Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury will face off in the 2025 WNBA Finals
Get ready for the duel in the desert! The Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury will face off in the 2025 WNBA Finals, an epic showdown between two franchises with multiple titles to their name, but who have never before met in the championship series.
The Aces, classified as the second seed, overcame the Indiana Fever in an exciting Game 5 of the semifinals, which was decided in overtime. Now, the Aces are preparing to host the Mercury on Friday in Game 1. For their part, the Mercury, seeded in fourth place, eliminated the Minnesota Lynx, the number one team, with a score of 3-1.
The Aces, led by four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, will seek their third title in four years, following their victories in 2022 and 2023. The Mercury, for their part, will seek to revive the glory of their 2007, 2009 and 2014 championships, achieved with Diana Taurasi as a star. After Taurasi’s retirement, the Mercury, with a renewed team led by Alyssa Thomas, return to the Finals for the first time since 2021.
This year, the WNBA Finals will be played for the first time in a best-of-seven format, promising a historic series. Below, an analysis of how these teams are facing each other.
Analysis of the Matchup: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury
Regular season series: Las Vegas dominated the series with a 3-1 score over Phoenix.
June 15: Mercury 76, Aces 70 (in Las Vegas)
June 29: Aces 84, Mercury 81 (in Phoenix)
August 15: Aces 86, Mercury 83 (in Phoenix)
August 21: Aces 83, Mercury 61 (in Las Vegas)
Phoenix Mercury’s Path to the Finals
The Mercury showed their mettle on the road and in elimination games. After losing the first game of the semifinals against Minnesota, they won the next three games by a narrow margin, dominating the final quarter in each one. In Game 2, they came back from a 20-point deficit, tying the record for the biggest road comeback in WNBA playoff history. Game 3 will be remembered for the controversial final seconds, but also for another great finish by the Mercury. In Game 4, Phoenix came back from an initial 14-point deficit to secure the 86-81 victory.
The Las Vegas Aces’ Path to the Finals
The Aces had a shaky start to the regular season, but then went on a 16-game winning streak that extended to 17 with a Game 1 victory in the first round of the playoffs. However, they lost three of their next six postseason games before securing their spot in the Finals with an overtime win against Indiana. In the first round, Las Vegas defeated Seattle 2-1. On Tuesday, Wilson recorded her third 35-point game of her WNBA career, and became the first player to achieve 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a playoff game.In their 26 WNBA matchups, including regular season and playoffs, Wilson has a 17-9 advantage over Thomas, with a 6-3 record in the playoffs.
Keys for the series: What is said about the Aces
Despite their impressive winning streak, the Aces have struggled to close out series in the playoffs. They were close to being upset by Seattle in the first round and needed overtime to overcome Indiana in the semifinals. The Aces’ Finals experience could be a key factor, with players like Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Jewell Loyd.
The team needed time to consolidate this season, but once they did, they were formidable. The Aces will need to correct their mistakes in the playoffs so as not to repeat them against Phoenix.
Keys for the series: What is said about the Mercury
The Mercury, in their first season without Taurasi and Brittney Griner, return to the Finals for the first time since 2021. The team has adopted an “underdog” mentality that has driven them throughout the season. With only two players from 2024 (Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack), the Mercury have proven to be a resilient team. Despite injuries to Copper and Satou Sabally, the team consolidated at the end of July and has shown great performance thanks to their rookies and the incorporation of DeWanna Bonner.
The team has surprised everyone by eliminating the defending champions and the title favorite, demonstrating its ability to overcome adversity.
The X factor of the series
The team whose main trio plays best will win the title. The series will be defined by the performance of Wilson, Young and Gray for the Aces, and Thomas, Sabally and Copper for the Mercury. The performances of the stars will be crucial, as demonstrated in the closing games of the semifinals. In the regular season matchups, Wilson has been the best player, with Young and Gray scoring consistently. If recent history repeats itself, the Aces could secure their third title in four years.
Phoenix Rest Advantage?
Although Phoenix will have two full additional days of rest, this is not expected to be a decisive factor. The Aces, despite playing a grueling game against the Fever, will have the advantage of playing at home. Adrenaline and motivation will overcome any fatigue, and both teams will have their complete and healthy rosters for the best-of-seven series.
How the teams compare
Although the Mercury have had a major roster overhaul, the Aces have six players from last season’s team. During the regular season, the teams were similar in scoring average, field goal percentage, and efficiency. The biggest difference was in defense, where the Aces have improved since the beginning of August. In the playoff matchups between Wilson and Thomas, Wilson has a 17-9 advantage. The coaches, Becky Hammon (Aces) and Nate Tibbetts (Mercury), both with NBA experience, will bring their expertise to this exciting final series.
