LAS VEGAS — Down after Game 1 of a playoff series?
The Phoenix Mercury have been in that position three times in the 2025 WNBA postseason, including these WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces.
Each Game 1 loss had its unique issues. The struggling offense and lack of overtime experience hurt them in the first round against the New York Liberty. Fatigue set in after an emotional first half in the semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx.
Advertisement
But what followed each game was a statement performance in Game 2.
Given that history, the Mercury seemed unfazed with their 89-86 loss on Friday, Oct. 3.
More: Phoenix Mercury undone in final minute, drop Game 1 of WNBA Finals to Las Vegas Aces
“Not that it doesn’t matter, but it’s OK,” guard Kahleah Copper said. “This is a long series, and I think the takeaway from those first ones was, ‘Back to the drawing board.’
“We have the utmost confidence in our locker room and in our culture to make the adjustments. Now, it’s the same thing. It’s still a little frustrating.”
Game 2 of the Finals is set for noon here Sunday, Oct. 5, and will be shown on ABC.
Advertisement
There were plenty of glaring errors from the Mercury in Game 1.
Much like in Game 1 of the first-round series, Alyssa Thomas missed a chance at a game-defining moment. Thomas stepped to the line in the final seconds with Phoenix down one. However, she missed both free throws.
Ambidextrous but primarily a left-handed shooter from the field, Thomas shoots free throws right-handed.
Thomas said she felt the rust in Game 1, especially because the Mercury did not play since Sunday, Sept. 28. But she’s confident for the next game.
“We’ve lost every first game in the playoff series and it’s about making adjustments. I think all playoffs long, we’ve done a great job of responding,” Thomas said.
Advertisement
A lot went wrong in the second half to get the Mercury in that position where Thomas’ free throws mattered.
Late turnovers plagued the Mercury: six gave way to 20 points from the Aces. When the game was tied at 80 with six minutes left, the Mercury squandered two possessions because of turnovers and scored only three field goals on nine attempts.
Phoenix Mercury plan for Game 2
Aside from controlling the turnovers, the Mercury need more from their bench in Game 2. The Aces dominated with 41 bench points, while the Mercury had 16 from the three-player bench.
Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd were key for the Aces with 39 combined points.
Advertisement
DeWanna Bonner has been scoring a lot for the Mercury with 11.5 points in the past two games, but it took her 13 field-goal attempts to score 10 points in Game 1. Forward Kathryn Westbeld played fewer than five minutes and went scoreless with two assists and one rebound.
“Our bench has been really good, too, in these playoffs,” coach Nate Tibbetts said after Game 1. “Their bench outplayed ours tonight, but our bench has won us a lot of games in these playoffs.”
Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury grabs a rebound over Jewell Loyd #24 of the Las Vegas Aces and Satou Sabally #0 in the first quarter of Game One of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Michelob ULTRA Arena on October 03, 2025, in Las Vegas.
Tibbetts had a scare for his tight eight-player rotation when guard Sami Whitcomb went down with a leg injury at the end of the third quarter. Whitcomb hobbled off the court and was helped to the locker room, but returned to start the fourth quarter.
Advertisement
At the end of the game, Thomas was shaking out her left hand, but Tibbetts didn’t have any updates on her hand.
Thomas declined to answer questions about how her hand was feeling at practice on Oct. 4, but Tibbetts joked she’d play with one hand if she had to. Whitcomb wore a compression leg sleeve on her right knee for practice, but said she went to the locker room as a precautionary measure.
Tibbetts said the hope is Whitcomb will play for Game 2.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury not in unfamiliar territory with Game 1 loss in WNBA Finals
