The Phoenix Mercury will battle the Las Vegas Aces for the title.
The Phoenix Mercury are heading back to the WNBA Finals, a stage that has both defined and eluded them over the years. This marks their sixth appearance, but the first since 2021, when the pursuit of a fourth championship fell short. Their history already glimmers with banners from 2007, 2009, and 2014, each title secured by different eras of Mercury basketball and each a reminder of their ability to rise when the odds are stacked.
This year’s run, though, feels like something out of a different script.
They weren’t the darlings of preseason predictions. No one circled the Mercury as a Finals lock. As the fourth seed, they entered the postseason with respect but not fear, overshadowed by the heavyweights above them.
Yet, in true Mercury fashion, they caught fire when it mattered most. They toppled the defending champion New York Liberty in the opening round. Then, with momentum building, they stormed past the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, winning 3-1 behind a pair of heroic comebacks.
On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever clashed in a winner-take-all Game 5, fighting for the right to face Phoenix.The question lingered in the desert air: who will step into the ring against this unlikely, unflinching Mercury squad?
The answer: The Las Vegas Aces.
It took overtime, but the Aces prevailed, winning 107-98 against a Fever squad decimated by injuries. WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson had 35 points to propel the Aces to their fourth WNBA Finals appearance since moving from San Antonio in 2017. Las Vegas won the Finals in 2022 and 2023.
The Mercury were 1-3 against the second-seeded Aces this season and enter as +108 underdogs. Game 1 is on Friday in Las Vegas at 5:00pm Arizona time.
Category: General Sports
