The Aces are three wins from full dynasty territory.
Less than two months after being stuck in neutral, the Aces surged int the fourth quarter to take Game 1 of the WNBA Finals 89-96 in a back-and-forth game with the Phoenix Mercury, in which neither team took a double-digit lead.
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The sequence that ultimately decided the game was a foul by Jackie Young on Alyssa Thomas. The Aces challenged the call, which was unsuccessful, but Thomas, who had just made a clutch layup to cut the Vegas lead to one, missed both free throws. The Aces rebounded the second miss and ultimately got two more free throws for Young, who made them.
A final game-tying attempt from Satou Sabally clanked away in the final seconds, to the roar of Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Both teams seemed to be dealing with the physical toll of a full WNBA regular season and postseason. Aces star Chelsea Gray briefly left the game with an apparent ankle injury, as did the Mercury’s Sami Whitcomb. Even as the game came to a close, Thomas was grimacing and holding her hand.
Game is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (ABC).
2025 WNBA Finals Game 1 live blog
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Finals: