Phoenix Rallies Past Lynx to Reach WNBA Finals
PHOENIX, AZ — Alyssa Thomas scored 23 points and DeWanna Bonner delivered two clutch 3-pointers in the closing minutes as the Phoenix Mercury stormed back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the short-handed Minnesota Lynx 86-81 in Game 4 on Sunday. The win propels Phoenix to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021.
Phoenix, which dropped the series opener, won three straight games to clinch the best-of-five semifinal series. They now await the winner of the Indiana vs. Las Vegas series, which was forced to a decisive Game 5 earlier Sunday after Indiana’s 90-83 home win.
“We knew it was going to be a battle, and I’m just proud of how we responded,” said Thomas. “We could’ve easily folded and been on a flight to Minnesota. But we stayed together and locked in on defense.”
The top-seeded Lynx entered Game 4 undermanned. Head coach Cheryl Reeve was suspended for her conduct in Game 3, and All-Star guard Napheesa Collier missed the game due to an ankle injury suffered late in that contest.
Minnesota appeared in control, leading 68-55 after three quarters. But Phoenix came alive in the fourth, outscoring the Lynx 31-13. Sami Whitcomb’s 3-pointer capped a run that cut the deficit to 70-69 with under five minutes to go. Bonner followed with back-to-back 3s, including one at the 2:03 mark that gave the Mercury a 77-73 lead.
Kayla McBride, who was on fire from deep with six second-half 3-pointers, briefly pulled Minnesota within one with a triple of her own. But Bonner responded with two free throws to push the lead back to three. She finished with 11 points in the final quarter alone.
“We didn’t really have a choice,” said Mercury coach Nate Tibbets. “We were down 13. We needed stops. When we get stops, we play free and don’t overthink things. We made smart passes and tough plays — that’s what it took.”
Satou Sabally added 21 points for Phoenix, while Kahleah Copper contributed a key 3-pointer early in the third that gave the Mercury their first lead at 41-38.
The Mercury are chasing their first WNBA title since 2014 and will be playing in the Finals for the second time in five years — despite having no roster carryovers from their 2021 Finals team. Copper and Natasha Mack are the only current players who were on the roster at any point in 2024, making Phoenix the first team in league history to reach two Finals in a five-year span with completely different personnel.
McBride led Minnesota with 31 points on 6-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc. Courtney Williams added 20. Despite their strong starts, the Lynx struggled repeatedly in the fourth quarter throughout the series.
“Credit to Phoenix for how they defended late in games,” said Lynx associate head coach Eric Thibault. “They switched well, made things difficult. We didn’t get the shots we needed when it mattered most.”
Minnesota opened the game on a 12-1 run, but Phoenix slowly clawed back, tying the game 38-all at halftime after Thomas assisted Bonner on a buzzer-beating layup.
“It was messy at times,” Tibbets said. “But we kept fighting.”
