BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Shey Peddy made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to offer the Phoenix Mercury an 85-84 victory over the defending WNBA champion Washington Mystics on Tuesday evening within the first spherical of the playoffs.

Fifth-seeded Phoenix strikes on to play No. four seed Minnesota on Thursday within the second spherical.

”For me to hit that shot towards them is a fairy story second,” stated Peddy, who was minimize by the Mystics final month. ”I do not assume it could possibly get any higher than that.”

Leilani Mitchell went 1 of two from the free-throw line with 5.eight seconds remaining to offer Washington an 84-82 lead. After a timeout, Diana Taurasi inbounded it to Skylar Diggins-Smith, who drove the lane and lofted a cross over the protection throughout the court docket to the nook. Peddy pump-faked it to get her defender within the air and calmly beat the buzzer.

”She’ll always remember that. The women are loving on her,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello stated. ”She’s a veteran, 31 years of age. Took the second and made the shot. She needed to take the shot. It is a actually nice story. She’s a humble particular person and I like having her round.”

Washington introduced Peddy in final 12 months after chopping her in coaching camp when two of the Mystics left to play abroad. She was on the roster as a 30-year-old rookie for a couple of month earlier than the gamers returned and she or he was minimize. Coach and basic supervisor Mike Thibault appreciated having her round a lot that he supplied her a video and analytics assistant place, which she accepted, and she or he completed out the championship season in that function.

When Thibault referred to as her a month earlier than this season began, Peddy assumed it was to see if she needed to be a coach once more. He stated the group wanted gamers and supplied her a spot on the roster. She performed the primary month of this season with the Mystics earlier than they minimize her. She then signed with the Mercury.

Peddy completed with 12 factors for Phoenix on Tuesday evening. Diggins-Smith had 24 factors, six rebounds and 5 assists and Taurasi, who improved to 7-Zero in single-elimination playoff video games, added 23 factors. The Mercury went on a 17-Zero run over a five-minute span for a 78-73 lead.

Mitchell led Washington with 25 factors and Emma Meesseman added 18.

”Phoenix made a terrific comeback and so they outplayed us within the fourth quarter,” Thibault stated. ”One of many more durable losses I had since I’ve been in Washington. I really feel so dangerous for these gamers for the way arduous they labored. They’d an opportunity to advance.”

Washington earned a playoff spot on the ultimate day of the common season and wanted to play almost flawless basketball through the ultimate week of the common season to even qualify for the postseason.

The Mystics had been lacking 4 projected starters from final season’s championship group as Elena Delle Donne was recovering from a again harm and Tina Charles obtained a medical exemption. Natasha Cloud and LaToya Sanders opted to not play. All are anticipated again subsequent 12 months.

Meesseman’s steal and fast-break layup capped a 5-Zero run to offer Washington a 83-82 lead with 38.eight seconds left. And after a timeout, Myisha Hines-Allen drew an offensive foul on Diggins-Smith for Phoenix’s third straight possession with a turnover.

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Extra AP ladies’s basketball: https://apnews.com/Womensbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports activities