The Phoenix Mercury dug a 12-1 hole in the opening minutes of Sunday’s WNBA semifinals game against the Minnesota Lynx, then trailed by 13 points at the start of the fourth quarter.

No matter. As they’ve done throughout the series, the Mercury clamped down on defense and rallied to secure an 86-81 victory and 3-1 series win.

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With the win, the Mercury advance to the WNBA Finals. They’ll play in their second WNBA Finals since 2021 with a roster that features just Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack from last year’s team. There, they’ll face the winner of Tuesday’s semifinals Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas.

Mercury beat short-handed Lynx team

The fourth-seeded Mercury got there by eliminating a Lynx team that was the WNBA’s best throughout the regular season. Phoenix secured Wednesday’s win against a Minnesota team playing without injured MVP finalist Napheesa Collier and head coach Cheryl Reeve, who was suspended for her outburst against officials during and after Game 3.

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Alyssa Thomas (23 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds) and Satou Sabally (21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) led the way in the win to fend off a 31-point effort by Kayla McBride, who took over as Minnesota’s on-court leader with Collier on the sideline.

Another Mercury rally

No Lynx lead was safe in this series against the Mercury, who posted dramatic rallies from second-half double-digit deficits in two of the past three games. They mounted an unlikely comeback from a 20-point third-quarter deficit in Game 2 and outscored the Lynx 31-13 in Sunday’s fourth quarter.

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In the game’s opening moments, Minnesota looked poised to force a Game 5. With backup Jessica Shepard thriving in place of Collier, the Lynx opened the 12-1 lead and went into the second quarter with a 25-14 advantage. Shepard led all scorers with 10 of her 14 points in the first.

But the Lynx bounced back to tie the game at 38 by halftime, thanks in large part to 18 first-half points from Sabally. But the Lynx again opened up a double-digit lead and went into the fourth quarter with a 68-55 advantage.

But the Mercury amped up the pressure again and started the fourth on a 7-0 run. DeWanna Bonner (13 points, 3 of 4 from 3) eventually extended that run to 17-2 with a 3-pointer late in the quarter to retake the lead for the Mercury, 72-70.

The Mercury never trailed again. Phoenix limited Minnesota to a single field goal over the first 7:34 seconds of the fourth quarter in a defensive stand that secured Sunday’s win and the series.

“It took everybody — everybody on this team,” Thomas told ESPN postgame of Phoenix’s second double-digit rally in three games. “We’re hungry. We’re ready for this moment. And I’m super proud of how we fought today.”

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Disappointment for Lynx

The loss spelled heartbreak for a Lynx team that was dominant for much of the regular season to earn the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, especially considering the circumstances.

Collier and Reeve were absent on Sunday thanks to late-game dramatics in Phoenix’s win in Game 3. Collier injured her left ankle on a physical play in the game’s final minute and couldn’t finish. Reeve was furious about the play that didn’t get called a foul and rushed from the bench to confront game officials.

Reeve remained heated in her postgame news conference with candid thoughts about the game officials that the WNBA deemed flagrant enough to suspend her for an elimination game in the semifinals. The Lynx instead were coached Sunday by assistant and former Mystics head coach Eric Thibault.

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They’ll leave Sunday’s loss wondering what if and looking ahead to regroup for another run next season.