The Phoenix Mercury are heading to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2014. Late on Friday night, the Mercury outlasted the Las Vegas Aces in a Game 5 thriller 87-84 to win their semifinals series 3-2. They’ll now take on the Chicago Sky, with Game 1 of the Finals set for Sunday.
Brittney Griner led the way for the Mercury with 28 points, nine rebounds and one block in another brilliant playoff performance. That one block was the biggest play of the game, as Griner stuffed A’ja Wilson on a potential game-tying shot in the final seconds to seal the win. Diana Taurasi, meanwhile, added 24 points, including a number of clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
The Aces used a huge 14-0 run to take control in the third quarter, but their double-digit lead didn’t last long. And down the stretch they just couldn’t quite get it done. Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum went for 22 points, while A’ja Wilson added 21 points and 10 rebounds in defeat.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
Griner delivers yet again
Brittney Griner was arguably the best player in the league after the Olympic break, and she’s carried that impressive form into the postseason. But in Game 4 earlier this week, she struggled. She missed a number of looks around the basket, and finished with just 13 points in the Mercury’s loss. That wasn’t going to happen again.
Griner bounced back and delivered another brilliant performance for the Mercury, coming up with clutch plays on both sides of the ball to get them back to the Finals for the first time since 2014. Her 28 points were the most she’s scored in a playoff game since 2018, and she added nine rebounds and one game-saving block for good measure.
Her rejection on A’ja Wilson is going to get the headlines, and for good reason. With just 4.8 seconds remaining, the Aces had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead. They got the ball in to Wilson, who initially got the step on Griner and looked to have a path to the rim. But Griner was an All-Defensive performer for a reason, and recovered to deny Wilson at the rim, and do so without fouling.
That was the biggest play of the season for the Mercury, and one of the biggest of Griner’s career. But it’s worth noting that the Mercury wouldn’t have even had the lead if it wasn’t for her work on the other end of the floor. In the span of 81 seconds late in the fourth, Griner scored six straight points for the Mercury to help turn a four-point deficit into a tie game. When it looked like the game was going to get away from them, Griner kept them afloat. In all, she scored nine of her 28 points in the fourth.
