Phoenix – This season has marked the start of a new era for the Phoenix Mercury. However, they are now coming back to a familiar place: the WNBA final.
The Mercury struck its ticket for its sixth final and the first since 2021 Sunday evening, beating the Minnesota Lynx 86-81 in match 4 of the semi-finals, winning the 3-1 series.
Entering this season with an almost brand new list and without the two cornerstone stones that have built Phoenix’s identity in the past two decades, there have been questions about what this group could accomplish. Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack were the only members of the return list. The team added Sutou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, but its three big ones (Cooper, Sabally and Thomas) were not healthy until the end of the year. The depth was built with unknown and less experienced players, including recruits.
But the Mercury has embraced their outsider mentality, and now they will face the laureate of Las Vegas Aces-Indiana for the title.
“No one had expectations for ourselves except ourselves,” said Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts. “The pride and unity of such a new group is quite impressive.”
This state of mind continued in the playoffs.
In the first round, the Mercury faced the defending champion New York Liberty and won the 2-1 series after abandoning the first match, but rebounded for a 6-point 6-point victory on New York’s home.
Then, the Phoenix semi-finals match came against a hungry lynx team trying to redeem itself from its defeat in the final a year ago. As in turn 1, the Mercury dropped the first game. In match 2, they set up a historic return in the second half. Match 3 ended with the controversy, with Napheesa Collier du Minnesota who was injured in the left ankle and coach Cheryl Reeve ejected – then suspended – in the last seconds.
Before match 4, the Mercury finally felt like the favorites for the first time all year round.
“We looked a little nervous or tight or too excited,” said Tibbetts about the performance of the first quarter of his team, where he found himself in a 14 -point hole. The Mercury made a boost to equalize the match at halftime, but before the fourth quarter, they dragged by 13.
“We could have just said:” You know, we are going to match 5 in Minnesota and understand it “… But we continued to fight,” said Tibbetts. “This is what we do … We continued to play, and when you do this, especially with this group, good things happen.”
Behind a fourth quarter of 31 points, the Mercury only became the third team in the history of the WNBA qualifiers to overcome a deficit of at least 13 points in the last period.
Mercurys are also the first team to overcome several 14 -point deficits in a single eliminatory series in WNBA history, having returned from 20 in match 2.
Thomas finished with 23 points out of 11 shots out of 18 from the ground and 10 assists – becoming the first player in the history of the league with 20 points and 10 assists in several online victories in a single qualifying series (Match 3 against New York). It was also his 28th double-double in career playoffs, the most in the history of the WNBA.
Sabally added 23 points, while Copper and Dewanna Bonner both collected 13 points.
“It is difficult to get here. It is difficult to go to the final,” said Bonner. “I was just saying [my teammates]I am in the league and all these appearances in the playoffs, and I only went to the final. It is how difficult it is to come back here. “”
Mercury did not expect it to be easy. But they clearly indicated their objectives. In their training center, they had a countdown of the number of days until match 7 of the WNBA final. Every day, this number has become lower. Now it’s 19.
“I believed in the franchise; I believed in the team they assembled,” said Thomas. “For me, it was a new start to play with people who want the same thing as me and a frankness known to win – winning championships. This is my goal: trying to get a championship.”
The belief was still there throughout the team. But players know that they still have a little more to prove.
“I think we are [playing] 99%, “said Sabally.” Winner, proving it, then I will say that we are 100%. “”
