In an electric WNBA Finals matchup, Game 2 was all Aces.
In just the first half, the Aces took a 46-37 lead and dominated their way to a 91-78 win.
The stars of the Aces shined bright at Michelob Ultra Arena. In the first matchup against the Mercury in Game 1, Jackie Young only had 10 points, along with two rebounds, five assists and two steals. However, she bounced back with a took over in Game 2.
“Apparently she went and found some legs, because she was cooking today,” head coach Becky Hammon told reporters after the game. “When you win in and I would say, Jack and A kind of had average or below average games, and you still win. That’s what makes us tough.”
The Big Three combined for 70 points: Young had 32 points, A’ja Wilson had 28, and Chelsea Gray had 10 points and assists as well as eight rebounds, nearly securing a triple-double.
Everyone else, including Kierstan Bell, NaLyssa Smith and the bench rallied for a total of 21 points.
“Yeah, just being aggressive, I think, is the biggest thing,” Young told reporters after the game. “And then whenever we get stops on defense, we’re able to play in transition at pace that we want to play at. But, yeah, just being aggressive. And then just saw a couple go through. But you know me, my teammates were giving me the ball. I was just trying to make the right read, be aggressive and not turn the ball over.”
The Big Three dominated not only on the offensive end, but the defensive end as well. They had five steals combined, with Gray having three and Wilson and Young having one each. Gray also had three blocks.
Rebounding-wise, Wilson dominated in the paint with 14 boards, 11 of which were on the defensive end. In total, the Aces had 34 rebounds – Gray had eight rebounds alongside Young while Jewell Loyd tallied seven and Smith had five.
The starting lineup for the Aces managed to stay out of foul trouble, which put Alyssa Thomas of the Mercury in trouble. Thomas racked up four fouls, putting her close to fouling out, which is a rare occasion for Thomas in the Finals for Thomas.
“Yeah, you know, she hasn’t been in much foul trouble all playoffs,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters after the game. “Today, we found ourselves in that situation. As you go through your playoff journey, you face different obstacles. That was one today, right? Obviously, we would love to keep her on A’ja as much as we can.”
The Aces have a strong momentum going in this Finals run. With leadership taking charge, they’ll look to sweep the Mercury in Phoenix.
Game 3 of the WNBA Finals will be held at the Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix. Tip off begins Wednesday at 5 p.m. PST live on ESPN.