Sep 23, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Mercury ahead Alyssa Thomas (25) celebrates with ahead Satou Sabally (0) towards the Minnesota Lynx within the second half throughout sport two of the second spherical for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Goal Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Photos The Phoenix Mercury have turned seizing home-court benefit into their postseason identification.
The Mercury gained the higher hand of their WNBA semifinal sequence towards the top-seed Minnesota Lynx with a Recreation 2 highway victory Tuesday, and they’ll start protection of their dwelling ground within the third sport of the best-of-five sequence Friday.
The Mercury overcame a 20-point deficit within the remaining 16 minutes of regulation and scored the primary six factors of time beyond regulation whereas night the sequence with an 89-83 victory.
“It is a battle-tested staff,” Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts stated of the Lynx. “We have not accomplished something but. We would have liked to get one there (Minneapolis). We did our job.”
The Lynx, who’ve gained 4 league titles and misplaced within the finals final 12 months, took Recreation 1 82-69 at dwelling by outscoring the Mercury by 13 within the fourth quarter. Recreation 4 is in Phoenix on Sunday.
“It is a resilient staff,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve stated of her group. “It is a staff that responds. There are problem-solvers. No person stated these things was going to be simple. It is all a part of the journey.
“Now we have now to beat a very good staff at their place. That is a tall order. We’ll do all we will to do it.”
The Mercury took dwelling court docket from defending champion New York within the second sport of their first-round sequence and clinched it with a win in Recreation 3 at dwelling.
Lynx level guard Courtney Williams has 43 factors, 16 assists and 15 rebounds on this sequence. Napheesa Collier, the runner-up in league MVP voting, has 42 factors and 15 rebounds.
Pressured by Alyssa Thomas, Collier missed a 16-footer on the buzzer after the Mercury’s Sami Whitcomb hit a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining to ship Tuesday’s sport into time beyond regulation.
“That is what it is all about,” Thomas stated. “You play the entire season for the playoffs and moments like these. I have been chasing a championship for a very long time. I believe that is our time.”
Thomas, who spent her first 11 seasons with Connecticut, directs Tibbetts’ free-flowing offense from the foul-line prolonged. The Mercury went small of their comeback Tuesday.
Thomas, third in MVP voting, led the league with a career-high 9.2 assists per sport within the common season. Williams was second at 6.2. Thomas has eight triple-doubles and is averaging 18.5 factors, 10 assists and eight rebounds within the sequence.
Phoenix’s Satou Sabally had 24 factors, together with 5 3-pointers, and 9 rebounds in Recreation 2.
After making 3 of 23 threes in Recreation 1, the Mercury had been 13 of 32 within the second sport.
When ‘Sa’ makes threes, she’s fairly good,” Tibbetts stated. “They’ve a call to make, proper? They’re both going to remove the paint or take away threes. It is actually arduous to do each.”
–Area Degree Media
