for this coming Sunday's game at the Detroit Lions (6-4). If that contest gets as ugly as some insiders expect, whispers about Schoen's future likely will only grow louder despite what Raanan shared.
Lakers fans should take notice of LeBron James' latest Luka Doncic push
The Los Angeles Lakers didn't need LeBron James to climb to a 10-4 record. The four-time NBA champion had to wait for several weeks before making his season debut because of a sciatica injury, and his team was rolling in his absence. He then became the first player in NBA history to suit up for at least 23 seasons, and all eyes were on him in the game against the Utah Jazz. However, as Dan Woike of The Athletic pointed out, he wanted to make sure Luka Doncic got the attention he deserved. LeBron James officially passes the torch to Luka Doncic Per Woike's report, James actually "pushed" for Doncic to be introduced last with the starters. “LeBron James stood out by fitting in during his season debut,” wrote Woike. “For example, a source tells me he pushed for Luka Doncic to be introduced last with the starters. James was introduced first.” While that might look like a minor detail, it actually speaks volumes. It was an unofficial passing of the torch from one future Hall of Famer to another. James also made sure to take a back seat to Doncic and Austin Reaves, not forcing shots, playing off the ball and finishing with just eleven points. “I can fit in with anybody,” James said after the game. “I don’t even understand why that was a question. What’s wrong with these people? I can ride with anybody.” James is one of the most cerebral players to ever lace them up, but this is uncharted territory for him. It will be the first time in his career that he won't be the face of the franchise or the primary ball-handler. Even so, it seems like he's more than ready to hand the keys to the next generation.
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