WNBA Playoffs
A year ago, all four WNBA first-round playoff series ended in sweeps and without much drama, with the closest game decided by six points.
But 2025 has been a season of parity, and the playoffs have been decided by razor-thin margins. The three closeout games leading into Friday’s Game 3 between Phoenix and New York each came down to the final possession.
Although the final game of the first round wasn’t decided at the buzzer, the Mercury were nursing a three-point lead in the final minute before 2021 finals MVP Kahleah Copper barrelled her way into the lane, scoring the decisive bucket to earn the 79-73 win. Phoenix advances to the semifinals to play Sunday at No. 1 seed Minnesota. The defending champions’ snakebit repeat bid came to an early end.
“No one has picked us to win,” Mercury star Alyssa Thomas said. “For us, it was not about panicking. If you watched any of the games, you knew it was going to come down to the wire.”
