Mercury pushed to the brink after Game 3 loss to Aces

The Aces started hot to begin the game, with Jewell Loyd making four 3-pointers for an 11-point lead against the Mercury. After a timeout, Phoenix was able to reach within three points, 26-23, after the first quarter. During the second quarter, Phoenix was able to catch up, tying the game 29-29.

However, Las Vegas went on a 7-0 run to extend its lead. The Mercury countered with a 5-0 run of their own, but it wasn’t enough to tie or take the lead into halftime.

While the third quarter began evenly matched between both teams, the Aces kept their double-digit lead. The Mercury scored 16 points in the third, as turnovers and foul trouble cost the team valuable points.

Despite going on a 7-0 run to open the fourth quarter, Phoenix continued to struggle to contain Las Vegas defensively. For every Mercury shot, the Aces responded. As the quarter went on, the Mercury slowly cut the deficit to eight before forward Satou Sabally had to be helped to the locker room after colliding with Kierstan Bell’s knee during a play.

Phoenix made it a one-point game following a Kahleah Copper 3-point shot with less than four minutes left in the second half. Tied at 88-88 with 5.0 seconds left in the game, A’ja Wilson made the go-ahead shot to seal the game, 90-88.

Now on a three-game losing streak, the Mercury must play their best basketball yet or risk a quick elimination in what many hoped would be a long series.

The Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces play Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Friday, Oct. 10, at 5 p.m.