Aces battle back in 4th quarter, take WNBA Finals opener

LAS VEGAS -- Despite trailing for most of the contest, the Las Vegas Aces escaped Game 1 of the WNBA Finals with an 89-86 victory over the Phoenix Mercury after a furious fourth-quarter rally.

With Las Vegas up 87-86 and 24.6 seconds remaining, Alyssa Thomas missed a pair of free throws that could have given Phoenix the lead. After the Aces' Jackie Young sank two free throws, Las Vegas closed the game with a defensive stop on the final possession.

Momentum shifted early in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas trailed 76-70 with 8:23 remaining when Phoenix's Satou Sabally was assessed a technical foul of the night for spiking the ball after being whistled for her fifth foul of the night. That incident kickstarted a 17-6 Aces run.

Dana Evans sank a 3-pointer that put the home team ahead for good, 85-82 with 3:37 remaining. A'ja Wilson capped the run with a 10-footer with 2:41 left, giving the Aces a five-point edge.

Wilson, who won her fourth WNBA Most Valuable Player award this year, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Evans also scored 21 points for Las Vegas. Jewell Loyd put up 18, Young scored 10, and Chelsea Gray had eight points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Kahleah Copper paced Phoenix with 21 points, and Sabally had 19. Thomas compiled 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Sunday in Las Vegas.

The Mercury stretched their lead to a game-high nine points in the third, but the Aces managed to claw within 71-67 by the end of the quarter.

The Aces tied the game at 57 all with a trio of Gray free throws after a flagrant-1 violation was called due to Copper encroaching in Gray's landing area on a 3-point attempt. Gray was injured on the play and went to the locker room. Immediately after, DeWanna Bonner and Monique Akoa Makani hit triples to regain a 63-57 lead with 4:30 remaining in the third.

After a streaky start for each side, Phoenix and Vegas began the second quarter with a mutually torrid shooting display. Vegas began the quarter 8-for-11 from the field but still found themselves trailing, because Phoenix began the frame 10-for-11 from the field itself and had an answer at every turn.

Copper led the scoring outburst for the Mercury, scoring 12 points in the second quarter while making all four attempts from behind the arc. Copper had a game-high 19 points in the first half and made five total 3-pointers, tying former Mercury point guard Diana Taurasi's WNBA Finals record for most 3-pointers in a half.

Vegas still managed to keep the game within 50-45 at halftime thanks to timely 3-pointers from Loyd and fellow reserve Evans. Loyd (13 points) and Evans (10 points) were the Aces' two leading scorers in the first half.

--Will Despart, Field Level Media