The Phoenix Mercury overcame a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Minnesota Lynx 86-81 in Game 4 on Sunday, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021. Alyssa Thomas led the Mercury with 23 points, while DeWanna Bonner’s two clutch three-pointers in the final minutes sealed the victory.
Phoenix pulled within one at 70-69 on Sami Whitcomb’s three-pointer with under five minutes left. Bonner hit another three to give the Mercury a 77-73 lead, finishing the fourth quarter with 11 points during a 31-point outburst. Satou Sabally added 21 points, and coach Nate Tibbets praised the team’s defensive resilience and execution under pressure.
Minnesota, playing without coach Cheryl Reeve and All-Star guard Napheesa Collier, struggled down the stretch. Kayla McBride scored 31 points, including six second-half three-pointers, while Courtney Williams added 20. Lynx associate head coach Eric Thibault credited Phoenix’s fourth-quarter defense for the comeback.
Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper hit a key three-pointer in the third quarter to briefly take the lead before Minnesota rallied with a 23-9 run. Thomas’ halftime layup tied the game at 38, setting the stage for the Mercury’s decisive late-game performance.
The Mercury will now await the winner of the Indiana-Las Vegas series, which is tied 2-2 heading into a Game 5 in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Indiana defeated Las Vegas 90-83 on Sunday behind Aliyah Boston’s 24 points and 14 rebounds and Kelsey Mitchell’s 25 points. Boston and Mitchell led Indiana to their third consecutive elimination-game victory, extending the best-of-five series to a winner-take-all showdown.
Phoenix enters the WNBA Finals with just two returning players from 2024, marking the first team in league history to reach the Finals twice in five years with nearly a completely new roster. The Mercury will aim for their first championship since 2014.