Aces Edge Mercury in Thrilling WNBA final Opener
Las Vegas, NV – In a tightly contested matchup that went down to the wire, the Las Vegas Aces (1-0) relied on their bench depth to secure an 89-86 victory over the Phoenix Mercury (0-1) in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday night at the Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Aces’ reserves contributed a significant 41 points to the win.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with a strong performance, registering 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Dana Evans provided a spark off the bench with 21 points and four steals, while Jewell Loyd added 18 points. Jackie Young chipped in with 10 points and five assists, and Chelsea Gray orchestrated the offense with 10 assists to go along with eight points and seven rebounds.
Kahleah Copper paced the Mercury with 21 points, while Satou sabally scored 19 and Alyssa Thomas recorded a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
First Quarter (Las Vegas 21, Phoenix 21)
Phoenix started strong, scoring 10 consecutive points while holding the Aces to 0-for-7 from the field. Las Vegas battled back, closing the gap to 15-10 with 4:29 remaining.
Trailing 21-14, Loyd converted a pass from wilson with 2:05 on the clock, followed by a three-pointer from Gray and another basket by Loyd to tie the score at 21-21 with under a minute left in the quarter.
Despite a slow start, shooting 1-for-8 from the field initially, the Aces finished the quarter shooting 8-for-20 (.400) from the field and 1-for-6 (.167) from three-point range. The Mercury shot 7-for-19 (.368) from the field and 1-for-8 (.125) from beyond the arc.
Loyd led all scorers with eight points, while Copper had seven for Phoenix.
Second Quarter (Phoenix 50, Las Vegas 45)
The second quarter featured five lead changes and four ties as both teams traded baskets. Phoenix gained a 39-36 advantage with a three-pointer at the 5:22 mark.The Aces stayed within striking distance, pulling to within one point at 41-40 with 4:04 remaining before halftime.
The Mercury closed the half strong, hitting three three-pointers in the final 3:44 to extend their lead to five points, 50-45. Phoenix found their shooting rhythm in the second quarter…