‘They’re studs’: 3 record-setting showings help Aces take 2-0 Finals lead

Jackie Young, as she led a trio of record-setting performances for the Aces in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, made good on a promise to coach Becky Hammon.

Hammon was surprised when Young asked to come out of the team’s 89-86 win in Game 1 on Friday night, with the veteran guard shooting 0-for-6 from the 3-point line. But Hammon trusted what Young said when she sat out of Saturday’s optional practice: “I’ll have my legs tomorrow.”

Young’s recharged motor was on full display Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena. She scored in every way imaginable for the No. 2 seed Aces, who took a 2-0 series lead with a 91-78 win over the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury.

Young finished with 32 points, surpassing guard Kelsey Plum (29 points in 2023) for the most points in a finals game in franchise history.

The rest of the Aces’ core followed suit and made their own marks in the record books during the team’s dominant victory.

Four-time league MVP A’ja Wilson added 28 points and 14 rebounds. It was her third finals game with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart for the most all time.

Point guard Chelsea Gray had 10 points and 10 assists. She became the fifth player in WNBA Finals history to have at least 10 assists in consecutive games.

Hammon was even-keeled after seeing Wilson, Gray and Young, who were all part of the Aces’ championships in 2022 and 2023, push the team halfway to a third championship in four years.

“They’re studs,” Hammon said. “That’s why the expectation is so high. Because of those three.”

Strong showing

The Mercury started the game on a 12-5 run and led 27-24 after the first quarter. But Wilson exploded for 13 points in the second quarter to give the Aces a 46-37 advantage at halftime.

Wilson had 20 points at the break, her most ever in a single half in the finals.

Hammon was happy the Aces held Phoenix to 10 points in the second quarter. She still didn’t hold back about her team’s need to get off to a better start.

“We did not execute defensively in the first quarter. Why do we use one quarter to warm up? I don’t know,” said Hammon, referencing the Mercury’s 17-10 start to Game 1. “I’m still trying to figure that out. I’ve been having to call them timeouts in the first quarter a little too often.”

Young then took over in the third quarter. She scored 21 points in the frame, the most in a single quarter in WNBA Finals history. The performance, which helped the Aces extend their lead to 76-61, put her quiet Game 1 well in the rearview mirror.

“I spent a lot of time getting treatment. Obviously, we knew it was just a fatigue thing. We’ll call it 44 (regular-season games) and leave it at that,” Young said. “Luckily, that’s why we have a lot of great players on this team. Any time, it can be somebody else’s night.”

The Aces’ lead was never challenged in the fourth quarter. That was thanks in part to guard Jewell Loyd, who had nine points, seven rebounds and three steals off the bench on her 32nd birthday and played great help defense.

“Four Olympians helps, right? They’ve got great players. They’ve been through it together. They’ve won championships. They’ve got a Hall of Fame coach,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. “They’ve been through all of this.”

Phoenix was led by guard Kahleah Copper and forward Satou Sabally, who scored 23 and 22 points, respectively. Forward Alyssa Thomas, who finished third in the MVP voting this year, was limited to 10 points.

Headed to Phoenix

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday at PHX Arena, in front of a group of passionate fans who are affectionately referred to by the Mercury as the “X-Factor.”

Wilson knows that despite the Aces’ early series lead, there’s still a battle ahead.

“This is going to be tough. Phoenix is a hard place to play at,” Wilson said. “We’ve been through a lot, so that’s going to pay off, I’m sure. Because we’ve weathered so many storms with each other. But we can’t stop here. We can’t be satisfied.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on Twitter.