The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces defeated the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury 91-78 in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Finals to go up 2-0 within the collection.
Jackie Younger had 32 factors whereas four-time MVP A’ja Wilson had 28 factors and 14 rebounds.
Regardless of a quiet scoring efficiency, Alyssa Thomas handed Courtney Vandersloot to develop into the all-time chief in WNBA postseason assists, with 386.
Here is what you’ll want to find out about every part that occurred on Sunday. The perfect-of-seven collection shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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How the Aces received
Las Vegas’ massive three of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Younger and Chelsea Grey have performed collectively for 5 seasons. That have and connectedness actually confirmed when Las Vegas took management of the sport with a 22-10 second-quarter benefit after which basically buried the Mercury by scoring 30 factors within the third, when Younger had 21 factors, a WNBA Finals file for 1 / 4.
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Grey was the epitome of her “Level Gawd” nickname on Sunday with 10 assists, together with 10 factors and eight rebounds. She is so acquainted with discovering Wilson and Younger on court docket, anticipating their strikes. As soon as the Aces began clicking, the Mercury appeared a step behind the remainder of the sport.
The Aces will all the time say their offense is based on protection, and that confirmed within the second quarter when the Mercury struggled to get any of the appears they needed. Then even when Phoenix began to create higher alternatives, it was too late to matter.
How the Mercury misplaced
They could not guard Wilson with out Alyssa Thomas moving into foul hassle, they usually could not guard Younger in any respect. That mentioned, they began the sport sturdy and had a 27-24 lead after the primary quarter. Even then, although, it felt as if Phoenix was in hassle as a result of the offense was so reliant on Kahleah Copper, who completed with 23 factors.
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Satou Sabally makes Aces pay for turnover with and-1 bucket
Satou Sabally scores and attracts a foul in transition for the Mercury.
Satou Sabally had 22 factors, however she took some photographs too early within the shot clock, which the Aces had been capable of flip into transition factors. Phoenix additionally bought little from its bench. And the Mercury — after making 14 3-pointers in an in depth Game 1 loss — had been 5-of-28 from behind the arc on Sunday. Each time Phoenix began to make a bit of run, Las Vegas was capable of reply and shut down any hope the Mercury had of coming again.
What might resolve Game 3?
The Mercury need to surprise what to do when the Aces received the primary two video games in several methods. Las Vegas rallied to kind of steal Game 1 89-86 behind an awesome bench output, with 39 factors from Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd. Wilson (21 factors, 10 rebounds) and Younger (10 factors, 5 assists) had been good in that sport Friday, however they had been nice on Sunday in a blowout. In the meantime, Grey managed each video games effectively, though Sunday had lots much less suspense. She has 20 assists to date within the Finals.
The Mercury will get a lift being at dwelling for Games 3 and 4, however in addition they want to determine decelerate the Aces’ perimeter offense. At this level, maintaining Wilson beneath 30 factors is a optimistic, and the Mercury have completed that in each video games. However they’ve allowed the Aces’ guards to resolve the outcomes: They’d a mixed 56 factors Sunday after 57 on Friday.
The problem for Phoenix is twofold: Disrupt Grey’s ball distribution and scoring from the opposite Aces guards. They’ve a few days to strive to determine how. — Michael Voepel