LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury faced serious questions during the regular season about whether they were championship material, then came dangerously close to being forced to clean out their lockers before the WNBA Finals.
The second-seeded Aces were a Jackie Young follow shot away from losing to the seventh-seeded Seattle Storm in a best-of-three series in the opening round, and then they were extended to overtime of a deciding Game 5 in the semifinals by the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever — an injury-plagued team with more of its stars watching than playing.
The fourth-seeded Mercury found themselves down 20 points to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, facing a probable 2-0 semifinal series deficit to a team that was dominant in the regular season.
But some way, somehow, both teams made it to the title series, which opens Friday in Las Vegas with a best-of-seven format for the first time in WNBA history, and those postseason escapes leave two opponents that aren’t likely to back down regardless of the situation.
The Aces are -125 series favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Their path to this point has been anything but smooth. They needed Young’s rebound shot to beat the Storm in the deciding Game 3 of the first round. Then they were taken the distance by the Fever, who went into the playoffs without both Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, lost Kelsey Mitchell to injury in Game 5, and played overtime without Aliyah Boston after she fouled out.
Now, though, they’re here — at home and with an opportunity to take early control of the title series.
“We’re battle-tested,” Aces point guard Chelsea Gray said. “Each series was completely different, but they were challenges. I’m proud of the way we responded to those challenges.”
And before that, in early August the Aces looked down and out as they sat at .500 and were coming off a 111-58 loss in which Minnesota set the WNBA record for biggest margin of victory in a road win. Las Vegas responded by winning its final 16 regular-season games to improbably clinch the No. 2 seed while finishing behind only the Lynx.
“I think that streak we went on prepared us for moments like this, how to fight through the highs and lows of the game,” Aces center A’Ja Wilson — this year’s WNBA MVP after winning the honor for the fourth time — said after the OT win against Indiana on Tuesday night. “It allows us to never take our foot off the gas.”
The Mercury showed their own mettle after falling behind 59-39 with 5:45 left in the third quarter of Game 2 in their semifinal series against Minnesota. They rallied to force overtime and win 89-83, stunning the Lynx to make the series 1-1. Phoenix then won the following two games at home, going against an opponent without star Napheesa Collier in what became the deciding contest after she was injured toward the end of Game 3.
“I think (the comeback) speaks volumes to the team and how we stay composed and go on runs and ride the waves,” Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said. “It’s the same in the finals. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, a tough series. You don’t know what each game is going to bring.”
Thomas said the Mercury’s postseason success showed their seeding, which was based on the regular season, was not relevant.
The Aces took three of four from the Mercury in the regular season, but both sides said these are different circumstances.
“Playoff basketball, man,” Gray said. “It’s totally different than regular season.”
Bulletin-board material may or may not materialize, but that won’t stop Mercury forward Kahleah Copper from searching for any kind of slight that might give her and her team an advantage.
“At this point, I’m a pyscho looking for something,” Copper said. “Give us an edge. Don’t pick us. It’s cool. I’m just wired a little different.”
Neither side is certain what to expect from what could be the longest title series in league history after the WNBA Finals previously used a best-of-five format, with the New York Liberty taking the Lynx the distance last season to win the founding franchise’s first WNBA title.
“It’s exciting being a part of the first one,” Thomas said about the new format. “At the same time, you don’t know what a best-of-seven brings, but nothing changes. You still approach it the same way.”
No matter which team wins, that side will claim of piece of WNBA history.
Las Vegas, which won titles in 2022 and 2023, is hoping to becoming the second team to win at least three championships in a four-year span. The Houston Comets won the league’s first four titles from 1997 to 2000.
Phoenix hopes to add to its trophy haul from 2007, 2009 and 2014. If the Mercury prevail, they would tie the Comets, the Lynx and the Storm for the most WNBA championships.