WNBA Finals 2025: Las Vegas Aces-Phoenix Mercury preview

Las Vegas – Call it a duality in the desert. Las vegas ekka And Phoenix mercury 2025 WNBA will meet in the final.

Located at a distance of about 300 miles, both have won several titles, but have never been found before in the championship series.

Number 2 Seed Ecperoat Number 6 Seed Indiana fever 107–98 in overtime on Tuesday in Game 5 of his semi-final series. Now he hosts Mercury Friday in Game 1 (8 pm ET, ESPN). Phoenix, number 4 seeds, number 1 seed finished Minnesota Links 3-1 on Sunday.

Aces, under the leadership of MVP four times A’aza WilsonWon WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023. In the championships 2007, 2009 and 2014, Merkari took place as the star of the team with all Diana Raksi. She retired after the previous season, and led by a ratol roster-triple-dable standout Elisa Thomas After 2021, Phoenix is ​​back in the final for the first time.

The WNBA final will be the first time the best seven format, so it can be a history -making series. There is a break here how the teams match.

Regular-Sector Series: Las Vegas went 3–1 against Phoenix

June 15: Mercury 76, Aces 70 (In Las Vegas)
June 29: Aces 84, mercury 81 (In Phoenix)
August 15: Aces 86, mercury 83 (In Phoenix)
August 21: Aces 83, mercury 61 (In Las Vegas)


How did Phoenix get here

Merkari lost game 1 at home in the first round and the best semi-finals, so they have proved their subtle from home and in elimination games.

Following a loss of 13 points in game 1 of the semi -finals against Minnesota, Phoenix won each of the next three games by single digits, each dominating the fourth quarter. In Game 2Para exceeded the reduction of 20 points to tie the record for the largest road return in the WNBA playoff history. Game 3 Home win at home is most likely that the controversial will be remembered for the last 22 seconds, but another big mercury finish will also be shown. In Game 4Phoenix cooled the victory of 86–81, before entering the first quarter from 14 in the first quarter and 13, before entering the final frame.

How did Las Vegas meet here

The Las Vegas was 500 in the all-star break before riding a 16-game winning line in the playoffs. In the first round, the hot streak was extended to 17 with game 1 win – but then the aces lost three of its next six Postsen Games before winning overtime on Tuesday. Las Vegas defeated Seattle 2–1 in the best-three round series, then had to go a distance to finish the number 6 Indiana in the best semi.

On Tuesday, Wilson recorded his WNBA-Record Third Career 35-point game in a series-clining win. Four times MVP also became the first player with 35 points, 5 rebounds and 5 in a playoff game with 5 assistance.


What are we hearing about the aces

Looking at the line of his long victory, Las Vegas was the hottest team to come in the playoffs. But they were still struggling to close both their playoff chains.

He was almost upset with the number 7 seed Seattle in the first round, out of a game 3 win 74–73. It then took overtime in game 5 of the semi -finals to achieve the rear of Indiaa, despite that the fever was reduced by injury and dishonesty.

This is something to be worried about going against mercury, which looks at the peak in the playoffs. That said, ACES has a great deal of the WNBA final experience to rely on it: both Chelsea Gray and Wilson have been MVP finals for Aces. Jackie Young has also been an important part of the previous championship of Las Vegas. When she was with Seattle, Jewel Lloyd won two WNBA titles.

It took Aces about 2 The months to know herself this season. Once he did, he was a malignant in the rest of the regular season. Now they have a handle a few days before the final, where they have reduced the playoffs despite moving forward, as they cannot have the same type of laps against Phoenix. – Michael Vopel

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After taking Minnesota Links, Phoenix Mercury arrives at the final

Phoenix mercury comes from behind to defeat Minnesota Links in Game 4 to reach the WNBA final.

What are we hearing about Mercury

Reconstruction usually takes years to succeed, but in her first season without Diana Raksi and Britney GrinnerTwo former franchise’s cornestone, mercury, returned to the final for the first time since 2021.

Emblazing a Dalit mindset has led to mercury in the entire season. Phoenix returned only two players from 2024 – Kahlih Copper And Natasha Mac According to ESPN Insights, league is the fifth team in the league history to lose at least 70% of their scoring from the previous season (71.3%). The other four teams lost the record in the next season.

With his two big three – copper and Satou sabally – Extended time in regular weather due to injury missing, Phoenix was not completely healthy by the end of July. In early August, Saballi told ESPN that he felt that his team was playing 80% of his capacity. The mercury hoped that during the last month of the regular season they would melt all their pieces together. they did.

Their crooks – Catherine WestBeld, Sami WhitComb And Monic Akoa Makani – There were revelations. except Devanna boneer Granted the necessary experience to your bench in early July. And their big three have flourished together.

He was again underdog as he entered Postsen, in the first round defending champions, New York and in this year’s title, Minnesota, in the semi -finals. The mercury is the fourth team in the WNBA history, which is ending both the teams who have ended both the teams participating in the last year’s finals. , Center Andrews


What is this series’ X Factor?

Which team’s Big Three will play the best, he will win the title.

So often in the championship game or chain, we look for an unhappy hero, one appears to have unpredictable moments that will determine the result. This series will not be that complex or unexpected. It will come down to the performance of Wilson, Young and Gray for Aces and Thomas, Sabli and copper for Mercury. Of course, a big can be a bigger Sami WhitComb 3-pointer, or a stretch where Dana Evans The aces supplies some extra energy to the aces – but it is about the stars.

Their influence was on performance in both Las Vegas and Phoenix’s semi-final close-out games. Wilson (35), Young (32) and Gray (17) combined for 84 of 107 points of ACES; Thomas (23), Saballi (21) and Copper (13) Game 4 had three major scorers of Mercury in their return win on Minnesota. The advantage will be that the trio will separate itself, even if it is by a small difference.

For the first time these teams got in a regular session (a mercury win) as Wilson did not play. In the last three meetings, MVP was the best player on the floor, the average of 25.0 points. Young scored in double digits in each of those games and gray was at least nine. In contrast, in the loss of a Phoenix, Saballi had just 10 points on 3 -14 shoots. Copper had just six points in the most recent match. Las Vegas won all three games. If recently history repeats itself, Aces will win their third title in four years. – Charlie Cream


How big is the comfort benefit of Phoenix after overtime to win game 5 on Tuesday after Las Vegas?

I do not think this will be a lot of factor. Las Vegas will still meet two full days without any journey. While the aces will sleep well after covering the distance against fever, they will be doing it in their beds. Even with an additional two days, the mercury still had to wait for his opponent to locate. The rest can help, but at this time of the year 48 and the hour is probably very low. Adrenaline is overcoming any fatigue for most of these players, and both teams have all their regular windows perfectly healthy in a healthy chain. , Cream

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