LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young, exhausted from a grueling semifinal series against the Indiana Fever that took all five games, wasn’t quite herself when the WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury tipped off Friday night.
That led her to do something in the opener she normally wouldn’t. The four-time WNBA All-Star asked out of the game.
After a day of rest, though, there was no stopping Young — and now stopping the second-seeded Aces from a third title in four seasons is going to take some work for the fourth-seeded Mercury, who must turn things around to avoid the possibility of Las Vegas sweeping the best-of-seven series in Phoenix.
Young’s 21 third-quarter points Sunday set a WNBA Finals record, carrying her to a 32-point performance and the Aces to a 91-78 victory at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Game 3 is Wednesday night at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, where the Aces hope to put a stranglehold on the series while trying to become only the second team in league history to win as many as three titles in a four-year span. The Mercury have the tall task of needing to win four of five games to capture their fourth championship, which would tie the WNBA record for most overall.