WNBA: DeWanna Bonner helps Sun beat Mercury, Liberty does the double on Fever

Sun's DeWanna Bonner scored 27 points against her former team while Laney and Ionescu helped Liberty beat Fever in their second clash this season.

Bonner, who played her first nine WNBA seasons with Phoenix, made a 3-pointer with 2:27 left to give Connecticut the lead for good.

DeWanna Bonner scored 27 points against her former team to help the Connecticut Sun hold off the Phoenix Mercury 86-78 on Sunday night.

Bonner, who played her first nine WNBA seasons with Phoenix, made a 3-pointer with 2:27 left to give Connecticut (2-0) the lead for good at 76-73, sparking a 7-0 run. The Mercury (1-1) cut it to three, but the Sun’s Briann January and Brionna Jones made baskets in the final minute.

Natisha Hiedeman added a career-high 17 points for Connecticut. January had 15 points and Jonquel Jones had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Diana Taurasi had 19 points for the Mercury. Down 13 in the third quarter, Phoenix took the lead at 68-66 when Taurasi made the second of back-to-back 3-pointers with 5:54 left in the fourth quarter.

Skylar Diggins-Smith added 18 points and Brittney Griner had 16 for the Mercury.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 16: Betnijah Laney #44 of the New York Liberty shoots the ball during the game against the Indiana Fever on May 16, 2021 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Ron Hoskins / NBAE / Getty Images / AFP)

 

LIBERTY 73, FEVER 65

Betnijah Laney scored 20 points and Sabrina Ionescu had 12 to help New York beat Indiana for the second time to open the season.

On Friday night in Brooklyn, Ionescu made a 3-pointer from the wing with less than a second remaining to give the Liberty a 90-87 victory over the Fever.

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 16 points.