Mercury beat the Tempo 89-80 in a game missing Alyssa Thomas and Marina Mabrey

Kahleah Copper scored 27 points, Valeriane Ayayi had a career-high 20 and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Toronto Tempo 89-80 on Saturday in a game in which both teams were without a top player. Phoenix played without Alyssa Thomas, who was suspended one game by the WNBA for “recklessly making contact with her first to the throat area” of Indiana’s Caitlin Clark in the Mercury’s 111-109 victory on Wednesday. Toronto’s Marina Mabrey was a late scratch due to neck spasms, one game after tying the league record with 53 points in a 125-97 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.

By Jason Griffith for PeeDeeWire

Yahoo Sports reports: Kahleah Copper scored 27 points, Valeriane Ayayi had a career-high 20 and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Toronto Tempo 89-80 on Saturday in a game in which both teams were without a top player. Phoenix played without Alyssa Thomas, who was suspended one game by the WNBA for “recklessly making contact with her first to the throat area” of Indiana’s Caitlin Clark in the Mercury’s 111-109 victory on Wednesday. Toronto’s Marina Mabrey was a late scratch due to neck spasms, one game after tying the league record with 53 points in a 125-97 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.