Las Vegas Aces Defeat Phoenix Mercury in Game One of the 2025 WNBA Finals
In an exciting match that marked the beginning of the 2025 WNBA Finals, the Las Vegas Aces, ranked number 2, defeated the Phoenix Mercury, number 4, with a final score of 89-86. The game, which took place on Friday, demonstrated the intensity and high level of competition characteristic of this stage of the tournament.
Dana Evans, off the bench, led the Aces’ offense with 21 points, matching the score of A’ja Wilson, the team’s star and four-time MVP, and Kahleah Copper, a key player for the Mercury. Alyssa Thomas, for her part, was close to a triple-double, but missed two crucial free throws in the last minute.
The Triumph of the Aces: Power from the Bench
The Aces’ victory was built on a dominant performance by their substitutes. Dana Evans, with 21 points, tied for the game’s leading scorer. Her performance included five three-pointers in six attempts. Jewell Loyd also contributed 18 points, setting a milestone: they were the first pair of teammates with at least 15 points off the bench in a final since 2019, according to data collected.
Loyd’s 10 points in the first quarter were fundamental in keeping Las Vegas in the game. Phoenix started with a 10-2 run, which led coach Becky Hammon to quickly bring Loyd into the game, replacing Kierstan Bell, who only played a total of five minutes. Evans also contributed to the Aces keeping pace against the Mercury, who had high efficiency in the first half, scoring 50 points.Evans’ biggest contribution came in the critical moments of the game, scoring three three-pointers in the last eight minutes. The last of them gave Las Vegas their biggest lead up to that moment, 85-82, the same final margin of the game.
In total, the Aces scored 41 points off the bench, the most in their history in a final and the second most in any game of 2025, including regular season and playoffs.
Key Factors in the Mercury’s Defeat
Phoenix will lament the missed opportunities in the first game, especially considering they led for a large part of the match and had a 39% three-point shooting efficiency, outscoring the Aces by 15 points from the three-point line, despite Evans’ outstanding performance.
The difference in the game was mainly due to turnovers. The Mercury committed 14, including five by Alyssa Thomas, who, despite being close to a triple-double, struggled against the Las Vegas defense. On the other hand, the Aces only committed seven turnovers, tying the fewest in Finals history.
Additionally, Phoenix will regret being outscored in free throws, with a score of 20-13. Satou Sabally’s technical foul in the final quarter, after committing her fifth foul, was also a crucial moment. And, of course, the missed free throws by Thomas in the final minute, with the opportunity to tie the game, were decisive.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time in WNBA history that a player missed two free throws that could have tied the score in the final two minutes of a playoff game.
What Could Decide Game 2?
A key factor for Game 2 will be the Mercury’s ability to adapt to the Aces’ zone defense.
The Aces implemented the zone defense in the second half, limiting the Mercury’s offense to only 15 points in the last quarter. Phoenix had an effectiveness of 3 out of 14 against the zone, including 1 out of 8 in the last quarter, with three additional turnovers.
The strategy is reminiscent of Game 1 of the 2022 WNBA Finals, also in Las Vegas, where the Aces used the zone to defeat the Connecticut Sun. The difference in this series is that the Mercury have more shooting ability to attack the zone.
The zone defense could be a valuable resource for Las Vegas, allowing them to defend Thomas’s screens and continuations without having to switch and concede disadvantages. The easiest adjustment for the Mercury would be to simply get more defensive stops, as it’s more difficult to use the zone after a missed shot or a turnover.
