Aces One Win Away from Championship
The Las Vegas Aces are on the verge of their first WNBA championship after taking a commanding 3-0 lead over the Phoenix Mercury in the Finals. In a thrilling Game 3, the Aces held off a spirited Mercury comeback attempt to win 90-88 on a last-second jumper by four-time MVP A'ja Wilson.
The loss was especially devastating for the Mercury, who will be without star forward Satou Sabally for Friday's Game 4 after she suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Sabally had been a key contributor for Phoenix, scoring 24 points before exiting the game.
Aces' Depth Proving Decisive
While the Mercury have relied heavily on their veteran core of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Skylar Diggins-Smith, the Aces' depth has been the difference in the series. In Game 3, the Aces' reserves combined for 41 points, the most ever by the franchise in a Finals game.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon also made a key adjustment, switching to a zone defense for 18 plays that stifled the Mercury's offense. Phoenix shot just 4-of-15 with three turnovers against the zone.
Mercury Running Out of Time
Down 0-3, the Mercury now face an almost insurmountable task to keep their season alive. Only once in WNBA history has a team come back from a 0-3 deficit to win the championship, and the odds are heavily stacked against Phoenix.
"I don't know how many teams have come back from 0-3. Not many," Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard acknowledged. "I'm not going to sugarcoat that it's a very difficult position we're in."
TL;DR
- The Las Vegas Aces are one win away from their first WNBA championship after taking a 3-0 lead over the Phoenix Mercury in the Finals.
- The Aces' depth and strategic adjustments have been the difference, with their reserves scoring a Finals-record 41 points in Game 3.
- The Mercury will be without star Satou Sabally for Game 4 due to a concussion, making their already daunting task even harder as they try to avoid elimination.
- Overcoming a 0-3 deficit in the Finals is an almost impossible feat, and the Mercury are running out of time to pull off the historic comeback.