Satou Sabally shone with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Alyssa Thomas contributed 14 points and an impressive 13 assists to lead the Phoenix Mercury to a 76-70 victory over the Las Vegas Aces in Las Vegas, even in the absence of MVP A’ja Wilson on Sunday.
Sami Whitcomb came off the bench and was instrumental for the Mercury, scoring 18 points. Her standout performance included a crucial 3-pointer, sinking it just 13 seconds after Jewell Loyd’s shot from beyond the arc brought the Aces within a mere three points, with just 1:37 on the clock.
Kahleah Copper, returning from a preseason knee injury, put up 11 points in what was her first game of the season and her presence in the starting lineup shifted Whitcomb to the bench. This adjustment proved effective as Phoenix capitalized, outscoring the Aces 28-14 in this pivotal Commissioner’s Cup encounter.
The Mercury excelled in capitalizing on Las Vegas’ mistakes, turning 22 turnovers by the Aces into an equal number of points.
Chelsea Gray stood out for the Aces, leading them with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Loyd added 17 points to her tally, complemented by Jackie Young’s 15. Importantly, Las Vegas was without Wilson for a consecutive game due to a concussion sustained earlier in the week.
Whitcomb, along with teammate Lexi Held, nailed back-to-back 3-pointers that helped expand the Mercury’s lead to 60-49 late in the third quarter; they carried a six-point advantage, 60-54, into the fourth.
The Aces narrowed the gap to two points early in the final quarter through four successful free throws. However, Thomas and Whitcomb were consistent, neutralizing every challenge that the Aces presented.
Following a tight first quarter, ending in a tie at 20 with several lead changes and ties, a 3-pointer from Sabally granted Phoenix a 27-24 edge, which they maintained to hold a 43-39 lead at halftime.
Looking ahead, Las Vegas is set to play Minnesota on Tuesday, while Phoenix will face Connecticut on Wednesday as part of their ongoing four-game road trip.