Phoenix Mercury 85, Los Angeles Sparks 81
WNBA · 2024-09-17 · Winner: Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury defeated Los Angeles Sparks 85–81 on 2024-09-17 in WNBA play, a 4-point result. A 8-0 home team run ending at Q2 8:08 swung win probability 50% → 81%. Below is the quarter-by-quarter linescore, a win-probability timeline, and an automated breakdown of why Los Angeles Sparks lost.
Linescore
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Mercury | 14 | 22 | 28 | 21 | 85 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 14 | 30 | 10 | 27 | 81 |
Win probability
Turning point — A 8-0 home team run ending at Q2 8:08 swung win probability 50% → 81%.
Why Los Angeles Sparks lost
- Lost Q3 10-28 - the worst stretch of the game.
- Gave up a 9-0 run ending at Q3 0:50 (win probability 25% → 1% for the home side).
- Shot 39.2% eFG vs a 47.8% season average - a cold night.
- Lost the turnover battle 20-12.
Scoring runs
| Team | Run | Ends | Win-prob swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Sparks | 8–0 | Q2 8:08 | 50% → 81% |
| Phoenix Mercury | 9–0 | Q3 0:50 | 25% → 1% |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 10–0 | Q4 4:59 | 0% → 10% |
| Phoenix Mercury | 8–0 | Q4 3:44 | 10% → 0% |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 8–0 | Q4 2:05 | 0% → 2% |