The first round of the WNBA playoffs closely resembles the chaotic nature of March Madness. A Best-of-3 series where travel is involved in each game means the stakes are always high. You’re two bad days away from seeing your season ended.
In his own backyard, Jalen Williams had to catch a Game 3. The Phoenix Mercury won a thriller against the New York Liberty to advance to the semifinals against the first-seed Minnesota Lynx. The 79-73 win was highlighted by a pair of 20-point scorers.
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Both also tallied double-double production. Satou Sabally had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Alyssa Thomas had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Phoenix ran away with it late as Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu combined to score 52 of New York’s 73 points.
Williams had a chance to catch the action. Most NBA players spend the offseason back home. While the 24-year-old was always on the move, he spent his high school years in Arizona. Now, the NBA champion prepare for their title defense.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the 2025-26 regular season as the consensus favorite. They’ll run it back with mostly the same roster. After Williams broke out last season as a first-time All-Star and All-NBA player, let’s see if he can maintain that prestigious status.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams attends Mercury’s win over Liberty in WNBA playoffs