The Phoenix Mercury are on the brink of losing the WNBA Finals after falling 90-88 to the Las Vegas Aces in Wednesday’s Game 3. They showed a lot of heart in the fourth quarter, particularly after Satou Sabally went down with a head injury, and almost completed a 17-point comeback behind some strong performances from Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner.
But a last-second shot from A’ja Wilson led to a Las Vegas victory, and Phoenix is now on the verge of being swept.
“We are not into moral victories. This is a game that we wanted to get, needed to get. But for us to compete the way that we did, I think just shows the character of our team. It’s the way we fought all year,” Mercury coach Nate TIbbetts said postgame.
“We just kept fighting and put ourselves in a position to win against a really good team. I’m proud of our group for not giving in. That’s what we expect on Friday, too. We are going to keep fighting. That’s what this group is about.”
The Mercury almost snuck a road win in Game 1 while making playoff history with 14 3-pointers, but Las Vegas won that one with a strong defensive performance in the fourth quarter.
Game 2 was a lot more one-sided, with the Aces winning 91-78 behind a 32-point performance by Jackie Young and 28 points and 14 rebounds for Wilson.
Tibbetts was under no impression that the Aces were going to be an easy opponent. They are chasing their third title in four years and entered the playoffs with a 16-game winning streak. The Mercury have not won a title since 2014 and have been overlooked numerous times this season. However, Tibbetts likes a lot of what his team has shown so far.
“I think you look inside yourself and continue to compete. We’ve played them in two close games with 25 seconds, 40 seconds to go, it’s been a one-point game in two of the games. Obviously those are games you are positioned to win. Besides Game 2, I think we played them pretty solid.
“We had to come back tonight. But we are facing a team that has been through this together. It’s not a team that is just figuring it out, they are a well-oiled machine… But I was, again, super proud of how we just kept fighting.”
This is the first season the WNBA has held a best-of-seven Finals, so there is no precedent for this kind of situation within this league. The closest comparison is the NBA, where no team has ever won a championship after falling behind 0-3. If the Mercury want a chance at pulling it off, Tibbetts said they have to truly focus on one game at a time.
But if they want to extend the series, they have to lock in at tip-off, and not wait until late in the game to rally.
“We’re facing elimination. We’ve had plenty of opportunities to go out there and get a win,” Alyssa Thomas said. “At some point we have to take it upon ourselves. Our first half was unacceptable, especially with the opportunity to play in your home court and go out there and get a win. So same thing goes for Game 4. We got to come out from from the start.”
Thomas added that making it this far into the playoffs was a “privilege” and therefore the opportunity should not be wasted. Bonner agreed with her teammate and coach.
“You just got to keep fighting. We’re not just going to give up,” Bonner said. “It’s hard to get here, so we’re going to continue to fight to the very end. And I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing all playoffs, fighting our way back into it.”
Game 4 will take place at PHX Arena on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
This news was originally published on this post .
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