Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Aces and Mercury in Las Vegas didn't disappoint.
It came down to the final possession as the Aces led by three. Phoenix had an attempt to tie the game and force overtime, but forward Satou Sabally's difficult shot rimmed out and Las Vegas drew first blood on its home floor.
Aces guard Dana Evans stole the show, scoring 21 points alongside the consistent production from this year's MVP—center A'ja Wilson, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks.
For the Mercury, forward and guard Kahleah Copper's first-half explosion allowed Phoenix to take the lead into the break. She scored 19 points in the first half and tied a Diana Taurasi record with five threes in a half during the WNBA Finals. Forward Alyssa Thomas, the WNBA's all-time triple-doubles leader, flirted with a triple-double once again—finishing just one assist shy with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
If the first game of the extended WNBA Finals format taught us anything, it's that Las Vegas and the Mercury will provide us with thrilling basketball the rest of the way. Here are three takeaways from Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
In the WNBA's first best-of-seven finals, these teams can go the distance
This is the first year the WNBA Finals will be a best-of-seven series and the Aces and Phoenix appear primed to make use of the extended format. Friday's Game 1 saw 12 lead changes and was tied at nine different points in the game.
The Mercury took a five-point lead into the half that was trimmed to four at the start of the fourth quarter before Las Vegas took the lead and held on for the 89–86 victory. The swing factor in Game 1 was the Aces' bench, which outscored Phoenix's 41–16. The Mercury committed 14 turnovers to just seven for Las Vegas, too. With a title on the line, Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts will certainly make adjustments ahead of Sunday's Game 2—where his team will have an opportunity to even things up and steal a game on the road.
The Mercury led for a majority of the game and proved they are capable of taking one on the road in what should continue to be a highly competitive series.
Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans are X-factors for the Aces
Loyd dropped 13 points in the first half of Game 1, nearly doubling her average of 7.3 points per game over the postseason. Evans was just as good, adding another 10 points off the bench in the first half.
Evans finished with 21 points, tied for a team high with Wilson. Loyd ended with 18, providing the bulk of the scoring on the night outside of Evans and Wilson. Despite their bench roles, Evans and Loyd should continue to be huge factors for Las Vegas over the series.
Heading into the night, Loyd shot 38.2% from three over the postseason on 4.3 attempts per game— the most on the team outside of guard Jackie Young. Evans's previous high in the playoffs was 14 points, which she recorded in Game 1 of their semifinal series with the Fever. This Game 1 was her night and now she has plenty of momentum to build off of.
Hello, Kahleah Copper
Copper drained five three-pointers for Phoenix in the first half, which tied the franchise legend Taurasi for the most threes in a half in WNBA Finals history. She dropped 19 points in the first two quarters, which was a big part of the Mercury entering the break with the lead on the road.
Unfortunately for the Mercury, the second half was much quieter for Copper, who scored just two points to finish with 21 on the night. She was unconscious from deep in the first half, draining five of her six attempts before missing the three threes she put up in the second half. Copper comes into the series with WNBA Finals experience, winning a championship with the Sky in 2021 and being named Finals MVP. She's done it before and she's here to do it again despite a quiet second half Friday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What We Learned From Aces' Thrilling WNBA Finals Win Over Mercury in Game 1.
