Mercury hope to ignite home-court comeback after dropping first two games to Aces in WNBA Finals
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI Global Desk | Oct 07, 2025, 03:43 IST
Mercury hope to ignite home-court comeback after dropping first two games to Aces in WNBA Finals
( Image credit : AP )
Highlight of the story: The Phoenix Mercury are down 2-0 in the WNBA Finals after back-to-back losses to the Las Vegas Aces. Struggling on defense and shooting just 40.7% overall, Phoenix hopes to bounce back as the series shifts home. Coach Nate Tibbets remains confident in his team’s depth and believes home-court energy can spark a turnaround.
The Phoenix Mercury trail 2-0 after the Sunday night loss against Las Vegas Aces in game 2 of the best-of-seven series. Las Vegas averaged 90 points in the first two games of the finals at their home court, while the Phoenix Mercury is searching for answers to break the winning streak of the Las Vegas Aces as they are heading to play at Phoenix.
Kahleah Cooper led the Phoenix by 23 points, while Satou Sabally scored 22 and Alyssa Thomas added 10. Only 8 points came from the Phoenix bench, totalling just 23 points from the rest of the team.
The Mercury struggled defensively by letting the aces shoot 47.7% from the floor, which included 35.1% from the 3-point line. At the same time, the mercury shot just 40.7% from the floor, which included 23.4% from the 3-point line.
Speaking to the media after the 2 consecutive losses, the Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbets said, “I’m super confident in that group, they’ve helped carry us all season long. Our big three has probably got going the most during the playoffs, but I know this is a group that we trust. We believe in each other,” he added, “But again, we’re here because of our defense. And to give up 89 points in Game 1 and 91 in Game 2, I know they’re a really good offensive team ... but we have to be better at the defensive end.”
The Phoenix bench averaged 20 points per game, ranking second during the postseason. However, by the time the finals arrived, the reserves' total contribution had dipped to 12 points per game.
The Aces, consisting of four Olympians, including two-time MVP awardee A’ja Wilson, are looking more confident than ever as they head to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4, while the Mercury are hoping to find their rhythm with the home court advantage.
Kahleah Cooper led the Phoenix by 23 points, while Satou Sabally scored 22 and Alyssa Thomas added 10. Only 8 points came from the Phoenix bench, totalling just 23 points from the rest of the team.
The Mercury struggled defensively by letting the aces shoot 47.7% from the floor, which included 35.1% from the 3-point line. At the same time, the mercury shot just 40.7% from the floor, which included 23.4% from the 3-point line.
Speaking to the media after the 2 consecutive losses, the Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbets said, “I’m super confident in that group, they’ve helped carry us all season long. Our big three has probably got going the most during the playoffs, but I know this is a group that we trust. We believe in each other,” he added, “But again, we’re here because of our defense. And to give up 89 points in Game 1 and 91 in Game 2, I know they’re a really good offensive team ... but we have to be better at the defensive end.”
The Phoenix bench averaged 20 points per game, ranking second during the postseason. However, by the time the finals arrived, the reserves' total contribution had dipped to 12 points per game.
The Aces, consisting of four Olympians, including two-time MVP awardee A’ja Wilson, are looking more confident than ever as they head to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4, while the Mercury are hoping to find their rhythm with the home court advantage.