Mercury host Dream, shoot for 6th consecutive win

Brittney Griner has given the Phoenix Mercury a lift offensively after they struggled during and immediately following her suspension.

Angel McCoughtry continues to get her points for the Atlanta Dream, but she discovered that she's just as effective when facilitating.

Phoenix seeks a sixth straight victory Tuesday night as it hosts an Atlanta team that will play its next six on the road. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Arizona.

The Mercury went 3-4 during Griner's suspension for an offseason domestic violence incident involving then-partner Glory Johnson of Tulsa, then suffered a 15-point loss to Minnesota in her first game back on June 27.

Since then, however, they are 5-0. Griner has averaged 18.6 points during the winning streak and scored 26 -- two short of her career high -- in Sunday's 70-60 victory over Seattle. Phoenix is averaging 85.8 points in that run after scoring 72.1 through its first eight.

Griner had 15 points as the Mercury (8-5) pulled away in the third quarter Sunday, finishing with season highs of 11 field goals and 18 attempts.

DeWanna Bonner was the only other player in double figures with 11 points.

"In my opinion I had a horrible first and second quarter, so the third quarter I was a little fired (up) to come out (strong)," Griner said. "I just wanted to play hard, to give us a spark, get us going. The third quarter was good."

McCoughtry has been the Dream's No. 1 option for years, averaging at least 18.5 points in each of the last five seasons. She ranks second in the league with 21.9 per game and went for 32 -- her highest in a non-overtime game this season -- in Sunday's 84-76 win over New York.

Sunday's win capped a 3-1 homestand for Atlanta (6-7), with McCoughtry averaging 24.5 points.

McCoughtry, who is shooting a career-low 40.4 percent, tied a season high with six assists in the victory and noted after the game that getting her teammates more involved is something she plans to do more of going forward. She got to the free-throw line more than she has all season, hitting 12 of 19.

McCoughtry made only eight of a season-high 28 field-goal attempts in the previous game, an 85-75 loss to Tulsa. She took fewer shots Sunday despite the absence of third-leading scorer Sancho Lyttle, who is day to day with a left foot injury that caused her to wear a walking boot.

Coach Michael Cooper has been experimenting with his lineup lately and started Sydney Carter at point guard over Matee Ajavon, who had started the last 10 but didn't play Sunday.

Shoni Schimmel, one of the league's top vote-getters for the All-Star Game on July 25, played seven-plus minutes after logging only three combined in the previous four. Cooper said Schimmel should see more minutes now that she's getting back into game shape.

Schimmel scored a career-high 24 points in the last meeting with Phoenix -- a 96-82 victory last Aug. 13 in a game the Dream played wihout the injured McCoughtry.