Mercury down 2-0 to Aces in WNBA Finals, but expanded best-of-seven format gives them hope

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury are already experienced at comebacks during this postseason, dropping the first game in each of the first two series before rallying and advancing to the WNBA Finals.

They’ll need to climb out of an even bigger hole to win the championship.

The Las Vegas Aces have a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series as the Mercury prepare to host Game 3 on Wednesday. Phoenix hopes a change of scenery, complete with a raucous home-crowd advantage, can help them overcome a frustrating first two games.

“Starting out on the road is tough,” Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner said. “That’s not an excuse, because in order to win a championship, you’ve got to win on the road. But I think being home, we’re more comfortable.

“We lacked a little bit of confidence (in Vegas), so hopefully we get that back tomorrow.”

Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts doesn’t bring up his NBA experience much with his players, but his familiarity with what it takes to win a seven-game series has helped him stay optimistic despite the 2-0 deficit. Tibbetts spent more than a decade as an assistant in the NBA with the Cavaliers, Blazers and Magic.

This is the first time the WNBA Finals have been a best-of-seven series, expanding from the previous best-of-five format.

“We’ve done a good job of resetting after wins and losses, getting back and finding ourselves,” Tibbetts said. “In a seven-game series, a lot of times the home team wins the first two. Now it’s our responsibility to protect our home.”

If the Mercury are going to make this a tight series, their defense almost certainly has to improve.

The Aces edged the Mercury 89-86 in a tight Game 1, but were much more dominant in Game 2, winning 91-78 on Sunday while controlling the entire second half. Jackie Young scored 32 points — including a record 21 in the third quarter — while A’ja Wilson added 28 points and 14 rebounds.

Las Vegas shot 49.3% from the field and won the rebounding edge 43-34.

Tibbetts said “the reason we’re (in the finals) is because of our defense and to give up 89 and 91, that’s just too much.”

“Listen, they’re great players — Jackie and A’ja,” the coach added. “They’re going to score, but you just need to make it tough. We’re not playing 1-on-1 or 2-on-2, we’re guarding it 1 vs. 5 and we need to understand that, showing them bodies.”

Phoenix has actually been the early aggressor in both finals games, taking a 50-45 halftime lead in Game 1 and a 27-24 lead after one quarter in Game 2. Both times, Las Vegas responded.

Wilson said she’s proud of the Aces’ resiliency, but falling behind game after game isn’t a recipe for success, particularly on the road. The two-time reigning MVP said defense will be crucial in making sure the Mercury don’t get on an early roll.

“It’s going to be more important now more than ever,” Wilson said. “Our starts in Vegas were awful and we know we can’t come in here and do that. It’s a different type of feel. Defensively, we’ve got to lock in.”

___

AP freelancer Bob Huhn in Phoenix contributed to this story.