It’s safe to say that every game for the rest of the season for the Phoenix Mercury, will be like a playoff game.

The team is currently in the 9th slot in the playoff picture, and every win and loss can mean a chance at making the playoffs.

The schedule dictates how this thing will play out, but the Mercury has been in every game, including a double-overtime loss to the Links coming off the break.

In front of them, tonight was the Atlanta Dream, whom they have beaten once already and a win would have pushed them to the 7th.

The battle was lost in the paint as the Dreams Cheyenne Parker was unstoppable, scoring a season-high 21 points and adding 11 rebounds.

The game was close throughout, and the closing moments got away from the Mercury.

Three straight turnover possessions in the last 2 minutes allow the Dream to stretch the lead to 10, with a finishing dagger three by Aari McDonald from the elbow.

The three-ball was not finding the whole all night, the team put up 29 and made 8 for a low 27%.

Put that with Skylar Diggins-Smith’s late turnovers and that sealed the fate for the Mercury on the afternoon game.

Next up, it’s the first time the team will see former center Tina Charles after her sudden departure mid-season.

The Seattle Storm and the great Sue Bird make their way to the FootPrint Center, with the third-best record on the season (17-8), and will be a very hard task to overcome.