Aces give Becky Hammon first victory, beating Brittney Griner-less Mercury

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Dearica Hamby scored 24 points and the Las Vegas Aces won in Becky Hammon’s first game as coach, beating the short-handed Phoenix Mercury 106-88 on Friday night to open the WNBA season.

Phoenix was without Brittney Griner as she nears the three-month mark of her detention in Russia with no timetable for her release.

Hammon replaced Bill Laimbeer with the Aces after serving as an assistant coach for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs since 2014.

Kelsey Plum added 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists for Seattle, and Jackie Young also had 20 points.

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Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 12 of her 25 points in the third quarter for Phoenix. Diana Taurasi was held to nine points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Las Vegas Aces' Kelsey Plum (10) drives to the basket between Phoenix Mercury's Skyler Diggins-Smith, left, and Diana Taurasi, right, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 6, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

SPARKS 98, SKY 91

CHICAGO (AP) — Jordin Canada had 21 points and eight assists in her Los Angeles debut, Nneka Ogwumike added 19 points and the Sparks beat defending champion Chicago.

Ogwumike made a jumper in the lane with 51.5 seconds left to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 94-91, and she deflected a pass at the other end that led to two free throws by Canada. Chicago turned it over again and Canada sealed it with two more free throws.

Canada also made three key free throws to tie it at 88 with 1.5 seconds left in regulation after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt.

Key offseason acquisition Liz Cambage added 12 points in 24 minutes for Los Angeles. Lexie Brown and Chennedy