What happened: The Mercury had three scorers finish with at least 18 points in the three-point decision. A Phoenix rookie scored 17 points in the third quarter, the highest single-quarter total ever by a Mercury rookie.

Why it matters: The win pushed Phoenix to 15-26 and answered its three-point loss in the Aug. 16 meeting. It also gave the Mercury a split in the two recent matchups after Phoenix won the June 5 game by six.

What to watch: Phoenix takes the 15-26 mark into its next outing. The rookie third-quarter record is now the number to watch the next time a Phoenix first-year player heats up.