In a return to Connecticut, Diana Taurasi went on a scoring tear Friday night. Despite an impressive output, it wasn't enough to get her team the win as the Connecticut Sun edged the Phoenix Mercury 93-92. Jonquel Jones' double-double along with five other Sun players in double-digits for points helped grab the team's 15th win of the season. Here is the Mercury vs. Sun game recap including top performers, stats, and standings update with the next games for each team.

WNBA game recap

The Connecticut Sun started the game with a 31-22 first quarter and held a 53-41 advantage at the half.

Phoenix roared back in the second half, outscoring the home team 25-17 in the third quarter, and then nearly pulling off the comeback. Their 26-23 fourth quarter was just a point shy of taking the game on the road.

Connecticut's trio of WNBA All-Star players performed well once again. Forward Jonquel Jones had 19 points and 15 boards on the night with a 5-for-9 shooting performance, although she ultimately fouled out. Alyssa Thomas had 18 points and seven rebounds, along with four assists and two steals. Jasmine Thomas also aided in the win with 15 points. Shekinna Stricklen and Courtney Williams each had double-digit points as did reserve player Alex Bentley who contributed 16.

On the losing side, this was another trip back to Connecticut for former University of Connecticut star Diana Taurasi.

The Phoenix Mercury guard scored 33 points on 12-for-18 shooting which included a 4-for-7 performance from downtown. Chelsea Little added 13 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals, while several bench players also chipped in. Leilani Mitchell came off the bench to play 24 minutes and scored 17 points while dishing out eight assists.

Monique Currie had 10 points making her the only other Phoenix player in double-digits.

Both teams shot amazingly well for the game, going over 50 percent from the floor. Phoenix was much sharper from downtown, connecting at a rate of 45 percent compared to just 20 percent for the home team. However, Connecticut won the rebounding battle 30-26 and also controlled the ball better with just 11 turnovers compared to 16 for the Mercury.

Standings update and what's next

With the win, the Connecticut Sun are now 15-9 overall on the season. The victory puts them in sole possession of the Eastern Conference standings lead for a little while as the Washington Mystics were involved in a close battle wit the San Antonio Stars. Next up for the Sun will be a home game with the Seattle Storm on August 8th starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

Friday night's loss drops the Phoenix Mercury to 13-11 overall and 6-5 on the road. Their next game is on the road as they visit the Washington Mystics for a Sunday afternoon game starting at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
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