PHOENIX -- Despite tying her playoff career high with 29 points and throwing down the first dunk in WNBA Finals history, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner's most important play in Wednesday's Game 2 win over the Chicago Sky came on defense late in overtime.

That led to a 3-pointer by Phoenix's Diana Taurasi to put the Mercury ahead for good in their 91-86 win that evened the series at 1-1 as it heads to Chicago for Game 3.

We knew coming into this game it was going to be a big focus: Got to get BG down low early and often.

Mercury coach Sandy Brondello didn't want Griner to be fed on every play; however, she would have liked Griner to be involved more at certain stages of the game, resetting in the post rather than setting screens.

Good things happened when Griner touched the ball Wednesday, like the Mercury going 17-of-29 on field goals, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Griner got help from the rest of the Mercury's Big Three -- Taurasi and Skyler Diggins-Smith -- as they combined for 27 of Phoenix's 34 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Taurasi finished with 20 points despite entering the fourth quarter with just six.

Together, Griner and Taurasi scored 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to match the Sky's total as a team during that stretch.

"We always try to make things difficult as we can for her, mixing up reads, but when she gets going like that -- she had 10 quick points early -- but we're OK with that," Vandersloot said.

You score that many points in the paint, that means you're attacking the basket, and you shoot four free throws.".

She held Chicago to 5-for-13 from the field as a primary defender, despite being brought out of the paint by the Sky so she couldn't be a shot blocker, Brondello said.

With Game 3 headed to Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Parker, a Chicago-area native, said she and her teammates will have "a lot" of friends and family in the stands

To Parker, who's in her 14th season, seeing for herself that the game was actually sold out -- "because a lot of times it's sold out but you can still get tickets" -- was proof that the WNBA is growing

"I think it's great for our fans," Parker said, "It's great for the city of Chicago and it's great for the WNBA for that to happen."