Phoenix Mercury stun Minnesota Lynx in Game 2, even semifinals series in historic fashion

Instead, Phoenix rallied – completing the third-largest comeback win in WNBA playoff history to shock the Lynx and tie the series at one game apiece. It was also the furthest into a game that a team was down by 20-plus and went on to win in playoff history. 

“We’re very resilient. We’re a tough group,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. “It would have been very easy for us to give in tonight; a lot of teams would have. [I’m] just extremely proud of how we stepped up and battled, I’m fired up.”

Late-game heroics

In a game full of notable performances from the Mercury’s stars – Satou Sabally had 24 points, while Alyssa Thomas had a near triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds – it was veteran guard Sami Whitcomb who came off the bench to deliver in the clutch.

Down by three with 20 seconds left, Whitcomb hit the shot of the game. Expecting the Lynx to use their foul to give, Phoenix scrambled after its play call out of the timeout fell apart. Whitcomb first put up a 3-pointer that missed, but Thomas grabbed the offensive rebound. The ball was eventually kicked back out to Whitcomb, whose instincts kicked in as she drilled a stepback 3-pointer to tie the game at 79.

“I drew up two plays. I messed that up,” Tibbetts said. “I wanted to get it in because I thought they were going to foul, and then run the second one. But we ended up running the second one, we didn’t run it right, and we just figured it out … Sami saved my ass, and that’s what great players, great shooters do.”

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve shared her perspective, “We were certainly thinking we could use a foul. We didn’t instruct them to take a foul, so they were playing it out. Hindsight, I do like a foul there.”

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Whitcomb ended the game with 13 points, the third highest on the Mercury, making three of the team’s 13 3-pointers. After shooting just 3-of-23 from deep in Game 1, improving to 13-of-32 in Game 2 was a massive factor in Phoenix’s comeback victory.

“Obviously, I would love to shoot a better percentage. I’d love to make all my shots…” Whitcomb said. “… I might not make a huge impact in games, but if I get that one shot [and] I can knock it down, I’ve done my job.”

Tapping into past experience

For a Mercury team that seemed to run out of gas in Game 1, they took their energy to another level in the second half of Game 2 to force overtime. In Phoenix’s last series against the New York Liberty, they dropped the first game at home after being shut down in overtime, with Phoenix’s lack of playoff experience compared to New York said to have been a factor. 

“Our players during the timeout were talking about that experience,” Tibbetts said. “And we just talked about it [again] now. We need to go through some games where we don’t play as well as we need to in certain stretches, and still believe we can get it done. And that overtime in the first game did help us for this situation. And we responded.”

Phoenix outscored Minnesota 10-4 in overtime, with the Lynx failing to record points until there was just a minute left in the extra period. They eventually cut the Phoenix lead to just two with about 30 seconds left – but by then, it was too little, too late. Minnesota had to play the foul game, and Thomas went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line to seal the Mercury win.

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Lynx lose their grip

So, how did the Mercury find themselves in a 20-point hole to begin with? Sloppy turnovers and rushed looks early in the shot clock plagued Phoenix through the first two quarters.

Meanwhile, Minnesota calmly worked through full possessions, moved the ball effectively and consistently generated quality shots. The Lynx were looking like the same, poised team that dominated down the stretch in Game 1 – unstoppable on offense and immovable on defense.

But that control didn’t last. As Phoenix chipped away, the Lynx grew stagnant, struggling to match the Mercury’s surge in physicality and pace. What once looked like a commanding grip on the game quickly began to unravel.

“Suddenly we lost our way,” Reeve said. “We didn’t respond. And we certainly talked about ahead of time what [Phoenix] was feeling and what would be next, and our response to it was very uncharacteristic.”

Star forward Napheesa Collier ended tied with Sabally for a game-high 24 points, but only scored seven of them in the second half. Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams followed up their fantastic Game 1 with 21 points and 20 points, respectively, but a lack of production from the bench doomed Minnesota throughout the game. Phoenix’s bench outscored theirs 25-3.

Additionally, after being the ones to force turnovers in the first half, the roles were reversed in the second half – the Lynx turned the ball over seven times in the third quarter alone to allow Phoenix back in the game. 

“I think we beat ourselves,” Collier said. “Unforced turnovers, not taking care of the ball when they were pressuring us. I think just keeping our composure in those situations is huge, so definitely it’s frustrating.”

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The momentum shifts

For Phoenix, Tuesday’s win came under especially grueling circumstances as the Mercury’s fourth game in seven nights.

“Look, it’s tough, it’s not ideal,” Whitcomb said. “But it is the playoffs, we’re not going to make any excuses. We’re prepared for it. I think it’s something that should be looked at moving forward, but we’re not here to make excuses. We’re here to win.”

The series now shifts to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4, with a decisive Game 5, if necessary, returning to Minnesota. After showing remarkable composure on the road against the league’s top seed, the Mercury suddenly carry momentum into a home environment that expects to be electric.

“Phoenix is going to be rocking on Friday and Sunday,” Tibbetts said. “It wouldn’t have been as fun going back down 0-2, but this is a five-game series. This is a battle-tested team. We haven’t done anything yet. We needed to get one here for sure.”

It’s now up to Minnesota to rebound after a tough loss in a hostile environment. For a team with high expectations to become the first WNBA franchise to win five championships, this is a crucial crossroads to navigate in order to cement its legacy.

“Nobody said this stuff is going to be easy,” Reeve said. “This is all part of the journey. We just got to see if they can go beat a really good team at their place. And that’s obviously a tall order, but we’ll do all we can to do it.”

Game 3 tips off Friday at 9:30 p.m. EST at PHX Arena.