Phoenix Mercury Edge Portland Fire 94-91 Behind Ciezki

The Phoenix Mercury earned a 94-91 road win over the Portland Fire on Thursday, September 17, behind Shay Ciezki’s game-high 22 points, overcoming a 50-43 halftime deficit by winning both second-half quarters at Moda Center.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

First Quarter: Portland 26, Phoenix 20

Portland opened with its most productive period of the night, putting 26 points on the board to establish a six-point lead. The Fire’s early execution gave the home side control after one quarter, while Phoenix had work to do after scoring 20.

Second Quarter: Portland 24, Phoenix 23

The teams played an even second period, but Portland added one more point to its halftime advantage. The Fire carried a 50-43 lead into the break after scoring 50 points across the opening 20 minutes, while the Mercury stayed within range with 23 points in the quarter.

Third Quarter: Phoenix 25, Portland 19

Phoenix changed the direction of the game in the third. The Mercury outscored Portland 25-19, trimming the halftime deficit and moving in front of the Fire heading to the final period. That six-point swing erased Portland’s earlier six-point advantage.

Fourth Quarter: Phoenix 26, Portland 22

The Mercury maintained their second-half momentum in the fourth, winning the period 26-22 to secure the three-point result. Phoenix scored 51 points after halftime, compared with 41 for Portland, to complete the road comeback without overtime.

Key Performers

Shay Ciezki led all scorers with 22 points for Phoenix. Her scoring paced a Mercury offense that made 28 of 57 field-goal attempts, good for 49.1 percent, and went 12-for-25 from three-point range.

Alyssa Thomas provided an all-around contribution for Phoenix with a team-high eight rebounds and six assists. The Mercury finished with 29 rebounds and 23 assists, holding advantages in both categories over Portland.

Emily Engstler led Portland with 21 points and seven rebounds. Jordan Harrison directed the Fire’s offense with a game-high 10 assists as Portland recorded 20 assists overall.

NerdSports Stat: Phoenix and Portland each made 12 three-pointers, but the Mercury won the game by three because they made five more free throws, 26-21; Portland made two more two-point field goals, so the free-throw margin accounted for the entire final difference.

Game Analysis

Phoenix’s efficiency created the deciding edge. The Mercury shot 49.1 percent from the field and 48.0 percent from beyond the arc, compared with Portland’s 46.8 percent overall shooting and 40.0 percent three-point accuracy. Phoenix also made 26 of 30 free throws, an 86.7 percent rate, while Portland went 21-for-28.

Portland had a strong start and stayed productive from the perimeter, converting 12 of 30 three-point attempts. But the Fire could not match Phoenix’s second-half scoring pace. The Mercury were more effective after intermission, winning the final two quarters by a combined 10 points and turning a seven-point halftime deficit into the 94-91 final.

The rebounding and passing margins also favored Phoenix. The Mercury collected 29 rebounds to Portland’s 25 and posted 23 assists to the Fire’s 20. In a game decided by one possession, those additional opportunities and cleaner conversion at the foul line proved important.

Closing Context

The result leaves Phoenix at 15-26 in the league standings, while Portland stands at 16-25. The Mercury next visit the Dallas Wings on Saturday, September 19, while the Fire return home Friday, September 18, to face the Golden State Valkyries. No season-series or tiebreak information was provided, but Phoenix’s late-game execution delivered a needed road result.

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