The Phoenix Mercury players will be the first to admit that their defense in the first two games of the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces was uncharacteristic.
Over the first two rounds, the Mercury’s defense had been stellar, allowing 75.9 points per game. Against the Aces, the defense hasn’t found success and has surrendered 89 and 91 points in Games 1 and 2, respectively.
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“We lost our defense and we lost our desire to be the better team on the court, like with 50-50 balls and little details that do matter at such a level,” guard Monique Akoa Makani said. “We’ve been reminding ourselves of that throughout these two days, and I think we’re going to come back really strong.
“They’re ready for us and we are as ready because we got to protect our home.”
The Mercury return to Mortgage Matchup Center for Game 3 at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in a game airing on ESPN.
In a series that pits speed against size, the Aces have used their speed to their advantage. The Aces have been nearly unstoppable in transition, hitting 11-for-13 on the fast break and averaging 17.0 points off turnovers through two games.
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The Mercury had a chance to continue their postseason trend of bouncing back after a tough Game 1 loss, but instead squandered their opportunities. And when you give the Aces an inch, they’ll take a mile.
The dynamic duo of A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young received a lot of credit in Game 2, justifiably so, as the tandem combined for 60 points. But starting point guard Chelsea Gray has been the mastermind for the Aces on the floor.
“Chelsea had 10 assists, she dictates the game a lot in their transition offense,” Mercury forward Satou Sabally said. “(We need to) not let her be the quarterback of her own game and let her play freely. Getting our rebounds, boxing out and limiting their second-chance points.
“Really getting more deflections… We’ve been doing that (in the past series) and I think we kind of shied away from it.”
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Phoenix has relied heavily on its Big 3 of Sabally, Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper in the first two games. Sabally’s ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Game 2 threatened that dynamic, but Sabally participated in practice on Tuesday, Oct. 7, and said her ankle was good.
The Mercury need more than just their top three players, though. The Aces proved their depth was stronger, and their bench played a major role in Game 1.
The Mercury had the league’s highest scoring bench in the regular season, but haven’t done much in the WNBA Finals. The Phoenix bench was outscored 41-16 in Game 1 and 16-8 in Game 2.
DeWanna Bonner was held to four points in 23 minutes in Game 2, shooting 1 for 5 from the field and 0 for 2 from the 3-point line, while Sami Whitcomb was scoreless (0-for-3 FG, 0-for-2 3PT) in 14 minutes.
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“We love an underdog story. We love when people count us out,” Thomas said. “Of course, we put a tall task in front of us being down two nothing, but there’s still a lot of basketball left to play. (It’s just been) two of a seven-game series. Still a lot of confidence here. We just know we have a lot of room to improve.”
Over the past two days since Game 2, the Mercury have been able to decompress and reset in the comfort of their own homes. The film studies have helped get their minds right.
“We’ve been reminded a lot about the grit and toughness that has brought us here,” Akoa Makani said. “Game 1, (the grit) was there. We wanted that game. In Game 2, we lost that little magic and it happens. There’s nothing to panic about. It’s us reminding ourselves of who we are and what brought us to this point.”
If the Mercury win Game 3, they’ll be guaranteed at least a Game 5 in Las Vegas on Sunday, Oct. 12, at noon.
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Las Vegas Aces notes
A’ja Wilson on how two-day rest entering Game 3 helps Aces recharge, matching Mercury’s high-paced offense.
“It’s very important, and it’s something that we’re always going to buy into because that’s just as important as the performances on the court. It’s making sure that our bodies are prepped because this is a series. This is a long one. I love giving myself some grace and focusing on something else other than basketball.”
Aces coach Becky Hammon compares A’ja Wilson to Mercury legend Diana Taurasi, Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson.
“There’s nobody like DT (Taurasi). DT is 6-foot. A’ja’s 6-4 and athletic as heck. One thing that I feel that DT was very underrated was her passing. … But again, I would say athletically, because of what A’ja is, she’s just different. She’s something the league has never seen. And I played against Lauren (Jackson). Lauren was a beast. Lauren really expanded that big role of the true pick-and-pop player, but I think that one thing that Lauren and DT had was, I don’t know, maybe call it a switch. DT was somebody you wanted to fight on the court and then you could go and get a beer with her afterwards (laughs). She was just that type of personality. … One thing that DT and A’ja really have in common, people like playing with them. People wanted to be on their team, and I think that’s a real testament to the type of MVPs that they are and were.”
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Aces’ Jackie Young on what she expects from Mercury’s defense after her record-setting 32-point performance in Game 2.
“They’ll obviously make it difficult on me. They change their coverages a lot, and so we’ll see what they come out with, and make our adjustments as well. … (Wilson) is the best player in the world so she draws a lot of attention and then it’s just our job to make open shots.”
Aces’ Jewell Loyd on Mercury’s roster construction after Taurasi retired, Brittney Griner joined the Atlanta Dream before 2025 season.
“They’ve done a great job. Obviously, the whole free agency allowed people to pick where they wanted to go. It allowed people to have a choice and voice in what they’ve been able to do. Knowing the Mercury organization’s been a great one for many years, obviously with Diana setting the tone and how they’d done with BG (Griner), and even (DeWanna) Bonner coming back. It’s just a great story. They put together a great roster. They play fast, very tenacious on defense, No. 1 defense in the playoffs and we’ve definitely noticed that for sure, and they put up a lot of 3s too. Having Nate (Tibbetts) come in with the NBA mindset, you see that’s how they play.”
Republic reporter Dana Scott contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury need better defense for Game 3 of WNBA Finals in Phoenix
