The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury grabbed a 2-1 series lead over the No. 1 seeded Minnesota Lynx after an 84-76 victory at home on Friday.
Both teams got off to a strong start, trading baskets in a fast-paced opening quarter. The Lynx held a 22-19 lead after one, led by five points from Napheesa Collier and seven from Williams.
Kahleah Copper and the Mercury responded in the second quarter, closing the gap and taking a 48-44 lead into halftime. Copper led all scorers with 17 points at the break, while Alyssa Thomas added 10. For the Lynx, Collier finished the half with 13 points, and Natisha Hiedeman chipped in 11.
The Lynx put together a dominant third quarter, with Hiedeman scoring six straight points down the stretch to help Minnesota take a 67-63 lead into the final frame.
Despite a 7-0 run by the Mercury to open the fourth quarter, the Lynx regained their rhythm, sparked by a timely scoring burst from Maria Kliunditkova. The teams traded leads down the stretch in a back-and-forth battle, with Satou Sabally catching fire late for Phoenix.
Minnesota trailed by four with under 30 seconds left when Thomas came up with a clutch steal and layup, extending Phoenix’s lead to 82-76 with 21 seconds remaining. A furious Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected after picking up a technical, along with assistant Eric Thibault. The Mercury capitalized and held on for the win.
Sabally led the Mercury with 23 points. Thomas added 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Copper finished with 21 points, as Phoenix took a 2-1 lead in the series.
Game 4 will remain in Phoenix on Sunday, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. ET, as the top-seeded Lynx look to keep their playoff hopes alive on the road.
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