September 27, 2025
By Dylan Kane
Phoenix’s Large Three cleared the path as top-seeded Lynx face mounting stress, setting the stage for a monumental Recreation 4
PHOENIX — After splitting the primary two video games of the WNBA semifinals in Minnesota, the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx got here to Phoenix for a Recreation 3 that felt like a must-win for either side. In a sequence already outlined by physicality, emotion and desperation, tensions reached a boiling level as neither group wished to offer an inch in a contest that may dramatically shift the sequence.
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The consequence? 15 lead adjustments, eight ties, 4 technical fouls assessed and one ejection. Neither group ever held a double-digit lead, and with just one group capable of come out on prime, it was a kind of video games the place the winner would really feel exuberant and the loser would really feel irate.
In one other thrilling end, it was Phoenix who emerged victorious, outlasting Minnesota 84-76 in a recreation that had nearly all the pieces. The Mercury, as they’ve been doing all playoffs lengthy, edged out the Lynx largely as a consequence of their relentless physicality, which stirred up the controversy everyone seems to be speaking about.
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With Phoenix clinging to a four-point lead within the ultimate 23 seconds, Alyssa Thomas stripped Napheesa Collier close to midcourt and raced for a layup, sending Collier crashing to the ground. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve erupted, charging onto the ground to yell on the official whereas play was nonetheless stay. The outburst drew her second technical foul of the evening and an automated ejection. A Lynx assistant coach was additionally charged with a technical within the sequence.
Earlier within the recreation, Reeve acquired her first technical, additionally for arguing that Phoenix was getting away with being too bodily whereas defending Collier. It was one thing Reeve calmly expressed some concern about earlier than the sport even began, however after it ended, she didn’t maintain again.
“While you let the physicality occur, individuals get damage. There’s fights,” Reeve mentioned. “And that is the look that our league desires for some motive … probably the greatest gamers within the league shot zero free throws, and she or he had 5 fouls. Had her shoulder pulled out, and completed the sport together with her leg taken out, and possibly has a fracture…
“…I need to name for a change of management on the league degree in the case of officiating. It’s dangerous for the sport. The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the management to deem these three individuals semifinals playoff worthy, is [expletive] malpractice.”
The drama wasn’t restricted to the benches. Kahleah Copper and Courtney Williams, the emotional heartbeats of their respective groups, had been locked in a heated matchup. With the 2 guarding one another, the trash discuss was intense all evening.
At one level, Williams drained a 3-pointer and taunted Copper. Just a few performs later, Copper answered with a fast-break layup — and a technical for getting in Williams’ face.
“It was nothing deeper than what it was,” Copper mentioned. “However proper after that, we got here to the timeout, [Thomas] spoke up about simply staying composed and understanding the second.”
Williams additionally shrugged it off as a part of playoff basketball. “That comes with it… It’s playoff basketball, you bought to play ball,” she mentioned.
By the top, Phoenix was the extra bodily group but additionally shot twice as many free throws as Minnesota, 22 to 11. Mercury ahead Satou Sabally matched the Lynx’s free throw complete all by herself, making all 11 of the free throws she tried. Thomas’ steal and rating and the following aftermath in the end sealed the sport, giving Phoenix a large 2-1 sequence lead.
“We haven’t talked in regards to the officiating all playoffs, we simply play, we’re frightened about us,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts mentioned.
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Along with enjoying extremely bodily, the Mercury’s recipe to success all postseason lengthy has been driving the backs of their “Large Three,” Thomas, Sabally and Copper. In Recreation 3, the trio mixed for 65 factors — Sabally had a game-high 23, whereas Thomas and Copper every had 21.
This marked the sixth time in franchise historical past the place the Mercury have had three 20+ scorers in a playoff recreation that led to regulation, a WNBA file. The final time this occurred for any group occurred within the 2023 WNBA Finals, when the Las Vegas Aces noticed Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young obtain the feat on their approach to a championship ring.
Every Phoenix star had their very own heroics at completely different elements of the sport. Sabally took over within the fourth quarter, the place she scored 15 of her 23 factors in a interval wherein the Mercury gained 21-9. She hit go-ahead 3-pointers on two separate events, together with on the 3:05 mark to make it 78-76, a lead Phoenix by no means appeared again at.
“Within the second half, I used to be extraordinarily happy with her, how she let the sport come to her,” Tibbetts mentioned. “She didn’t drive it, and we had some massive offensive rebounds and located her. She’s simply fearless, and she or he made some big-time performs down the stretch.”
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Within the first half, it was Copper who was the highlight of the Mercury offense. She recorded 17 factors on 8-of-9 taking pictures — for a half, a season-high for her in addition to a career-high in playoff efficiency. She constantly received to the identical spot on the ground for a pull-up, mid-range jumper she’s practiced 1000’s of instances in her pregame routine.
In the meantime, Thomas’ scoring effort was extra balanced throughout the entire recreation. Along with her 21 factors, she as soon as once more almost tallied a triple-double with a game-high 9 rebounds and eight assists. Past the field rating, her protection on Collier within the fourth quarter was most impactful, setting the tone for the Mercury to dominate the interval and win the sport.
“They solely scored 9 factors [in the fourth], and that’s as a consequence of our good protection,” Sabally mentioned. “We closed them out, we knew what they had been working, so we’re rather well ready.”
Their efforts fed off one another, with one star igniting a run whereas the others saved the stress relentless. Phoenix thrived on that rhythm, turning particular person bursts right into a collective surge that Minnesota merely couldn’t match down the stretch.
“[Thomas] was constant all through the entire recreation,” Tibbetts mentioned. “I assumed [Copper] was unbelievable within the first half. [Sabally] struggled within the first half, after which within the second half, she actually received going. That is what we had hoped for, they’ve stepped up in massive moments.”
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The Mercury have thought-about themselves the underdog all season lengthy, but now discover themselves in prime place to achieve the WNBA Finals. With a solid of gamers which were ignored their whole careers, the mentality began at the start of the season when seeing how retailers like ESPN compared them to the rest of the league.
“They ranked us actually low,” Sabally mentioned. “To me, it’s disrespect in direction of [Thomas and Copper]. They’re gold medalists, they’re all-stars, and to place that kind of disrespect in direction of individuals who’ve actually been within the league for thus lengthy …that simply fuels us. We’re the underdogs, we’ve got one thing to show to ourselves greater than to others, and I feel that is actually what bonds us.”
Earlier than the sport, Tibbetts added, “I simply form of really feel dangerous for our group, in the truth that we’ve got been ignored all 12 months. I feel we’ve embraced it, it virtually motivates our group. I hope they only hold speaking in regards to the different groups, and we’ll simply hold preventing.”
On the opposite facet, it’s the top-seeded Lynx in peril of falling in need of their lofty expectations. Broadly thought-about the favorites to win the WNBA title, even going into last night’s Game 3, Minnesota is now only one loss away from being eradicated.
Now going through the emotional aftermath from Reeve’s post-game rampage, Collier’s questionable damage standing and one other highway playoff recreation in entrance of the rowdy X-Issue, the Lynx should brace for a fast turnaround, figuring out they should regroup and reply to hold their season alive.
“Can’t get too excessive, can’t get too low, we nonetheless received a recreation we’ve got to win,” Williams mentioned. “So, we are able to’t dwell on this one. You bought to really feel it, since you don’t need to really feel that feeling once more, however on the finish of the day, you bought to look at the movie, and be higher subsequent recreation.”
In the meantime, Phoenix is aware of to not get too snug, the job’s not completed.
“We received yet one more recreation to win. We haven’t achieved what we need to do but. We nonetheless have work to do,” Tibbetts mentioned.
Recreation 4 ideas off Sunday at 8:00 p.m. EST, with all the pieces on the road and one group’s season hanging by a thread.
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