Bec Allen was X-factor in Phoenix Mercury breaking NY Liberty’s 8-game win streak

On Tuesday, the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty put on a shooting clinic in one of the league’s best games this season. The teams combined for a WNBA record 33 treys, and New York had a single-game record of 18.

Similar to Phoenix’s raucous fan base nickname at the Footprint Center, Bec Allen was the X-factor as the most efficient 3-point gunner in the team’s 99-93 win, which broke second-place New York’s eight-game win streak.

That’s the league’s second-best win streak this season besides the Connecticut Sun‘s 9-0 start.

“Bec finally had her night. We were all waiting for it and it’s awesome to see. You’re actually excited for your teammates when you see them going off. It’s not a selfish type thing,” Mercury’s Sophie Cunningham (13 points, four rebunds, two steals) said after the game.

Phoenix’s starting wing Allen scored a season-high 17 points, made 6-of-8 including five of the Phoenix’s 15 from the arc, and seven rebounds against her former team New York, and helped push Phoenix (8-7) back above the .500 mark.

This was Allen’s breakthrough game after she missed five games while in the concussion protocol between Phoenix’s blowout losses at Connecticut (13-1) on May 28 and against the Seattle Storm (9-5) on June 4. Allen returned on June 7 in Phoenix’s home win against the Minnesota Lynx, the same night as Brittney Griner‘s season debut.

Feeling Allen and Griner’s impact

The Mercury dropped five of six games without Griner and Allen and have won four of five with them in the lineup.

“New York is a quality team, so to come out with a win tonight, especially with how many threes they made, saysa lot about the grit of our team,” Allen said after the game. “The way we moved the ball was a really fun style to play. I know collectively as a group we are really up about this win because everyone feels that they’ve contributed, and on the defensive end we were really locking down.”

Allen referred to the fourth quarter in which the Mercury held the Liberty to 1-of-8 from 3.

She averaged 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.9 steals entering Thursday’s grind game, which had 10 lead changes with just one in the final period, and seven ties including three in the final nine minutes.

The Mercury’s and Liberty’s biggest stars and several reserves delivered.

New York’s reigning MVP Breanna Stewart scored the game-high 28 points. The Liberty’s former MVP Jonquel Jones and All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu combined with Stewart for 64 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists. Their other two starters Kayla Thorton and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton each had 12 points.

Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner each had 19 points, their fellow Olympian in Kahleah Copper matched Allen’s 17, and the team had a total of six players in double figures.

Coming back late to beat another top team

The Mercury were down seven to begin the fourth, then Allen hit her final two 3s to tie the game at 76-76 and to take a 80-79 lead during Phoenix’s 11-3 run through 7:43 left to play.

The fifth-place Mercury have defeated several of the league’s top teams — Minnesota, Seattle and the two-time defending champion Las Vegas.

Allen said there’s more to those wins about the details in building on-court chemistry and resilience than the final scores.

“I think it’s also coming back from whenever we’re behind. It says a lot about the grit and the character of this group,” Allen said. “So in every game there’s ebbs and flows, but it’s the way that we’re able to bounce back constantly and stay together. I think our huddles are always productive. We’ve always got something to say. We’re really trying to pick each other up in big moments as well. It’s winning those games, but it’s also the small moments within the games that are huge.”

Mercury first-year coach Nate Tibbetts explained after beating the Liberty that the nine-year veteran Allen, who signed with the team in free agency this off-season, took more time to adjust in her first year with the team during training camp.

“Tonight is the Bec that we want, and I hope that she wants, and it was a hell of a performance by her,” Tibbetts said about Allen. “It’s not even about the makes to me. I mean, what she does on the defensive end, we do not talk about enough. The way she guards those guards. Her willingness to take seven threes tonight was huge and we are going to need that moving forward.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Allen was X-factor in Mercury’s biggest win this season over Liberty