PHOENIX—Expect the unexpected: the Phoenix Mercury are headed back to the WNBA Finals after defeating the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, 86-81.
The Mercury advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021, marking their sixth finals appearance in franchise history. It is also Phoenix’s first playoff elimination of the Lynx since 2014, when the team last won a championship.
The Mercury Do It Again With Dramatic Comeback
The Lynx had a dominant start in the first quarter, outscoring the Mercury, 25-14. At one point, they led by 14 after forward Jessica Shepard, filling in for Napheesa Collier, scored 10 points.
Once again, Phoenix trailed Minnesota by 13 points at the end of the third quarter after the Lynx made six of their seven 3-pointers. The Mercury’s explosive fourth-quarter performance, going 10-for-12 from the field, ultimately showed fans why they deserve to advance to the championship round.
Since their comeback win in Game 2 of the semifinals, the Mercury rode that for momentum to eliminate the Lynx in four games as underdogs.
The Phoenix Mercury are headed to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021!
— Ballislife Bets (@BallislifeBets) September 29, 2025
They are now the FAVORITE to win the championship at -115 odds 😳
pic.twitter.com/eYHIkH1tqj
Since Mat Ishbia became the Mercury’s new owner in 2023, Phoenix has gone from finishing last in the league to a championship contender two years later. In their first season without franchise cornerstones Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, they were considered the underdogs.
“All of it is connected,” Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said. “It’s the coaching staff, it’s the training staff, it’s the players. We’ve got a great culture. Obviously, when you win, it’s easier to talk about your culture, but we’ve got very high-level people in our organization, and you got to have it, especially when times are tough. And again, it’s a new group, so there’s a newness, a fresh energy to it. But you want to have these experiences because we’re trying to build this thing to last.”
Since May, Phoenix has lived up to expectations from the start of the regular season through the playoffs. Since day one, it’s been “Mercury vs. Everybody.”
The Mercury became the fourth team in WNBA postseason history to eliminate two finalists from the previous year. They are also the first team in WNBA or NBA history to reach two finals within a five-year span without a single player carryover between the two appearances.
Phoenix knocked out the reigning champion New York Liberty in the first round and defeated the Minnesota Lynx, last year’s runners-up, in the semifinals.
DeWanna Bonner Helps Mercury Reach The Finals
DeWanna Bonner contributed off the bench with her best shooting performance of the series, helping the Mercury advance to the finals.
In the fourth quarter, she scored 11 of her 13 points, made three 3-pointers, and grabbed six rebounds.
“I’ve been here,” Bonner said. “I vibe with everyone. I’ve been here before. Like I said, I went through a lot going through that process. It’s crazy, insane, but just coming back, the love that I needed at the time – I knew I was going to get it here.”
“I knew exactly what I needed and exactly what I wanted, and I knew the fans and everyone. At that point in my career, I’m like, yeah, this is what I need to continue to love the game, and that’s what I got.”
Mercury go back to inverted P&R for Alyssa Thomas. Whitcomb screens, Hiedeman doesn’t show. Carleton goes under, Shepard helps on the drive. Issue that opens up a 2v1 on the right side, kick to DeWanna Bonner for 3. pic.twitter.com/vtprF2a0hV
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) September 29, 2025
Bonner’s Return to a Familiar Place
Bonner returned to the Mercury midseason after a brief stint with Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Her championship pedigree has helped Phoenix reach its current level of success this season.
Throughout her professional career, Bonner appeared in 15 postseasons and won two WNBA titles with the Phoenix Mercury in 2009 and 2014. She also reached the 2022 WNBA Finals with Thomas and the Connecticut Sun, where they lost to the Las Vegas Aces in three games.
“I’m home, that’s all,” Bonner said. “I’m home. I’m back to where it all began, the love has been real since I’ve been back here. There’s no greater feeling than putting on that jersey for me. I did it for 10 straight years, and then to come back to put it back on. A different number, but still nothing feels better than wearing Mercury across my chest.”
“And every single night, going out there with them and them welcoming me in the second half of the season, it just felt like a perfect fit, like we didn’t have a drop-off. They were already playing well, and I just kind of molded my way in there. So, this is home, it just feels good, that’s all.”
Will Alyssa Thomas Win Her First WNBA Ring?
Forward Alyssa Thomas delivered another phenomenal performance for the Mercury, nearly recording a triple-double with 23 points, eight rebounds, and ten assists.
In the fourth quarter, Thomas went 5-for-6 from the field and dished out two assists to Sami Whitcomb and Bonner, who both drilled crucial 3-pointers to give the Mercury the lead.
Alyssa Thomas extends the Mercury’s lead to five #WNBA pic.twitter.com/EQcQSSaUGN
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) September 29, 2025
“Coming here, I didn’t want any drop off,” Thomas said. “The playoffs are a standard for myself. Coming here, their history with winning championships, I just wanted to keep that going. We have a group that believes in that. We stayed the course. We’ve had our adversity, and we’re back in the finals, which is extremely hard to get to, and no one picked us. We’re going to just continue to believe in ourselves.”
With Phoenix up by three and less than a minute remaining, Thomas scored a bucket to extend the lead to five, helping the Mercury secure the victory.
Satou Sabally Shines In Game 4 Victory
During the first half, Mercury forward Satou Sabally scored 18 of her 21 points, including three 3-pointers, and added six rebounds and three assists.
Her impact on both ends of the court helped spark a comeback that led to a thrilling victory over Minnesota.
Sabally will also be making her debut in the WNBA Finals for the first time in her professional career after spending the first four seasons with the Dallas Wings before going over to the Phoenix Mercury through a historic four-team trade in February.
I asked Satou Sabally about how crucial Sami Whitcomb has been for the Mercury throughout the semifinals series against the Lynx. #WNBA pic.twitter.com/CFUvho6cC5
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) September 29, 2025
“I knew it was the right bet to make,” Sabally said, who was traded to Phoenix in a four-team trade in February. “The players that are here already that I knew were going to be here. I just loved watching them play, hated playing them. But the way that they recruited me—it was nothing about making promises; it was about what they could offer and how I could embrace that. And I knew I just wanted to have the right opportunity for my career to really propel.”
“I’m just happy that I made the right choice, and doing that alongside the best of the best, was just truly an honor for me. And also, wearing that Mercury jersey, I knew that I had to also fill big boots, so I definitely didn’t take that lightly. I love the challenge.”
More than her personal performance, Sabally is most pleased with Whitcomb, who made big-time plays for the Mercury all season and throughout the semifinals.
The Phoenix Mercury will face the winner of the Aces-Fever series, which has been extended to a fifth game. The WNBA Finals will begin with Game 1 on Friday, October 3, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
