WNBA preview: Washington Mystics vs. Phoenix Mercury

Celeb Gist
Time/siteTV/Radio
7 p.m./Verizon CenterWNBA League Pass, Monumental

Outlook:The Mystics are in the midst of a season-long three game winning streak following a 76-62 victory over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night at Verizon Center. Guard Tayler Hill led the way with 16 points and all-star forward Emma Meesseman added 12 points and a career-high six steals.

Washington (7-7) has won consecutive games at Verizon Center for the first time since last season and climbed to .500 for the first time this year. The Mystics, heading into the third leg of a season-long five-game homestand, are in fifth place in the eight-team chase for the playoffs after winning for the fifth time in their last six games.

Hill leads the Mystics in scoring (15.5 points) and has reached double figures in all but one game this season. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 draft also is averaging 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists . Meesseman averages 15.1 points and leads the WNBA in three-point field goal percentage (52.2). She’s the only player in the league among those who qualify shooting above 50 percent on three-pointers and overall.

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The Mystics lost to Phoenix, 93-77, on May 29 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in the teams' first meeting. Guard Diana Taurasi scored 20 of her 28 points in the second half to help the Mercury avoid what would have been a franchise-worst 0-5 start. Taurasi is back in the WNBA this season after her Russian Premier League club offered her more money than the WNBA last season.

The Mercury (4-9) has lost three in a row and given up at least 100 points in each of its last two games. Phoenix is coming off a 100-90 loss to the Dallas Wings on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game road trip. Taurasi leads the Mercury in scoring (19.8) and is tied with Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry for second in the WNBA behind New York Liberty center Tina Charles (22.1).

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