Mercury hold on to hope despite falling 0-2 to Aces in Finals

The Mercury haven’t had their best showing over the last two games. After dominating much of the first half in Game 1, they quickly let their lead slip to the Aces in the fourth quarter. Game 2 started similarly for Phoenix, but it was overwhelmed by Las Vegas’ offense later on.

Phoenix has had a few miscues in these losses, particularly on defense. The team allowed 89 and 91 points in Games 1 and 2, respectively, underscoring its struggles to contain Las Vegas.

Shooting also went cold in Game 2, as the Mercury shot 17.9% from beyond the arc after starting the game making three out of four attempts.

One positive Mercury forward Satou Sabally took from both losses was the team’s ability to stick together. She still believes in the team to turn the series around.

“We lost two,” she said post-game. “We’re returning home, so that’s also a positive. I still believe in us. Just unwavering belief in your own team and what you can do and the potential.”

While there are still more games to be played, going 0-2 to a dominant team like the Aces puts the Mercury in a very tough spot. However, with the series shifting to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4, the Mercury will look to take advantage.

“We’ve been down before,” head coach Nate Tibbetts said post-game on Sunday. “We’ve been overlooked. Obviously, people are gonna start talking about how good Las Vegas has been and they should. But we’ve kind of always bounced back. We’re excited to go home [and] play in our home arena.”

With home-court advantage for the next two games, the Mercury have an opportunity to bounce back and make key adjustments to stay in the series.

The Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces play Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 5 p.m.