PHOENIX— The Phoenix Mercury are headed back to the WNBA Finals.
The No. 4 seed Mercury completed a double-digit comeback to defeat the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx 86-81 in Game 4 at PHX Arena on Sunday, punching their ticket to the best-of-seven championship series for the first time since 2021. The Mercury await the winner of the semifinal series between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 6 seed Indiana Fever.
The Lynx led by as many as 14 points and had a 13-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Mercury went on a 19-2 run to take a four-point lead with 2:44 remaining. Phoenix outscored Minnesota 31-13 in the fourth quarter in front of a sold-out home crowd of 16,919.
‘We’re going to the the Finals, baby!’ Mercury forward Dewanna Bonner shouted as her team gathered on the court to celebrate postgame. Bonner added 13 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Sunday’s victory marks the Mercury’s second double-digit comeback win of the best-of-five semifinal series after overcoming a 20-point deficit in a Game 2 win in Minnesota.
Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas finished with a team-high 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, falling two rebounds shy of her 10th triple-double of the season. Satou Sabally added 21 points, six rebounds and three assists.
‘It took everybody, everybody on this team.’ Thomas said. ‘We’re hungry, we are super ready for this moment and I am just super proud of the way we fought today.’
The Lynx were without MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier (left ankle) and head coach Cheryl Reeve, who was suspended by the league. Lynx guard Kayla McBride finished with a game-high 31 points and four rebounds in the loss. Courtney Williams added 20 points and six assists.
Here’s everything you need to know about Game 4:
End of Q3: Lynx 68, Mercury 55
The Minnesota Lynx threw the first punch, jumping to a 14-point lead in the first quarter. But the Mercury immediately punched back and outscored the Lynx 24-13 in the second quarter to tie it up at 38. The third quarter belonged to the Lynx and Kayla McBride, specifically, continuing the seesaw nature of Game 4.
McBride scored 14 of her 25 points in the third quarter and started to heat up from beyond the arc, knocking down four 3-pointers in the frame. The Lynx are now 6-of-12 from 3 after starting the contest 0-of-6. Lynx guard Courtney Williams is up to 15 points and six assists, while forward Jessica Shepard added 14 points and seven rebounds.
Forward Satou Sabally leads the Mercury with 21 points and Alyssa Thomas is on triple-double watch with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Lynx have a slight advantage on the boards (33-31) and are leading in the paint (32-22) and in transition (20-11). The Mercury have conceded 11 points off 10 turnovers.
Bridget Carleton in foul trouble
After knocking down a 3-pointer for her first points of the game with 6:45 remaining in the third quarter, Bridget Carleton was called for her fourth personal foul and was subbed out for Natisha Hiedeman.
Halftime: Lynx 38, Fever 38
The Lynx had all the momentum in the first quarter, but the Mercury flipped the script in the second. Phoenix outscored Minnesota 24-13 in the second quarter to tie it up after trailing by as many as 14 points.
Mercury forward Satou Sabally has a game-high 18 points in the first half, with 10 coming in the second quarter. Sabally is 5-of-9 from the field, 3-of-6 from 3. Alyssa Thomas added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Lynx forward Jessica Shepard has 12 points and five rebounds. Kayla McBride has 11 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Both teams are struggling from beyond the arc. The Lynx are 0-of-6 from the 3-point line, while the Mercury are 4-of-14.
What time is Mercury vs. Lynx Game 4?
Game 4 of the WNBA semifinal series between the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx and No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET Sunday at PHX Arena in Phoenix .
How to watch Mercury vs. Lynx WNBA playoffs: TV, stream for Game 3
- Time: 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT)
- Location: PHX Arena (Phoenix)
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited
Stream Lynx-Mercury series on Fubo (free trial)
End of Q1: Lynx 25, Fever 14
The Lynx came out with a level of desperation in Game 4 on Sunday and jumped to a 25-14 lead over the Mercury after leading by as many as 14 points.
Lynx forward Jessica Shepard, who is starting in place of the injured Napheesa Collier, has a team-high 10 points, two rebounds and one steal. Kayla McBride added seven points and three rebounds, while Courtney Williams added four points.
The Mercury looked tight to start Game 4, shooting a dismal 23.5% from the field and 1-of-6 from the 3-point line. Satou Sabally leads the Mercury with eight points, while Alyssa Thomas has four points two rebounds and one assist.
The Lynx are dominating the paint to start, scoring 16 of their 25 first-quarter points in the paint. The Mercury have four turnovers, which has led to two points for the Lynx.
Lynx come out the gate swinging
We’re underway at PHX Arena.
The Lynx jumped to a 10-1 lead with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter behind four points from Courtney Williams. Four of the Lynx’s five starters have scored so far. Kayla McBride, Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith each added two points. Eight of the Lynx’s 10 points have come in the paint.
Phoenix is looking for its first field goal, opening Sunday’s contest 0-of-6 from the field and 0-of-2 from the 3-point line. Satou Sabally knocked down one of two free throws for the Mercury’s sole point.
WNBA starting lineups today
Minnesota Lynx starting lineup
Acting head coach: Eric Thibault
- 6 Bridget Carleton | F 6′ 2′ – Iowa State
- 8 Alanna Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Stanford
- 10 Courtney Williams | G 5′ 8′ – South Florida
- 15 Jessica Shepard | F 6′ 4′ – Notre Dame
- 21 Kayla McBride | G 5′ 11′ – Notre Dame
Phoenix Mercury starting lineup
Head coach: Nate Tibbetts
- 25 Alyssa Thomas | F 6′ 2′ – Maryland
- 0 Satou Sabally | F 6′ 4′ – Oregon
- 2 Kahleah Copper | G 6′ 1′ – Rutgers
- 4 Natasha Mack | C 6′ 4′ – Oklahoma State
- 8 Monique Akoa Makani | G 5′ 11′ – Cameroon
Minnesota Lynx injury report
Napheesa Collier was ruled out of Game 4 on Sunday with a left ankle injury suffered in the Lynx’s Game 3 loss against the Mercury on Friday.
Lynx guard Dijonai Carrington (left foot) has been ruled out the remainder of the postseason with a significant mid-foot sprain suffered in the Lynx’s Game 1 win against the Golden State Valkyries on September 17.
Both Collier and Carrington were spotted sitting on scooters during warmups.
Phoenix Mercury injury report
The Mercury have all players available for Game 4.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve suspended for Game 4
The WNBA suspended Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve for one game after she criticized the officiating and failed to leave the court after being ejected in the Lynx’s 84-76 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals.
Reeve will sit out Game 4 against Phoenix on Sunday. The WNBA said Reeve’s suspension was for ‘conduct and comments included aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court, failure to leave the court in a timely manner.’ Read Scooby Axon’s full story here.
Opinion: WNBA suspending Cheryl Reeve for Game 4 looks like retaliation
Way to put your thumb on the scale of the playoffs, WNBA.
Regardless if you think Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve’s f-bomb-laced tirade about officiating was out of bounds or that she crossed a line by “aggressively pursuing” officials on the court, suspending her for what is an elimination game is a far greater offense.
Penalize Reeve, sure. But don’t punish her team in the process. Because now it just looks like the league is retaliating for Reeve having the guts to speak the truth about the W’s culpability in Napheesa Collier’s injury and its long-standing indifference to the health and safety of its players. Read Nancy Armour’s full story here.
Can the Minnesota Lynx channel 2017 magic for another title?
The Minnesota Lynx have a chip on their shoulder. After losing the 2024 WNBA Finals to the New York Liberty in a winner-take-all Game 5 that went to overtime, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve emphatically called out “disappointing officiating,” saying the championship was “stolen from us.”
The heartbreaking loss lingers 10 months later, as the league-leading Lynx are in position to make another deep playoff run. “You feel that loss for a long time,” Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman told USA TODAY Sports. It has been the driving force behind the Lynx’s record-breaking season with the same goal: Winning a championship.
Read Cydney Henderson’s full story on the Lynx’s redemption season here.
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