INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Brittney Griner scored eight of Phoenix’s first 10 points in overtime and finished with a career-high 38 to help the Mercury beat the Indiana Fever 98-90 on Wednesday night.
Griner, averaging 22 points, was 9 of 13 from the field in the first half for 23 points, but she played limited minutes in the third quarter because of foul trouble.
Her hook shot with three defenders around her gave Phoenix a 78-76 lead with 45.6 seconds left in regulation, but Erica Wheeler answered with a basket in traffic to tie it. Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi didn’t hit the rim on a contested 3-pointer and Wheeler missed a long jumper just before the buzzer.
Taurasi added 17 points for Phoenix (5-3). Griner grabbed nine rebounds and her first of two blocks moved her into sole possession of eighth place on the WNBA career list.
Wheeler scored a career-high 24 points and Candice Dupree added 23 for Indiana (3-5), which lost its first home game of the season. Briann January injured her left ankle early in the first quarter and did not return.
The Fever turned it over 21 times, but made 36 of 38 free throws.
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The AP WNBA Power Poll can be found online at: https://collegebasketball.ap.org/ap-wnba-power-poll-week-4
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