Latvia's Laksa held scoreless against former club Mercury
In a WNBA clash between the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury, Latvian forward Kitija Laksa failed to score, while her team squandered a late lead and lost by a single point.
Game recap
The Dallas Wings started strongly, leading 26-19 after the first quarter and taking a 47-43 edge into halftime. They were still ahead 68-61 heading into the final period, but the Phoenix Mercury outscored them 26-18 down the stretch to snatch an 87-86 victory.
A quiet night for Laksa
Latvian national team player Kitija Laksa logged just over nine minutes on court but did not register a single point. She missed all four of her field-goal attempts, including both three-point tries. Her line also showed one rebound, one turnover, one personal foul and a minus-one plus/minus rating. The matchup carried extra meaning, as Phoenix Mercury is the club she previously played for.
Top performers
Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 30 points on 12-of-22 shooting, adding seven assists. Jacy Sheldon contributed 17 points, 19 rebounds and six assists. For the winners, Kahleah Copper was the top scorer with 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting, while Alyssa Thomas recorded a triple-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
Contrasting numbers
Dallas dominated the boards, out-rebounding Phoenix 54-39, and shot an efficient 10-of-23 from three-point range (43.5%). Phoenix, however, spent far more time at the free-throw line, converting 26 of 30 attempts compared to Dallas's 14 of 21 — a gap that ultimately decided the one-point game.
