Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Las Vegas guard Jackie Young scored 21 of her 32 points in the third quarter as the Aces romped away to a 91-78 victory over the Phoenix Mercury to take a 2-0 lead in the WNBA Finals on Sunday. Young’s third-quarter outburst was a record for points scored in a single quarter of a WNBA Finals game, and the Aces, up by nine after a tight first half that featured five lead changes, out-scored the Mercury 30-24 in the period to seize control.
“The rim was big,” Young said. “I didn’t realize it was that much; I was just trying to play the right way, be aggressive. The biggest thing is we’re playing out of our defense. We’re getting stops; we’re able to play in transition.”
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Las Vegas’ four-time WNBA Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson delivered a double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Chelsea Gray added 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Kaleah Copper led the Mercury scoring with 23 points, and Satou Sabally added 22 before exiting late in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Forward Alyssa Thomas added 10 points and five assists, becoming the WNBA’s all-time postseason assists leader when she dropped her fifth dime to take her total to 391.
But the Mercury will hope a shift to Phoenix on Wednesday will make a difference when they host game three of the championship series, expanded to a best-of-seven format this year for the first time. The Aces, who won in 2022 and 2023, are trying to become the second team to win as many as three titles in four years. The Houston Comets won the league’s first three championships from 1997-2000. The Mercury are chasing a fourth crown after victories in 2007, 2009, and 2014.
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