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Shorthanded Mercury drop regular-season finale

Updated Sep 13, 2015 at 7:57p ET


TULSA, Okla. — Rookie Brianna Kiesel scored a career-best 28 points to help the Shock beat Phoenix 91-87 on Sunday in their final regular-season home game in Tulsa before the franchise moves to Dallas next year.

Tulsa's fans will have at least one more chance to watch the team play. The Shock (18-16) will play the Mercury in a home playoff game Saturday. This is the franchise's first postseason berth and first winning season since it moved from Detroit before the 2010 season.

The game had no meaning for playoff seeding — Phoenix was locked into the No. 2 seed and Tulsa into the No. 3 slot, and their series will start Thursday in Phoenix. Still, the crowd of 6,064, one of the largest of the season, was energetic on Fan Appreciation Day and stood and cheered well after the final buzzer. The Shock players stayed and chatted with fans after the game.

Phoenix didn't play starters Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree. Tulsa's No. 2 scorer, Riquna Williams, missed her sixth straight game with a left leg injury. She is expected to return for the playoffs.

The Shock made the playoffs despite losing starting forward Glory Johnson for the season because of her pregnancy and starting point guard Skylar Diggins for the season early on with a torn right ACL. Both were All Stars in 2014.

The Shock lost seven straight after the announcement that the team was moving, but the team rallied to win its next six and position itself for a postseason berth. The Shock averaged 5,776 fans before the announcement that the team was moving, but the average has dropped to 4,919 since.

The Shock still enjoyed a homecourt advantage. Even with the ups and downs and surprises, Tulsa finished with a 12-5 home record.

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