PHOENIX ― The Phoenix Mercury‘s WNBA Finals journey has been highly underwhelming, and now, their championship hopes are probably cooked.
Let’s just say the quiet parts out loud. The Mercury have dug themselves into quite a hole, despite having a top-five defense in the regular season, the best defensive team during the playoffs and multiple stars like guard Kahleah Copper and forwards Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally.
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Phoenix came out with tons of energy in Game 1 and controlled the game for 80 percent of it, until they didn’t. Las Vegas Aces guards Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd combined for 39 points off the bench to make sure the Aces snatched the matchup. The Mercury started Game 2 much of the same way, but everything unraveled in the second quarter. It was Las Vegas forward A’ja Wilson and guard Jackie Young, combining for 60 to go up 2-0 over Phoenix.
In Game 3, IN A MUST-WIN GAME, the Mercury let the Aces begin the first half shooting 56 percent from 3-point range. That’s not a misprint, and I wish it was. What’s more, Phoenix let multiple players go off for solid stat lines (Young, Loyd and guard Chelsea Gray), and that doesn’t include Wilson, who dropped a 30-point double-double and the game-winning shot on their head tops. You may not recover from this, Phoenix.
As I sat and watched the Mercury try to string something together on Wednesday at Mortgage Matchup Arena, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of energy, the turnovers, the missed shots and those plays that came too late. Or, I don’t know … MONIQUE AKOA MAKANI GUARDING A’JA WILSON, which should never happen.
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“Shame on us for not coming out the way we needed to come out,” Thomas said postgame, and I couldn’t agree more. I’m just shaking my head because this team is way too talented to go out like this. I do not doubt in my mind that the Mercury will be back to the Finals, but for now, this is painful to watch.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Phoenix Mercury’s WNBA championship hopes are all but cooked
