LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — The Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury meet Thursday night at Michelob Ultra Arena in a matchup of two WNBA teams seeking to climb out of the bottom of the standings. Seattle (5-15) enters having won two straight after a 105-90 victory over Atlanta on Saturday. Rookie guard Flau’jae Johnson has been a bright spot, averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds in that win after posting 28 points and nine boards against New York two days earlier. Over her last five games, Johnson is averaging 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists while logging heavy minutes. The Storm, however, have lost nine of their last 11 games overall and are 1-6 on the road this season. Phoenix (7-13) also rides a two-game winning streak, beating Toronto 89-80 on Saturday behind guard Kahleah Copper’s 27 points and five rebounds. Copper has scored at least 20 points in four of her last six outings, including a 41-point, 10-rebound explosion June 13 in an overtime loss to Los Angeles. The Mercury are 4-6 at home this season, though their home games have been played in Las Vegas due to arena scheduling conflicts. These teams met most recently on June 20, when Phoenix cruised to a 93-73 victory in Las Vegas. Copper had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Johnson managed 13 points for Seattle. The Mercury also won the first meeting this season, 72-68 on June 3 in Seattle. Phoenix has won four of the last five matchups overall. Both clubs are desperate for consistency. Seattle ranks near the bottom of the league in scoring defense, allowing 88.1 points per game. Phoenix is not much better, giving up 85.9 points per contest. The Mercury have the edge offensively, averaging 83.3 points compared to Seattle’s 80.4. The Interstat game simulator projects a 99-98 Mercury victory. Phoenix is a 5.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 166.5 points. Key players to watch include Johnson, who is averaging 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds over her last 10 games, and Copper, who has averaged 25.1 points in her last eight. Seattle will also rely on center Dominique Malonga, who posted 16 points and 11 rebounds against Atlanta. Phoenix will likely lean on forward DeWanna Bonner, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Toronto, and guard Natisha Hiedeman, who scored 20 points for Seattle in its latest victory. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PDT.