Griner’s sixth 30-plus game leads Mercury

In this May 31, 2016, file photo, Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner (42) is fouled as she goes up for a shot against Connecticut Sun's Chiney Ogwumike during a WNBA basketball game in Phoenix. Griner and many other WNBA players and teams are finding their own ways to help Houston and the surrounding area in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. (Ross D. Franklin/AP, File)

By Associated Press

Originally Published: September 4, 2017 6 a.m.

PHOENIX — Brittney Griner scored 30 points and the Phoenix Mercury closed the regular season with an 84-70 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday to secure the fifth seed in the playoffs.

Phoenix (18-16) will host Seattle on Wednesday night.

Griner reached the 30-point mark for the sixth time in her career with a reverse layup with 1:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. All six of her 30-point games have come this season.

Leilani Mitchell added 18 points for Phoenix and Diana Taurasi was held to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Rookie Brittney Sykes scored a career-best 33 points for Atlanta (12-22). She was 12 of 19 from the floor and made seven free throws. Tiffany Hayes added 15 points, and Camille Little moved into a tie with Lauren Jackson for 12th place in WNBA history with 2,447 rebounds, passing Yolanda Griffith.