Battery Charged: Dana Evans Powers Aces to Thrilling Game 1 Win Over Mercury

While MVP A’ja Wilson delivered a reliable Finals double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, it was the unexpected spark from the bench—dubbed the “Battery” by her teammates—that ignited the Aces’ late-game surge. Guard Dana Evans came off the pine to match Wilson with 21 points, including a flurry of clutch three-pointers in the final period, to steal the momentum from a scorching-hot Mercury squad.

The Spark Plug Takes Over

The story of the night was the Aces’ 41-16 advantage in bench scoring, a gap almost entirely manufactured by Evans and Jewell Loyd, who added 18 points in her Finals debut with Las Vegas.

Phoenix, led by the red-hot shooting of Kahleah Copper (21 points, including a Finals record-tying five threes in the first half) and the relentless playmaking of Alyssa Thomas (15 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists), controlled the tempo for most of the contest. The Mercury built a daunting nine-point lead late in the third quarter, thanks to precision shooting and suffocating defense.

But the fourth quarter belonged to the Aces’ second unit. Evans drained three crucial triples in the final frame, none bigger than the one at the 3:40 mark that finally pushed the Aces ahead, 80-77, for good.

“Dana is a little scorer. She is a problem,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said after the game. “We’ve talked all year about how it’s going to take everybody. Tonight it was the bench that kept us alive.”

Evans didn’t just score; she was a defensive pest. She finished the night with four steals, becoming the first player in WNBA Finals history to record at least five three-pointers and four steals in a single game. Her tenacity helped force 14 Mercury turnovers, which the Aces converted into 20 points.

A Nail-Biting Finish

The Mercury, known for their postseason resilience, refused to fade. After a driving layup by Thomas cut the deficit to a single point, 87-86, with under a minute remaining, the tension became palpable.

Phoenix had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Thomas drew a foul with 24.6 seconds left, but the star forward missed both free throws. Aces starter Jackie Young, despite a relatively quiet night (10 points, 5 assists), sealed the victory by calmly sinking two free throws on the ensuing possession, extending the lead to 89-86.

Phoenix’s final attempt, a contested three-point prayer from Satou Sabally (19 points) as time expired, fell short, allowing the Michelob ULTRA Arena crowd to erupt in relief and celebration.

For the Aces, the win demonstrated their ability to prevail even when their starting five struggled with early shooting. The balance of A’ja Wilson‘s interior dominance, Chelsea Gray’s quarterbacking (8 points, 10 assists), and the explosive contributions from the bench proved just enough to hold off the hard-charging Mercury.

Las Vegas takes the 1-0 lead, but if Game 1 is any indication, this inaugural best-of-seven WNBA Finals is set for a wild ride. Game 2 is set for Sunday in Las Vegas.