LAS VEGAS – To keep the Phoenix Mercury’s WNBA Finals Game 1 loss in perspective, remember that Mercury also trailed 1-0 in the playoffs first round and semifinals, both shorter series than the Finals best-of-7.
That’s not to minimize the agony of losing 89-86 Friday night to the Las Vegas Aces in a game the Mercury led for 27 of 40 minutes at sold-out (10,266) Michelob Ultra Arena.
Especially since the Mercury came into the Finals with more rest, having won their semifinal series 3-1 over Minnesota while the Aces were extended to a fifth game to oust Indiana. In the Mercury’s last Finals appearance in 2021, they were the more fatigued team after the semifinals and dropped Game 1 at home to Chicago.
But the Aces, seeking their third WNBA championship in four years, had enough juice to overcome a nine-point deficit in the third quarter and take the lead for good with 3:40 left.
Mercury star Alyssa Thomas missed two free throws with 24 seconds left that could have put Phoenix back in front by a point and Satou Sabally’s 3-point attempt to force overtime went awry in the closing seconds.
“Not that it doesn’t matter, but it’s okay,” Mercury leading scorer Kahleah Copper said. “This is a long series. I think the takeaway from those other first ones, the mindset was back to the drawing board. We have the utmost confidence in our locker room and in our coaches to make the adjustments.”
The Mercury lost for the first time all season with five double-figure scorers and are now 14-1 in those games. Copper scored 21, all but two in the first half, while Thomas was limited to five second-half points in her near triple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists).
Aces coach Becky Hamm said “attention to detail on those two players that were really hurting us,” particularly by playing zone defense after the Mercury led 66-57, enabled her team to cut the Mercury output from 50 points in the first half to 36.
And a combined 39 points off the bench from Dana Evans (21) and Jewell Loyd helped to overcome fatigue that starting stars A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young were coping with following a tougher-than-expected semifinal series vs. short-handed Indiana.
“I thought we did a great job on A’ja and Jackie, but those two (Evans and Loyd) definitely pushed them to a victory,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said.
The Aces had a 41-16 bench scoring advantage and led 20-10 in points off turnovers.
Tibbetts could not use his standard closing lineup for part of the fourth quarter because of Satou Sabally picking up her fifth foul and a technical with 8:23 remaining. Also Sami Whitcomb went to the locker room late in the third quarter due to injury then returned to play all of the fourth but likely not at full strength.
“I haven’t really had time to process that, but we’ve had a pretty set rotation,” in the fourth, Tibbetts said. “I’m glad Sami came back then Sa got her fifth foul and that changed some things for us.
“Different people are going to have to step up at different times. We’ve talked about that. We’ll take a look at the tape and be better on Sunday.”
The Mercury won on the road in Game 2 over New York in the first round (best-of-3) and Minnesota in the semifinal (best-of-5). They certainly won’t be in panic mode in Game 2 (noon Sunday) against the Aces and a split would temporarily flip home-court advantage.
Games 3-4 are in Phoenix at newly renamed Mortgage Matchup Center on Wednesday and Friday.
The Aces improved to 4-1 overall this season vs. the Mercury although four of those games have been decided by a combined 15 points. The outlier was a Mercury 22-point loss in Las Vegas on Aug. 21 when Evans also was a problem with 17 points.
Copper and Evans were Chicago teammates in 2021 when the Sky won 3-1 over the Mercury and Copper was Finals MVP.
“I just want to win really bad,” said the 5-6 Evans, acquired by the Aces in an offseason trade. “Whatever that looks like, whatever my teammates need from me, I’m going to do.
“We’re not satisfied with this, it’s just the first game. We’ve got to stay steady and stay locked in and focused.”
Hammon, who also succeeded to the pro level as a 5-6 guard, said, “You feel her (Evans) when she comes into the game, and you feel her on both ends.
“For somebody to be that size and you really feel her on both ends, especially in that second half, just digging it up, going for balls, and then obviously we know she can shoot. That baby can shoot. All my shooting drills she busts.”
The post WNBA Finals: Phoenix Mercury drop Game 1 in third consecutive playoff series first appeared on Sports360AZ.
