Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas blew a kiss to the PHX Arena crowd with 2 minutes, 44 seconds remaining in Sunday nights semifinals game against the Minnesota Lynx.
She had banked in a trademark floater, stretching the Mercurys lead to four. Perhaps, looking back at the gesture, it came a bit early, as the Lynx never wavered. But in the end, Thomas had reason to celebrate. Fueled by her play and that of forward Satou Sabally, the Mercury are heading to the 2025 WNBA Finals.
Phoenix prevailed 86-81 in a topsy-turvy Game 4 contest. The Lynxs quest to return to the finals ended their hopes of returning to the finals for a second straight season. They played without star forward Napheesa Collier and coach Cheryl Reeve, who had been suspended for her on-court behavior and comments railing on WNBA officiating after Game 3.
On Sunday, the Mercury trailed by 11 points after the first quarter, but tied the game 38-38 at halftime. They trailed by 13 points after three quarters, but again rallied, holding Minnesota to just two points through the first five-plus minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Mercury defense stiffened in key moments.
Phoenix outscored Minnesota 31-13 in the final quarter. Although Minnesota guard Kayla McBride finished the loss with a game-high and career playoff-high 31 points, McBride was the only Lynx player to score more than two points in the final frame until Courtney Williams desperation 3-pointer with 10.9 seconds remaining. Despite her success throughout the game, McBrides final shot rimmed out, an almost fitting end to the top-seeded Lynxs season. Minnesota became the first team in WNBA history to lose two playoff games when leading by at least 14 points.
Thomas and DeWanna Bonner flourished in crucial situations. Bonner scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three critical 3-pointers. Both had played for the Connecticut Sun last season and came up short in the 2022 WNBA Finals. They will get another chance to win a title as teammates once again.
Thomas finished with 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Sabally scored 21 points, setting the tone for Phoenix as she scored 14 points in the games first 14 minutes.
The Mercury will play the winner of Tuesdays Game 5 between the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever. The 2025 WNBA Finals begin on Friday.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, WNBA
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