Following a cold-shooting stumble in Game 1, a night that ended in defeat at the hands of the New York Liberty
, the Phoenix Mercury answered with precision and poise. Game 2 became their statement: a locked-in shooting performance, a wire-to-wire command, and an emphatic win to even the series at 1-1, setting up a decisive Game 3 at home in PHX Arena on Friday night. Fittingly, both victories so far have belonged to the road teams.The turning point came in the second quarter, when Phoenix uncorked
a 26-12 run that stretched the lead to 51-37 by halftime. From there, it was control without collapse; a 16-point victory built on 47.9% shooting and the spoils of New York’s 15 turnovers.
Balance defined the night. Five players hit double figures: Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper, DeWanna Bonner, and Kathryn Westbeld. Bonner added eight rebounds off the bench, while Thomas nearly stitched together a triple-double with 15 points, 7 assists, and 6 boards.
“We did another good job today of just competing at a high level,” head coach Nate Tibbets said after the game. “The second quarter. We didn’t give them those second-chance points, which hurt us in the first. I just loved our focus, our determination. I’m super proud of our coaches, the way they’ve prepared our players for New York’s plays, their tendencies, and how our team has bought into that.”
Now it comes down to the third and final act. The game that decides everything. The prize? A date with the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, fresh off their razor-thin 75-74 escape against the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday. That win clinched the series against the newest team to the WNBA as the Lynx won the series 2-0 and, like many in the W, they will be turning their eyes to Phoenix on Friday to see who will emerge victorious.
