Record Aces Crowd Watches Phoenix Defeat Las Vegas, 87-84, In Semis Game 5; Phoenix vs Chicago In WNBA Final
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
The Las Vegas Aces drew a record attendance of 9,680 for the WNBA Semis Game 5 against the Phoenix Mercury Friday evening, but Aces fans left Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay disappointed as Phoenix squeezed out an 87-84 win to advance to the Final against the Chicago Sky.
Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer walked stoically along the court to offer a handshake to the Mercury’s coaches and the Aces’ season ended with the three-point defeat in the winner-take-all Game 5.
Aces guards Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum each scored 22 points, and A’ja Wilson added 21.
But it was Phoenix’s all-world sharpshooter Diana Taurasi scoring 24, taking the game over in the fourth quarter when the Mercury outscored the Aces, 29-18, to reach the Finals. Center Brittney Griner scored 28 points for Phoenix to lead all scorers.
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Aces coach Bill Laimbeer after the game: “We’re still a young team. We’re learning. . . . We need that mental toughness.”
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The last three games in the Best-of-5 before Friday’s winner-take-all match-up between Phoenix and Las Vegas were wipeouts.
But tonight’s game went down to the wire.
The Mercury led 20-14, after one quarter.
But the Aces counter-punched and ended the second quarter strong, trailing by only by a bucket at halftime.
Las Vegas then assumed control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Phoenix, 24-14, and the Aces led the Mercury by eight heading into the final 10 minutes.
But Taurasi heated up. She nailed three-pointers at the start of the fourth quarter and the Mercury recovered to make it a tight game right down to the final seconds.
In the end, Griner blocked Wilson’s power move shot to the hoop and Phoenix added a free throw for the final score: Mercury 87 Aces 84.
