The post Mercury join exclusive WNBA club with 20-point comeback win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Phoenix Mercury avoided falling into a dreaded 2-0 hole in their WNBA playoffs semifinal series against the Minnesota Lynx, as they pulled off a huge come-from-behind win in overtime on Tuesday night at Target Center in Minnesota.
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Despite being down by as many as 20 points, the Mercury managed to claw their way back and complete their comeback, thanks to a huge second half.
The unlikely victory for Phoenix also put the Mercury in an exclusive WNBA club.
“The Mercury become just the fifth team in WNBA history to make a 20-point comeback in the playoffs, and just the second to do it on the road per @ESPNInsights .They pick up the 89-83 win and the series is tied 1-1 as we head to Phoenix,” wrote Kendra Andrews in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.
Satou Sabally led the way for the Mercury, as she finished with 24 points on a 9-for-22 shooting from the field, while adding nine rebounds in 38 minutes of action. She scored 11 of her total scoring output in the fourth quarter.
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Phoenix’s resilience was on full display in the second half, especially in the third quarter, where the Mercury unleashed a 12-0 run that took away all the momentum that the Lynx had built.
“We’re confident in us, and we’ve been battling all season long,” said Sabally after Phoenix’s Game 2 victory, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). “You can’t give up a basketball game if you’re down.”
Alyssa Thomas also had a prominent role in fueling Phoenix’s triumph. She nearly came up with a triple-double, putting up 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting with 13 assists and eight rebounds. Her plus-13 was the best among Phoenix starters. Meanwhile, Sami Whitcomb came off the bench and contributed 13 points and six assists. Kathryn Westbeld knocked down some buckets and provided incredible energy on defense, coming away with four steals with three defensive rebounds while being plus-15 in just 15 minutes of floor duty.
Mercury’s win is also a huge momentum builder for them heading into their first home game of the series. Game 3 of this matchup is scheduled for this coming Friday at PHX Arena in Phoenix.
Related: Mercury add pain to Lynx’s collapse with 12-word message
Related: Fans can’t believe Lynx lost playoff nail-biter to Mercury
