The Mercury have already lost 2 consecutive games and are at a severe disadvantage in having a shot at the WNBA championship title.  Their situation has gone from bad to worse thanks to the close 90-88 win secured by the Aces. If it weren’t a ‘Best of 7’ series, then the Aces would have already lifted the title. If an ESPN analyst is to be believed, however, then a Game 4 won’t do the Mercury any additional favor.

Longtime basketball reporter Alexa Philippou recently put out a tweet. She highlighted the Mercury’s defensive breakdown by writing how “The Aces’ 9 3-pointers are tied for the second-most in any half in WNBA Finals history, and according to ESPN tracking, seven of them were open 3s.” Given the seriousness of Game 3, such drastic breakdowns should have been the last thing to occur. Instead, as Alexa further wrote, the 55 first-half points that Satou Sabally and co gave up through the breakdowns were the “most allowed by the Mercury in any half this postseason.”

Ironically, the Phoenix Mercury entered the 2025 WNBA Finals with the highest defensive rating in the postseason. They held opponents to the fewest points (75.9) and points in the paint (32) per game. Unfortunately, things changed when they came face to face with the Aces. Phoenix gave up 86, 91 points in Games 1 and 2. This marked the most points the Mercury have conceded all postseason. The Aces held an advantage in transition, as they hit 11-for-13 on the fast break, and averaged 17.0 points off turnovers through two games.

Chelsea Gray once recalled that A’ja Wilson had criticized her for her mistakes in making assists. Since that moment, Gray has made significant improvements. In Game 2, Wilson scored 28 points, with Gray playing a key role by providing a game-high 10 assists. In Game 1, Gray also led with 10 assists in an 89-86 victory, enabling Wilson to contribute 21 points.

It wasn’t as if the squad hadn’t noticed their lapses. Rookie guard Monique Akoa Makani stated after Tuesday’s matchup that “We lost our defense. We lost our desire to be the better team on the court, on the 50-50 balls. Like little details that does matter in such a level”. Alyssa Thomas claimed the team lost their mental edge and “relaxed a little bit”.

Meanwhile, head coach Nate Tibbetts highlighted optimism by stating, “We believe in each other. We got to see the ball go in a little bit to start feeling good about ourselves.” Despite all this, the Phoenix Mercury squad was just unable to hold the Aces back. The results of Game 3 would have certainly left Phoenix Mercury fans in a grim mood. However, not everything should feel lost. After all, that is the mindset with which the Mercury squad will be heading into Game 4.

Nate Tibbetts and Alyssa Thomas Highlight Somber Yet Hopeful Mood In Post-Game Remarks

In the aftermath of the game 3 loss, Nate Tibbetts spoke to the media. The very same Alexa Philippou asked about the 0-3 record during the Q&A session. Tibbetts looked somber as he replied, “I don’t know how many teams have come down from 0-3. Not many, right? I’m not gonna sugarcoat that. We got a tough road ahead, but we gotta take it one game at a time.”

Alyssa Thomas shared the same sentiment as the head coach. The player had done her best to get the Mercury through Game 3. She recorded 14 points, along with 12 rebounds and 9 assists, by shooting 5-11 (45.5%) field goals. Unfortunately, after Satou Sabally’s injury, the player didn’t have a reliable teammate to carry the offensive front with. After the game was tied 88-88, Thomas had the chance to set the lead with 20 seconds remaining on the clock. However, she couldn’t convert a layup. The ball landed back in Las Vegas, and A’ja Wilson made the game-winning shot.

“We’re in the Finals. It’s a privilege,” Thomas said. “Not many people get the chance to play in the Finals. You can’t let a moment like pass you by. It’s disappointing that we’re down 0-3. It’s disappointing that we didn’t come out to play in the first half. Now, we’re facing elimination and you got to give everything you have or it’s over.”

Do you believe that the Phoenix Mercury still has a chance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.