The Phoenix Mercury opened the second half with a 91-89 home victory over the Golden State Valkyries, earning a narrow win against one of the WNBA’s above-.500 teams. The two-point result lifted Phoenix to 11-18 and dropped Golden State to 19-9.

What happened

Phoenix turned the latest meeting with Golden State in its favor after losing the previous matchup between the teams. The Mercury’s 91-89 victory reversed the outcome from June 10, when the Valkyries won 87-81.

The change in result came with a change in margin. Golden State claimed the earlier meeting by six points, while Phoenix answered at home with a two-point decision to split the teams’ two most recent games.

Golden State entered the contest with 19 victories in 27 games and a record well above .500. The Valkyries were unable to add a 20th win, instead falling to 19-9 as Phoenix secured its 11th victory.

Why it matters

The result allowed Phoenix to gain ground from the bottom of the standings against a team that had been winning consistently. At 11-18, the Mercury still trail Golden State in the overall picture, but the home victory provided a positive start to the second half.

The win also prevented the Valkyries from taking consecutive meetings against Phoenix. After Golden State controlled the result in June, the Mercury responded by closing the margin and producing the opposite outcome in the rematch.

For Golden State, the defeat adds a ninth loss to a strong record. The Valkyries remain above .500 at 19-9, but Phoenix showed it could reverse the result against a team that had won 19 of its first 27 contests.

By the numbers

Phoenix improved to 11-18 with the victory, while Golden State moved to 19-9. The combined margin across the two latest meetings favors the Valkyries by four points: Golden State won the first by six, and Phoenix won the rematch by two.

Each team has now won once in those two games. The Valkyries scored an 87-81 victory on June 10, and the Mercury answered with a 91-89 home win to tighten the matchup.

What to watch next

Phoenix returns to action Aug. 1 with an opportunity to build on its second-half opening win. The Mercury will carry an 11-18 record into that game.

Golden State next plays Aug. 4 after a longer break between contests. The Valkyries will look to move past the narrow loss and add to a 19-9 record.