Mercury 95, Liberty 82

The Phoenix Mercury are nearly completely healthy, and that's opened up many more opportunities for Brittney Griner.

Griner had 29 points and 14 rebounds, Leilani Mitchell added a career-high 29 points and Phoenix beat New York on Tuesday night, moving the Mercury a step closer to the playoffs.

"I'm just hoping. Just trying to hoop every night the best I can. I'm feeling real comfortable out there. Not thinking, just letting it flow," Griner said.

Phoenix's magic number for clinching a playoff spot was reduced to one. The Liberty were eliminated from postseason contention.

Diana Taurasi, who was playing her second game since returning from a hamstring injury, had only two points, missing all seven of her shots. She did have 10 assists and four rebounds for the Mercury (14-15).

"Anytime you can add a player like Diana, the team will get better. Her legs aren't under her, but you can see how she creates easier looks with her passing ability and leadership," Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said.

Phoenix, which had 11 of its 12 players healthy for one of the first times this season, got a scare when Griner went down holding her knee in the first quarter. After a few moments, she skipped off the court and was tended to on the bench. She re-entered the game in the second quarter.

"It was knee to knee. My body went one way and my knee went the other way," Griner said.

Griner finished the first half with 19 points as Phoenix led 49-46 at the break. New York led 63-59 in the third quarter before Camille Little scored seven straight points for the Mercury. The teams traded the lead with the Liberty taking their final one of the game on Kia Nurse's 3-pointer with 2:12 left in the third. Phoenix scored the final eight points of the quarter, including the last four by Mitchell.

"Griner's playing her tail off," Liberty coach Katie Smith said. "Griner's a tough matchup. We gave her a couple easy looks. She's going to hit some shots over you. Griner we can have 29, Leilani we can't."

New York (9-21) couldn't get much closer in the final quarter.

"We competed, but again it's similar to the whole season. We compete, but too many mistakes," Smith said. "We have these little gaps and they jump out to the lead and that's all she wrote."

Amanda Zahui B. and Bria Hartley each scored 18 points for the Liberty, who were playing in front of owner Joe Tsai. He was sitting courtside.

Mystics 95, Sparks 66

Aerial Powers scored 20 points, Elena Delle Donne added 14 and first-place Washington beat Los Angeles for its eighth straight home win.

Washington made six 3-pointers in the first quarter for a 33-22 lead and had nine at the break. The Mystics finished 11 of 35 from distance and 22 of 24 from the free-throw line to remain atop the WNBA standings with four games to play.

Natasha Cloud scored 15 points, Emma Meesseman had 12 and Ariel Atkins added 10 for Washington (22-8). Kristi Toliver missed her seventh straight game with a bone bruise in her right knee. The Mystics entered averaging 97.1 points per game during their home winning streak.

Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray each scored 12 points for Los Angeles (18-11). Nneka Ogwumike added 10 on 5-of-12 shooting as the Sparks shot just 34.3%, including 3 of 21 from 3-point range.

Fever 86, Aces 71

Teaira McCowan had 24 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks to lead Indiana past Las Vegas.

McCowan became the first WNBA rookie with 20-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in back-to-back games. She needs 14 rebounds to set a Fever rookie record and 42 to break Erlana Larkins' club mark.

Indiana led 29-15 after the first quarter and scored the first five points of the second for a 19-point lead. The Fever led 53-33 at the break after scoring its most first-half points of the season.

Mitchell finished with 16 points, Candice Dupree had 13 and Tiffany Mitchell scored 12 for Indiana (11-19), which has won back-to-back games for the first time since early June.

A'ja Wilson had 18 points and eight rebounds and Kelsey Plum added 17 points for Las Vegas (19-12). Kayla McBride played 11 scoreless minutes in the first half and did not return.

The Aces have lost three straight for the first time this season, the final team in the WNBA to do so.

Lynx 93, Sky 85

Sylvia Fowles had a season-high 25 points and 12 rebounds, moving into third on the WNBA career rebounding list, and Minnesota beat Chicago to claim its ninth straight playoff berth.

Fowles has 3,307 career rebounds, passing Lisa Leslie and trailing Tamika Catchings (3,316) and Rebekkah Brunson (3,356).

Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot also set a league record, breaking her single-season assists record on an inbounds pass to Diamond DeShields early in the third quarter. Vandersloot had five assists in the first quarter to tie her mark of 258 and she finished the game with 10.

Odyssey Sims had 23 points and eight assists for Minnesota (16-15), which swept Chicago this season. Napheesa Collier added 19 points. Damiris Dantas had 17 points and 10 boards and Danielle Robinson scored nine as the starters scored every point for Minnesota.

Cheyenne Parker scored 22 points, Diamond DeShields added 19 and Astou Ndour had 17 for Chicago (18-12).