Phoenix Mercury run out of gas in Game 1 loss to Minnesota Lynx

“We got a group that’s well conditioned and excited,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said postgame. “Maybe [there was] physical fatigue, mental fatigue, but we don’t have time to worry about it. I thought we played three really good quarters, and then they just turned it up in the fourth.”

Less than 48 hours before Sunday’s semifinal tipped off, Phoenix had been locked in a win-or-go-home battle with the Liberty. They were only in that position because they let Game 1 of that series slip away at home in overtime, failing to convert late shots down the stretch. Now, after a similarly disappointing finish, the Mercury once again find themselves in a 1-0 series hole.

“I still think we had a lot of open shots,” Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said. “I felt like it’s similar to last series, where we just didn’t hit open ones. That’s the beauty of the series, we’ll go back, watch the video and see what we can do better.”

Thomas especially struggled to find her usual presence in the final frame. After leading the Mercury to a 47-40 halftime lead and scoring a team-high 18 points through three quarters, Thomas didn’t score in the fourth, and the Lynx won the period 23-10 to secure the victory.

Phoenix struggles on the glass and from deep

As a team, Phoenix’s advantage in points in the paint (54-40) was neutralized by the Lynx’s upper hand in second-chance points. Minnesota had 20 second-chance points to Phoenix’s five, despite both teams having similar offensive rebound numbers. Those extra opportunities proved to be costly late.

At the 8:32 mark in the fourth quarter, Lynx guard Kayla McBride drilled a 3-pointer after two offensive rebounds to give them their biggest lead of the game at that point. About five minutes later, a similar play happened: McBride converted on a wide-open 3 after Phoenix failed to secure a defensive board, sparking a 12-2 Minnesota run to put the game out of reach.

“Obviously, I would have liked to see more defensive rebounds,” Tibbetts said. “They did a good job of crashing the glass, that was one thing that we talked about coming into this series. Twenty second-chance points is way too many, and they had some big ones in the fourth.”

Phoenix also struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 3-of-23 from deep, with Minnesota scoring 18 more points from long distance. Guard Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 22 points, but shot just 25% from the 3-point line. Forward Satou Sabally, like in Game 1 of last series, struggled to hit open 3’s as well, going 0-for-5.

“Obviously, we didn’t shoot it very well from three,” Tibbetts said. “I think that was another factor. But they did what they were supposed to do, win Game 1.”

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Lynx All-Stars made the difference

Meanwhile, it was Minnesota’s stars who rallied despite being down by as many as nine. Napheesa Collier, who finished second for the MVP behind A’ja Wilson earlier in the day, had a rollercoaster of a Game 1. She caught fire with 10 early points in the first, then went quiet in the second and most of the third before catching fire again, scoring four straight baskets to fuel a 22-9 Lynx run to end the third and begin the fourth.

Collier finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, but it was her backcourt running mates who ensured Minnesota protected home court. Courtney Williams turned in one of the most dynamic playoff performances of her career, stuffing the stat sheet with a game-high 23 points, seven assists and five steals, while also adding eight rebounds from the guard spot. Her relentless motor seemed to wear Phoenix down over the course of the game.

“I just want to win … I try to bring the same energy for 40 minutes,” Williams said. On her five steals, she added, “it’s just my natural reaction. I just follow my instincts. So if I see a moment, just instinctually, I go. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out, but it worked out tonight.”

McBride was right behind Williams with 21 points of her own, drilling four 3-pointers — more than the entire Mercury roster combined. When Phoenix’s defense collapsed on Collier or Williams, McBride made them pay with timely jumpers that kept the Lynx in control.

Mercury back in familiar territory

Sunday’s loss means the Mercury find themselves back in a spot they know all too well: down 1-0 in a playoff series. Unlike the first round, however, the stakes are even higher this time. Without home-court advantage, Phoenix faces the daunting task of winning three out of the next four games against the league’s best regular-season team.

To do that, a Game 2 victory on Tuesday night will be crucial, as it would tie the series back up going home to the X-Factor for games 3 and 4. Anything less would leave them chasing the championship-favorite Lynx, a team that has proven it can thrive in hostile environments.

“I thought both teams did a lot of things they wanted to get done,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “And now we go look at some things, and then Tuesday’s game will be just as hard.”

The challenge is clear: rebound from a disappointing Game 1 and show that the momentum that carried them past the Liberty can still propel them against Minnesota. Game 2 tips off Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST.

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