The first game of the 2025 WNBA Finals did not disappoint as the contest came down to the wire. The No. 2-seed Las Vegas Aces were able to hold on and protect their home court, winning 89-86 against the No. 4-seed Phoenix Mercury.
They say defense wins championships, and Las Vegas made some key stops in clutch time to help earn the result. Often, A’ja Wilson is the star for Las Vegas, but on Friday night, the bench backcourt took center stage. Dana Evans was superb, scoring 21 points off the bench. Her benchmate Jewell Loyd was equally marvelous, playing 35 minutes and scoring 18 points.
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Wilson was still productive, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. However, without the performances by Evans and Loyd, the Aces don’t win this game.
While the Mercury fell short, they played well enough to win. Kahleah Copper scored 21 points, and Alyssa Thomas played a game-high 38 minutes and was one assist away from a triple double. She ended the night with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
In the Finals, even more so than any other time during the year, teams take will their win and work out the rest later. Las Vegas can hold their head high and celebrate this result. However, Phoenix has to feel good about its chances after losing by just three points on the road.
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Game 1 was as intense, physical as expected
Both teams played a bit tight during the opening minutes. Shots were forced and physicality was present. The Mercury took control in this chaotic environment, jumping out to a 10-2 lead.
Loyd and Jackie Young scored to help cut down the deficit, and after a Megan Gustafson basket, Las Vegas was down by just five points. Thomas scored the next four points for the Mercury, but the Aces went on a 7-0 run thanks to their guards to even the game at 21 heading into the second quarter.
The rest of the first half remained physical as both sides started knocking down shots. The Aces shot 55 percent during the second period while the Mercury converted on a staggering 73 percent of their attempts. The officials let the teams play, swallowing their whistles, and Phoenix was able to gain control in that environment.
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Midway through the second quarter, Thomas gave the Mercury the lead, and they kept it for the rest of the half. Loyd hit a 3-pointer with a little over a minute left to keep the Aces within five points as Game 1 entered the halftime break. With Las Vegas’ starters having a pedestrian start in this contest, Loyd’s game very much kept the Aces alive.
Whatever Aces head coach Becky Hammon told her team at the break, it clearly resonated. Las Vegas started the third quarter on a 7-0 run and jumped ahead 51-50 early in the period.
Satou Sabally responded to give the Mercury back the edge, and the rest of the game was a rock fight. Phoenix went up by three, and then Las Vegas tied things up at 57. DeWanna Bonner hit a 3-pointer, and then rookie Monique Akoa Makani scored six-straight points for the Mercury.
The Aces went on an 8-0 run immediately afterwards to make it a one-point game.
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The closing seconds of the third were euphoric. Sabally hit a 3-pointer, Evans raced to the rim and scored for the Aces, but with 5.5 seconds left, the Mercury inbounded the ball and went coast-to-coast to end the quarter up 71-67.
In the fourth, the intensity continued to increase. Phoenix remained in front, but Las Vegas stayed within striking distance.
Evans stayed hot and hit a pair of 3s to give the Aces back the lead with 6:46 left to play. The game oscillated between a Mercury lead and an Aces advantage until Evans hit yet another beyond-the-arc jumper with 3:40 remaining.
The rest of the game felt like a Thomas-Wilson contest. Wilson scored once, then Thomas hit two field goals to put the Mercury within one. A’ja tried to score on the next possession, but AT stepped up with an emphatic rejection. On the other side, Thomas went to the line and took two free throws with 24.6 seconds to go. Unfortunately for AT and the Mercury, she missed both, and that sealed their fate. Gray grabbed the defensive rebound, and after a couple of Young free throws, Las Vegas’ lead increased to three.
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Sabally took a desperation 3, but missed as the Aces celebrated winning Game 1.
Key takeaways
Evans can take a bow. She was remarkable and hit big shot after shot in the fourth to flip this game in Las Vegas’ favor. She was great all game long.
The Mercury responded to each Aces run, but just fell short of the upset. Honestly, they need to run this back, and if they can just keep their turnovers down, they’ll be in great shape in Game 2.
This is the first seven-game series in WNBA Finals history, and fans can expect a long and intense matchup. Both teams were evenly matched, and if a few bounces go the other way, it’d be the Mercury celebrating and the Aces worrying heading into Game 2. Now, it’s time for Phoenix to make adjustments and for Las Vegas to see if they can replicate this result on Sunday. If Game 1 is any indication, this is going to be one of the best WNBA Finals series we’ve ever witnessed.
