The Phoenix Mercury are looking to turn things around as they prepare to host the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night. Currently down 2-0 in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals, the Mercury will need to step up their game, especially from their star players. They will also be crossing their fingers that A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young don’t have another stellar performance like in Game 2.
Here are three critical factors to consider for Wednesday’s Game 3 matchup.
Limit A’ja Wilson
This is definitely easier said than done, but the Mercury need to find a way to make it tougher for the four-time MVP. In Game 2, Wilson was on fire, scoring 20 points in the first half and finishing with 28 overall. She might have scored even more if Jackie Young hadn’t taken over in the third quarter. Various Phoenix players made attempts to slow her down, but none were effective. It’s vital to reduce easy scoring opportunities, particularly transition layups and simple shots near the basket.
Start Sabally Sato Early
Sabally struggled considerably for most of Game 2, opting for contested threes and tough shots. Her final stats of 22 points on 7-for-19 shooting don’t quite capture her offensive struggles throughout much of the game. When she’s on, she can be incredibly hard to defend, but the challenge lies in getting her quality looks in the flow of play. The Mercury failed to do that in Game 2. Sabally has been the leading scorer in the playoffs for the team, averaging 18.4 points per game, but her inconsistency is a concern, with a field goal percentage of only 38.3 percent, including some particularly rough shooting nights.
Alyssa Thomas’ Performance
Alyssa Thomas, often referred to as “The Engine,” plays a crucial role for the Mercury on both ends of the court. She leads the team in assists and rebounds and is largely responsible for their success thus far. However, in the last game, her offensive output dwindled to just 10 points and 5 assists. It’s not necessarily about shooting more; she needs to be more involved with the ball. Throughout the playoffs, she averaged 17.2 points and 8.7 assists, but those figures were significantly lower in the last match.
The Mercury are also counting on the support of their home crowd. During the season, they had a record of 12-7 at home compared to 12-10 on the road. In the playoffs, they have a perfect record of 3-0 at home, defeating the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, while struggling with a 2-4 record on the road.
