The Phoenix Mercury were already shorthanded for their single-elimination first-round playoff matchup with the Chicago Sky due to Diana Taurasi's continued absence. Things went from no-so great to much worse for them early in the second quarter when star center Brittney Griner left the game with apparent knee injury.
Just a few minutes into the second, Griner was setting a screen when Allie Quigley crashed into her as she tried to guard Briann January. In the collision it appeared that the two knocked knees, and Griner immediately collapsed to the floor in pain.
After a few minutes she limped back to the locker room with assistance from the Mercury medical staff and Taurasi, but was not putting much pressure on her left leg. She tried to gut it out and returned to the floor after halftime sporting a giant brace. But after a few minutes of hobbling around, she left the game for good.
With Griner joining Taurasi on the sidelines, the Mercury fell apart in the second half. The Sky outscored them by 26 points in the second half as they cruised to a 105-76 victory.
Even though the Mercury's season is now over, you still have to hope that Griner's injury is not serious. Known primarily for her defense, Griner took her offense to a new level this season, leading the league in scoring at 20.7 points per game. She was the only player in the league to average more than 20 points per outing.
