If you just watch Monique Billings on the field with the Phoenix Mercury, you wouldn’t realize that she hasn’t even spent 24 hours with her new team.
And that’s what the Mercury and Billings wanted to make in their debut on Sunday against the Chicago Sky after Billings put in a strong performance with 13 points and seven rebounds in the Mercury’s 86-68 win.
The Mercury (15-13) have a little margin for error after the Olympic break, but the team, which consists primarily of small forwards, filled a void when the power forward signed a seven-day contract.
With guard Celeste Taylor leaving at the end of her seven-day contract, the Mercury needed another player for their 11-man roster. Billings considered offers from several teams after being released by the Dallas Wings on August 14.
“I feel like it was important for me to feel wanted and needed, and I felt that energy here,” Billings said. “They did a really great job recruiting me, and I wanted to go where I felt wanted and needed and where I could make an impact. I think I made the right choice.”
Billings helped spread the field and even made a three-pointer from the corner at 8:15 for a 74-55 lead.
Even with a new player on the court, the Mercury showed strong ball movement with 21 assists. Eight of the nine active players scored. In the fourth quarter, Kahleah Copper saved the ball from going out of bounds and threw a long pass to Natasha Cloud, who found Diana Taurasi, who then found the open Sophie Cunningham for a 3-pointer.
“Our assists were really good tonight,” Cunningham said. “In the first game against Chicago we had 26 assists and any team that shares the ball like that is going to be really tough to beat. I really think it’s day to day, but in the second half of the season we’re going to step it up a lot and let people do what they do.”
The Phoenix Mercury were greeted with loud applause at the Footprint Center on Sunday for their first home game since July 10. Diana Taurasi was the best scorer with 23 points on 6 of 13 hits.
Phoenix defeated the Sky by 20 points in Chicago on Thursday.
The Mercury survived a 12-2 run by the Sky to start the third quarter, but it was nullified when Brittney Griner scored eight points on 3-of-4 shooting. Griner helped the Mercury to a 69-50 lead ending the quarter.
The Mercury started strong, taking a 52-35 halftime lead. Both teams pulled down the same number of rebounds in the first quarter, each grabbing 10 rebounds, but the Mercury outshot the Sky, shooting 56.3% (9 of 16) from the field. The Sky shot 34.8% (8 of 23) and missed three of their six free throw attempts.
The Sky got off to a better start on Sunday with Chennedy Carter back on the field after missing Thursday’s game due to a non-COVID-related illness.
Carter assisted on Kamilla Cardoso’s first two layups of the game and added a pull-up jumper to stay close early. Despite seeing limited minutes in the first quarter, Carter returned in the second quarter and finished the first half with seven points and four assists. Carter was again a problem for the Mercury in the second half, finishing the game with 16 points.
Angel Reese grabbed 10 rebounds in the first half and scored 19 points on 8 of 16 shooting and 20 rebounds.
The Mercury (15-13) travel to Atlanta on Wednesday to start a two-game road series against the Dream.
