Wilson scores 30 points, Aces defeat Mercury 94-73; Sutton has Phoenix's first triple-double

Sep 9, 2023, 12:27 am

PHOENIX -- — A'ja Wilson scored 30 points, Chelsea Gray had 14 points and 12 assists and the first-place Las Vegas Aces coasted to a 94-73 win over the last-place Phoenix Mercury on Friday night.

Sug Sutton had the first triple-double in Mercury history, with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

The Aces (33-6) took a one-game lead over New York into the regular-season finale on Sunday, when they play the Mercury (9-30) at home. The Liberty close with Washington.

In an otherwise dismal season for the Mercury, Sutton added to the highlight of 20-year veteran Diana Taurasi reaching the 10,000-point plateau. Sutton is the first player drafted after the first round to record a triple-double. The third-round pick, 36th overall, by the Mystics in 2020 played 12 games that season.

Kelsey Plum added 18 points and Jackie Young 17 points for the Aces, who shot 54%. Las Vegas set a WNBA record with its 14th win of at least 20 points, surpassing Connecticut's 13 20-point wins in 2019.

Megan Gustafson scored 14 points, Moriah Jefferson had 11 points and Brittney Griner, on her bobblehead night, had 10 points but the Mercury shot just 35%.

Las Vegas had a 17-2 run in the second quarter to pull away from the short-handed Mercury, who were tied at 20-20 after one quarter. The Aces' firepower made it 48-31 at the half.

Phoenix was missing guards Taurasi (toe), Sophie Cunningham (jaw) and Shey Peddy (concussion).

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