Two of the WNBAs finest bigs go at it on Sunday, with Satou Sabally and the white-hot Phoenix Mercury internet hosting Aja Wilson and her Las Vegas Aces. Phoenix has been one of many shock rivals of this nascent 2025 season, whereas Vegas appears uncharacteristically labored to this point.
Venue: PHX Enviornment Phoenix
Time: 6 p.m. ET, Sunday
TV: NBA TV (nationwide), Arizonas Household 3TV and Vegas 34 (regional)
Streaming: Fubo (attempt totally free)
Watching in particular person? Get tickets on StubHub.
Its not all dangerous for the Aces. Wilson not too long ago surpassed 5,000 whole factors, and did so in fewer video games than anybody in league historical past.
Elsewhere, Jackie Younger has bumped as much as the very best scoring common in her seven professional seasons, and Chelsea Grey remains to be environment friendly behind the arc on career-high quantity (37.3 %, 5.0 makes an attempt per contest). Becky Hammons group has the fewest fouls within the W and enjoys a optimistic free-throw differential. And thats about it.
Throughout the previous six seasons, the dynastic Aces have two championships, a 3rd Finals look and three semifinal finishes. Theyve been a surefire staple for this present period of womens hoops. But these Aces arrive within the desert with a paltry 7-8 file, rating ninth out of 13 groups in factors for and factors towards. Theyre additionally ninth in internet score, spoiling six consecutive years of top-four marks there. Kiah Stokes has been a non-factor because the fifth starter, and the complete bench rotation is taking pictures under 40 %.
Six-time All-Star and 2023 scoring champ Jewell Loyd was supposed to slip proper in as Kelsey Plums alternative. Shes maintained her assist-to-turnover ratio and remains to be on level from lengthy distance (41.7 % in her first 15 Vegas video games), however her 2-point struggles are nearly laborious to course of (35.3 %, worst amongst all common 2025 starters).
Phoenix, in the meantime, has been an all-out problem for the remainder of the game. The Mercury have gained six in a row behind brisk pacing, shoot-at-will tempo and disciplined protection. Theyve wholly dominated turnover differentials, main all groups in takeaways, and 4 of their gamers crack the highest 20 in defensive score.
The offense funnels into Sabally. The German-American massive is as much as a career-high 19.6 factors per recreation whereas taking part in out-of-her-mind protection down low. The engine runs by means of Alyssa Thomas, the leagues main initiator at 9.5 assists per recreation. Its not usually that a longtime 12-year veteran with a number of All-WNBA nods improves her output, however Thomas has career-best numbers in assists and discipline purpose share.
Sabally had solely performed with Dallas earlier than becoming a member of Phoenix within the offseason. Thomas did 11 years in Connecticut earlier than her free company transfer. A lot props are to ensure that second-year head coach Nate Tibbetts and GM Nick URen. With Kahleah Copper reintegrated from her knee harm, the Mercury are harboring actual title aspirations of their first staging with out Diana Taurasi or Brittney Griner.
Finest participant to put on each jerseys: Danielle Robinson. She was a three-time All-Star with the San Antonio Silver Stars, the earlier iteration of the Aces franchise, earlier than a good 2017 season with Phoenix. Robinson then obtained to don the Vegas threads in 2020, when she was an important bench guard for the groups Finals run.
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This text initially appeared in The Athletic.
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