Bonner's record-setting night dulled as turnovers doom Mercury in loss

DeWanna Bonner became one of three WNBA players to reach a career milestone, but the Phoenix Mercury turned the celebration into a somber event. 

The Chicago Sky snapped the Mercury's three-game winning streak with a 77-66 win on Tuesday, July 7.  

Bonner’s 12-point performance earned her 8,000 career points in her 17 seasons in the league, joining Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles. 

“The tough part about a loss like this tonight is not being able to feel good about something,” coach Nate Tibbetts said. "You still feel good about it, but after a win, there’s more recognition to something like this.

"There’s only three people to ever get over 8,000, and so she’s helped set the standard of what the Mercury stand for. She’s done it for a long time and the ultimate professional in the last year and a half since she’s been here. What a cool moment for her.” 

Kahleah Copper delivered 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting, but the rest of the team couldn’t account for the lack of scoring and shot 11-for-35 (31.4%). 

Sydney Taylor posted 16 points for the Sky, and went 3-of-7 from beyond the 3-point line. The Sky shot 11-of-27 (40.7%) on 3s and outscored the Mercury, 30-22, in the paint. Azura Stevens grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Mercury’s sputtering offense compiled one quarter with 20 or more points, and hit a low of 13 points in the third quarter. 

Phoenix’s issues began early in the game, allowing 11 points off turnovers in the first quarter. Those issues became worse as the team committed more turnovers (12) in the first half than it made field goals (nine). 

“We didn’t ever get to a point where we felt good about ourselves, which is disappointing,” Tibbetts said. “I think we all feel like we were making a step in the right direction.” 

The Sky took advantage of miscues and scored 16 points off turnovers, helping them lead by six at halftime. The Sky finished with 25 points off the Mercury’s 20 turnovers. 

“The gap was growing and growing, and it’s always harder to come back into something that looks fluid,” guard Monique Akoa Makani said. “I think we struggled a little bit with that.” 

Mercury star Alyssa Thomas went down early with 3:54 left in the third after taking a nasty injury to her left big toe when she spun around Sky center Elizabeth Williams. Thomas didn’t return until there were 3:52 left in the fourth. 

The injury was a scare for the struggling Mercury, especially as Thomas will be needed for the next game against the Indiana Fever on July 9. However, Tibbetts said his staff felt good enough about her injury to let her back in the game.  

Thomas and the Mercury might not face Caitlin Clark, who is probable to return on July 8, at the Los Angeles Sparks. Clark said she'll be on a minutes restriction and won't play the second of the back-to-back in Phoenix.

Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X. 

Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bonner's record-setting night dulled as turnovers doom Mercury in loss