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Kahleah Copper scored 31 points, including the deciding layup with 2.4 seconds to play, as the host Phoenix Mercury rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Dallas Wings 87-86 on Monday in the penultimate game of the regular season for both teams.

The loss damaged Dallas’ chance to improve its seeding in the upcoming playoffs and snapped the Wings’ six-game winning streak.

Dallas (26-17) and New York (26-17) are tied for seventh place, each team with one game remaining. Both are a half-game behind the Washington Mystics (26-16), who have two games to go.

The Wings led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter and by four at halftime before briefly surrendering the advantage early in the third. Paige Bueckers’ 10 points in the third period helped Dallas rebuild its edge to 68-61 heading to the final 10 minutes.

The Mercury (16-27) roared back. Copper canned two free throws to tie the game at 81 with 49.6 seconds remaining. Bueckers answered with a 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds left.

Copper followed with two more from the charity stripe to pull Phoenix back to within one, but Arike Ogunbowale, shackled with a 2-for-8 showing from the floor, hit two free throws with 16.9 seconds to play, rebuilding Dallas’ lead to three points.

Natasha Mack then got loose on the inbound pass to net a layup with 15.7 seconds to go. Copper punctuated the comeback with a backdoor layup off a pass by Alyssa Thomas to produce the game-winner, and Bueckers missed a wild 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Thomas finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for Phoenix, while Mack had 12 points and Kara Dunn added 11. The Mercury have already been eliminated from postseason contention and conclude their season at home against reigning champion Las Vegas Aces on Thursday.

Bueckers put up 30 points for the Wings, who close the regular season on Wednesday at Seattle. Jessica Shepard racked up 17 points, 19 rebounds and six assists.

Dallas was up 35-21 after Maddy Siegrist’s 3-pointer with 7:21 left in the second quarter, but Phoenix responded, pulling within two on Dunn’s 3-pointer with 1:03 to go before halftime. Two free throws by Shepard with 34.2 seconds remaining gave the Wings a 47-43 lead at the break.

Bueckers’ 13 points topped all scorers in the first half, while Thomas hit for a dozen to pace the Mercury.

–Field Level Media

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