‘No moral victories:’ Mercury laments slow start in Game 3 of WNBA Finals, vows to keep fighting despite 0-3 gap
The Phoenix Mercury are on the verge of losing the WNBA Finals with a 90-88 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 on Wednesday. They showed a lot of heart in the fourth quarter, especially after Satou Sabally suffered a head injury. He nearly completed a 17-point comeback behind some strong performances from Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner.
But A’ja Wilson’s last-second shot sealed the win for Las Vegas, and Phoenix was now on the verge of collapse.
“We’re not into moral wins. This is the game we wanted to get, and we had to get it. But for us to compete the way we did, I think it just shows the character of our team. This is the way we’ve fought all year,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said after the game.
“We kept fighting and put ourselves in a position to beat a really good team. I’m proud of our group for not giving up. That’s what we expect on Friday as well. We’re going to keep fighting. That’s what this group is all about.”
The Mercury nearly pulled out a road win in Game 1 He made playoff history with 14 three-pointersBut Las Vegas won it with a strong defensive performance in the fourth quarter.
Game 2 was more one-sided, with the Aces winning 91-78 behind a 32-point performance by Jackie Young and a 28-point, 14-rebound performance by Wilson.
Tibbetts was under no impression that the Aces would be an easy opponent. They are chasing their third title in four years and entered the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak. The Mercury have not won a title since 2014 and have been overlooked several times this season. However, Tibbetts is very impressed with what his team has shown so far.
“I think you look within yourself and keep competing. We played them in two close games with 25 seconds and 40 seconds left, it was one-point games in two of the games. Obviously those are games that you’re in a position to win. Besides the second game, I thought we played them pretty tough.”
“We had to come back tonight. But we’re facing a team that’s been through this together. It’s not a team that’s just trying to figure it out, they’re a good machine… But I was, again, very proud of the way we kept fighting.”
This is the first season the WNBA has held a best-of-seven Finals, so there is no precedent for this type of situation within this league. The closest comparison is the NBA, where no team has ever won a championship after falling behind 0-3. If the Mercury want a chance to make it happen, Tibbetts said they have to really focus on one play at a time.
But if they want to extend the series, they need to stick to the tip, and not wait until late in the game to rally.
“We’re facing elimination. We had a lot of opportunities to come out and win,” Alyssa Thomas said. “At some point we have to take it upon ourselves. Our first half was unacceptable, especially with the opportunity to play at home and go out there and get a win. So the same goes for Game 4. We had to come out from the start.”
Thomas added that making it this far in the playoffs was a “privilege” and therefore the opportunity should not be wasted. Bonner agreed with her teammate and coach.
“You just have to keep fighting. We’re just not going to give up,” Bonner said. “It’s hard to get here, so we’re just going to keep fighting until the end. And I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing all playoffs, fighting our way back to it.”
Game 4 will take place at PHX Arena on Friday at 8pm ET.