PHOENIX — Diana Taurasi scored 30 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith added 27 and the Phoenix Mercury rolled to a 90-80 victory over the Sparks on Thursday night.

Taurasi hit five 3-pointers and added six rebounds, while Diggins-Smith grabbed five rebounds with six assists for Phoenix (13-16). Shey Peddy scored 12 as the Mercury won their second straight and moved into third place in the Western Conference – passing the Sparks and Dallas.

Chennedy Carter led the Sparks (12-16) with a season-high 23 points. Nneka Ogwumike had 19 points, while Kristi Toliver and reserve Jordin Canada scored 10 apiece but the Sparks lost their second game in a row and the fifth in their past seven.

It was the Sparks’ first game since parting ways with 6-foot-9 Australian center Liz Cambage, who reached a contract buyout agreement with the team earlier this week.

Diggins-Smith, Taurasi and Peddy accounted for 23 of 26 first-quarter points as the Mercury took a nine-point lead.

Taurasi and Diggins-Smith teamed up to score the first 16 points in the second quarter as Phoenix pushed its lead to 42-22 at the 6:22 mark and never looked back in taking a 54-32 lead at intermission.

With less than three weeks left in the regular season, the Sparks are tied with Dallas for seventh place in the 12-team league with Atlanta (12-17) lurking a half-game back. Only eight teams make the playoffs.

Diana Taurasi is the first player in @WNBA history with a 30-point game at age 40 or older.

She’s the 3rd in NBA/WNBA history to do it, joining Michael Jordan and Dirk Nowitzki. pic.twitter.com/spOdT6HCMH

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 29, 2022

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