3 things to watch when the Aces meet the Mercury in WNBA Finals

Callie Fin, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Oct 2, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

LAS VEGAS — The Aces are returning to the WNBA Finals, but nothing about the path that led to their desert showdown with the Phoenix Mercury indicates that the pursuit of a third title will be easy.

It took a 16-game win streak, the longest to close a regular season in WNBA history, for the Aces to lift themselves from below .500 to the No. 2 seed.

That push gave them home-court advantage in their first-round series with the Seattle Storm, which went the three-game distance and saw the Aces avoid elimination only after a missed bucket at the final buzzer.

The semifinals matchup with the Indiana Fever was just as tightly contested, with the Aces surviving the best-of-five series with a 107-98 overtime win Tuesday in Game 5.

Aces coach Becky Hammon said her team will have to adjust to be ready for the No. 4-seeded Mercury in Game 1 on Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“Our defense has to get better, our rebounding has to get better,” Hammon said Tuesday. “We have to learn from this series (against the Fever), and we have to get better quickly.”

Here are three things to watch in the series:

1. History at stake

The finals will be a best-of-seven format for the first time, but the Aces have other history on the line.

They have an opportunity to become champions for the third time in four years after winning titles in 2022 and 2023, an accomplishment bested only by the Houston Comets, who won the league’s first four titles from 1997 to 2000.

Individual records also are at stake, such as Aces star A’ja Wilson being 77 points from the highest-scoring postseason in WNBA history. She would break the record of 285 points set by Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier last postseason.

Wilson, who became the league’s first four-time MVP this season, could also break Lisa Leslie’s record for blocks in a postseason. She is 10 behind Leslie’s 31 set in 2001.

Hammon has a 9-1 record in postseason series, passing Phil Jackson on Tuesday for the best playoff winning percentage in NBA and WNBA history.

2. Evenly matched

The Aces went 3-1 against the Mercury in the regular season, but the teams are pretty evenly matched.

They both averaged 29.7 field goals per game in the regular season for a nearly identical field-goal percentage (43.9 Aces, 43.3 Mercury) and scoring average (83.6 Aces, 82.8 Mercury).

They were close in 3-pointers (9.4 Mercury, 9.1 Aces), rebounds (34.7 Mercury, 33.5 Aces), assists (20.9 Mercury, 20.2 Aces) and turnovers (13.0 Aces, 13.5 Mercury). Phoenix has more of an edge with its defensive rating, 102.5 compared with the Aces’ 104.4.

The similarities continue with Hammon and Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts. Both spent several years as NBA assistants before taking over as WNBA head coaches. They’re the league’s highest-paid coaches.

Both teams also found their groove in the latter half of the season by adjusting to new personnel.

This is the Mercury’s first trip to the finals since 2021. They were in more of a rebuild than the Aces after welcoming Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack as their only returning players from the 2024 season.

With MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas, Copper and free agent Satou Sabally dealing with injuries, the Mercury didn’t have their core three at full health until late July.

Phoenix was boosted by Sami Whitcomb and rookies Monique Akoa Makani and Kathryn Westbeld, then added DeWanna Bonner, who has been an X-factor in the postseason.

Similarly, the Aces didn’t mesh into their current starting lineup until the second half of the season. Guard Jewell Loyd, acquired in a blockbuster offseason trade, is now comfortable in her role off the bench, while midseason trade acquisition NaLyssa Smith is starting in veteran center Kiah Stokes’ place.

Center Megan Gustafson has become a threat off the bench, and guard Dana Evans has provided key bursts.

3. League drama

Expect more developments in the battle that coaches, players and fans have waged against commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Amid an already tense period of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, Engelbert has also come under fire for managing relationships with players and officials.

Officiating was a major issue during the Fever-Aces and Lynx-Mercury series.

Hammon was fined for publicly supporting Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve in a tirade against the league’s leadership for its inconsistent officiating, and Wilson supported Collier for comments against Engelbert.

Engelbert was booed by fans when she appeared on the Aces’ jumbotron Tuesday, and she will address the media in the Aces’ press room Friday before Game 1.