The Phoenix defense also allowed the fourth-fewest points per game this season, just 72.3 points and held opponents to the third-lowest average of points in the paint at 30.0 points per game.
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The Mercury defeated the Tulsa Shock 85-55 in game 1 of the playoffs. The Mercury relies on its powerful frontcourt of Griner (15.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game), DeWanna Bonner (15.8 ppg) and Candice Dupree (14.1 ppg).
Griner, who led the league in blocks with 105 this season, broke her own single-game postseason record and shot 5 for 7 from the field and 8 for 9 on free throws.
The Phoenix Mercury ended the regular season splitting their last 10 games. “So we wanted to know how it felt”.
“You can defend it or you can lose in the first round”, Brondello said.
Now that Phoenix is back in the playoffs, Griner looks better than she ever has as a professional basketball player, even if her personal life is not completely settled. Kiesel led the Shock to a 91-87 victory over the Mercury and the two teams will be paired against each other in the Western Conference semifinals. “She would get us all together when things needed to be said”.
Brittney Griner literally rolled into the pregame news conference to announce that she had been named the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row.
“I try to go for that”, Griner said of the defensive player award.
“I think she’s done a great job recognizing schemes of defenses that’s coming at her”, Williams said. We brought doubles. She just really wanted to be a force at catching the basketball and getting to the rim.
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She becomes the fifth player to win the award in multiple seasons. MVP victor Elena Delle Donne had the second-highest blocks per game mark at 2.06, meaning Griner nearly doubled up the competition.
