What to watch when Mercury, Aces tip off Game 2

LAS VEGAS -- Game 1 of the WNBA Finals delivered different thriller. Trailing by 9 points with 3:36 near successful the 3rd quarter, the Las Vegas Aces utilized a dense dose of portion defence to dilatory down the Phoenix Mercury successful the last play and got timely scoring from reserve defender Dana Evans to triumph Friday.

Phoenix guardant Alyssa Thomas fell an assistance shy of her 3rd triple-double successful a WNBA Finals crippled -- thing nary different subordinate has done -- but missed 2 captious escaped throws with the Mercury down 1 successful the last 30 seconds.

Still, a triumph Sunday successful Game 2 (3 p.m. ET, ABC) would springiness Phoenix a divided connected the roadworthy and let the Mercury to assertion home-court vantage successful the archetypal best-of-seven Finals successful WNBA history. How mightiness Phoenix set successful Game 2? And what tin Las Vegas amended aft the team's 3rd triumph successful arsenic galore playoff rounds that went down to the buzzer of regulation?

Big seat performances made up for quiescent violative nights from immoderate Aces starters. Who needs to measurement up successful Game 2?

Kendra Andrews: The Aces request much violative accumulation from Jackie Young, who finished with 8 points connected 3-of-13 shooting, including 0-of-6 from 3. That's astir fractional her regular-season scoring average. Aces manager Becky Hammon told Young to assistance the seat get going, and she succeeded there. But Hammon besides noted that Young, arsenic good arsenic A'ja Wilson, appeared a spot fatigue, which makes consciousness aft they carried Las Vegas to triumph successful the decisive crippled of its semifinal bid with Indiana. I'm watching to spot if Young looks fresher contempt a speedy turnaround betwixt games.

Alexa Philippou: Building connected Kendra's point, Young was the lone subordinate not successful azygous astatine the Aces' optional shootaround Saturday. Hammon said she thought her prima defender had dense legs successful Game 1 but would beryllium bully to spell Sunday. "I deliberation her backmost was tired. She benignant of carried america that Game [5]," the manager said jokingly. Young doesn't request to transportation Las Vegas, but the Aces request her to beryllium much similar herself to support up with the high-octane Mercury the remainder of the series.

Kevin Pelton: I'm funny whether NaLyssa Smith is much progressive successful Game 2. She scored a combined 34 points successful Games 2 and 3 against the Fever successful the semifinals, some Aces wins, but played conscionable 16 minutes Friday aft sitting retired the agelong tally of the last triumph implicit Indiana. Las Vegas is 3-0 (all lopsided wins) this postseason erstwhile Smith scores successful treble digits.

What adjustments bash the Mercury request to make?

Philippou: Phoenix thought it was a promising motion that the Aces went distant from their portion truthful aboriginal successful the series, an denotation Hammon thought her team's man-to-man defence wasn't working. "I deliberation their portion volition evolve. I deliberation our discourtesy volition evolve," Mercury manager Nate Tibbetts said Saturday, reiterating that the movie league focused connected identifying weaknesses successful the Aces' zone. Tibbetts besides said Phoenix's antiaircraft vigor needs to improve; giving up 89 points to the Aces won't chopped it.

Pelton: Phoenix didn't wholly capitalize connected the violative solid Friday night. The Aces came into the Finals past successful antiaircraft rebound percent during the playoffs, past played smaller than accustomed successful Game 1 with the 5-foot-6 Evans replacing the 6-4 Smith successful their closing lineup. Yet, the Mercury had less violative rebounds than Las Vegas. If the Aces spell portion again, Phoenix players who person a size vantage should absorption connected crashing the glass.

Andrews: The Mercury person to fig retired however to prime isolated the ...