Semis Game Recap

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Game Recap: Lynx vs. Mercury (9/28/25)

AP Recap

PHOENIX (AP) — Satou Sabally scored 23 points — including 15 in a stellar fourth quarter — and the Phoenix Mercury beat the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 84-76 in Game 3 on Friday night to take control of their WNBA playoff semifinals series.
The Mercury have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and can reach the Finals on Sunday with a win in Game 4 in Phoenix.
Sabally hit a 3-pointer to give the Mercury a 78-76 lead with 3:05 remaining and added two free throws with 2:01 left to push the advantage to 80-76. Alyssa Thomas had a steal and layup with 21.8 seconds left that sealed the win, capping a 21-9 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Sabally said it was the team’s defense that made the difference in the final minutes.
“We closed them out, we knew what they were running,” Sabally said. “So we were really well prepared and just trusted each other.”
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A furious Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected following the Mercury’s final layup, getting her second technical foul.
Napheesa Collier also got hurt on the play, rolling her ankle. She had to be helped to the locker room. Reeve blasted the officiating after the game, saying the game became too physical and Collier “probably has a fracture” though she didn’t give any more details.
Thomas and Kahleah Copper both scored 21 points, highlighting a balanced Mercury offense. It was a tight game throughout with 15 lead changes.
“This is a team that believes in each other — been overlooked a little all year,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbets said. “But one thing we are is tough and we fight, we compete and we did that in the fourth. We made it hard on every possession and that’s what good defensive teams do.”
Minnesota was led by Natisha Hiedeman’s 19 points off the bench. Collier added 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting while Courtney Williams added 14.
Minnesota trailed by four at halftime but rallied for a 67-63 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The 5-foot-8 Heideman gave the Lynx a big boost in the final five minutes of the third, scoring eight points.
The Mercury bounced back from an early deficit, shooting 54.3 % from the field in the first half to take a 48-44 halftime lead. Copper had 17 points before the break on 8 of 9 shooting while Thomas added 11 points and 5 rebounds. Minnesota was led by Collier’s 13 points.
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The Mercury were riding high coming into Game 3 after a 20-point comeback win in Tuesday’s Game 2 that evened the series. It was tied for the third-largest comeback in WNBA playoff history.
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Game Recap: Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury (Semi-Finals, Game 3)

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Game Recap: Lynx vs. Mercury (9/26/25)

Top Plays

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Top Plays of the Day, 9/26/25

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Napheesa Collier with 17 Points vs. Phoenix Mercury

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Top Plays of the Day, 09/26/2025

Betting + Odds

The second round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs has been both action-packed and highly competitive, with each series knotted at 1-1 heading into two big Game 3 matchups on Friday.
The Minnesota Lynx took care of business in Game 1 on Sunday against the Phoenix Mercury but dropped Game 2 in overtime at home, marking just their third home loss of the entire season. On the other side of the playoff bracket, the banged-up Indiana Fever stole Game 1 on Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces but struggled to match the energy in Game 2, losing by 22 points.
Let’s take a look at the latest<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/wnba"> WNBA odds</a> for the WNBA Finals, preview Friday&#8217;s matchups, and I’ll share my WNBA best bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Stay locked into the playoffs with game previews, best bets, and predictions all postseason long on <a href="http://draftkingsnetwork.com/">DraftKingsNetwork.com</a>!
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<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/wnba?category=team-futures&amp;subcategory=champion">2025 WNBA Finals Odds</a>
The Favorite: MIN Lynx (-140)
The Lynx (-140) entered the postseason as the favorites, and continue to lead in terms of odds after sweeping the Golden State Valkyries in the first round. Minnesota played good basketball in Game 1 at home versus Phoenix, winning 82-69, but fell short in overtime of Game 2, thanks to forced turnovers and superb bench play from the Mercury. Still, the Lynx entered the postseason ranked first in both offensive (109.5) and defensive rating (97.5), and are a deep and hungry squad built to win their first championship since 2017.
The Aces (+200) have long held the second-shortest odds to win the Finals, thanks to otherworldly MVP-level play from A&#8217;ja Wilson, who posted 25 points, nine rebounds and five steals in Tuesday&#8217;s blowout win over the Fever. Jackie Young has contributed meaningfully, too, averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the semi-finals round thus far.
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WNBA Best Bets and Weekend Preview
Las Vegas Aces at Indiana Fever — Friday, September 26, 7:30 p.m. ET
Both the Aces and Fever have split the first two games of the series in opposite fashion. Indiana topped Las Vegas, 89-73, in Game 1, thanks to elite guard play from Kelsey Mitchell (34 points on 12-of-23 shooting) and a poor shooting night from A&#8217;ja Wilson (16 points on 6-of-22 shooting). Las Vegas is no stranger to the postseason, however, as it bounced back with a 22-point win in Game 2, which was backed by points off turnovers and strong bench play. Five different Aces posted double-digit points, and when Mitchell isn&#8217;t getting buckets like usual, the Fever struggle to find offensive consistency.
While Las Vegas is the superior squad, Friday&#8217;s Game 3 matchup may come down to who has the hotter hand –– Wilson or Mitchell? The series will shift to Indiana for the next two games, which should give the Fever a small edge, but I&#8217;m still leaning toward the Aces to cover on the road. On the other side of things, Mitchell leads the Fever in both usage rate and field goal attempts per game –– she will look to correct her poor shooting performance from Game 2 and give her team a chance to take the series lead.
Lean: LV Aces -4.5
<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/wnba?category=player-points&amp;subcategory=points-o-u">PICK: Kelsey Mitchell OVER 20.5 Points (+100)</a>
Minnesota Lynx at Phoenix Mercury — Friday, September 26, 9:30 p.m. ET
While this series hasn&#8217;t nearly been as up-and-down as the Fever vs. Aces series, these two teams enter Game 3 with one win apiece. The No. 1-seeded Lynx came out on top in Game 1 with an 82-69 win, which was backed by Minnesota&#8217;s big three –– Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, its only double-digit scorers of the night. Phoenix may be one of the few teams that can keep up with Minnesota on both sides of the ball, and that was evident in its 89-83 overtime win in Game 2. The Lynx may have dominated the first half, but the Mercury made necessary adjustments and outscored the Lynx, 47-31, in the second half, including 10-4 in the overtime period.
This sets up a big Game 3 matchup on Friday in Phoenix. The Mercury&#8217;s offensive and defensive ratings rise slightly when playing at home, and the Lynx&#8217;s ratings fall slightly when playing on the road. Phoenix has home-court advantage and has beaten Minnesota twice this season, but one second-half collapse from the Lynx shouldn&#8217;t deter the public from backing them.. Alyssa Thomas, meanwhile, is coming off a historic season and hasn&#8217;t missed a step in either the scoring or playmaking department, averaging 17.2 points and 9.2 assists per game this postseason.
Lean: MIN Lynx -4
<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/min-lynx-%40-pho-mercury/32833488?category=odds&amp;subcategory=player-combos">PICK: Alyssa Thomas 25+ Points + Assists</a>
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All odds and lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.
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2025 WNBA Playoffs: Updated Finals Odds, Best Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Satou Sabally scored 11 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and Alyssa Thomas had 19 points and 13 assists to help the Phoenix Mercury erase a 20-point deficit and beat the Minnesota Lynx 89-83 in overtime on Tuesday night, tying the WNBA semifinal series at one game apiece.
Sami Whitcomb’s 3-pointer from the wing with 4 seconds left in regulation evened the game at 79 after Thomas kept alive the possession following Whitcomb’s airballed 3 from the top of the key, and Napheesa Collier’s 18-footer for the win fell short at the buzzer to force extra time.
Thomas, who had a triple-double in the decisive Game 3 victory in the first round that ousted defending champion New York, grabbed eight rebounds and ignited the rally with her intensity after a lackluster first half. Her three-point play with 3:32 left in the fourth quarter ended a stretch of 33:28 during which the top-seeded Lynx had the lead.
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Collier scored 24 points on her 29th birthday, Kayla McBride had 21 points and Courtney Williams added 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals for the Lynx, whose bench was outscored 25-3.
The Mercury, who played their fourth game in seven days, will host Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Friday night.
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Game Recap: Phoenix Mercury vs. Minnesota Lynx (Semi-Finals, Game 2)

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Game Recap: Mercury vs. Lynx (9/23/25)

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Napheesa Collier with 24 Points vs. Phoenix Mercury

Latest

Napheesa Collier

NOTABLE
<ul>
<li>All-WNBA Second Team (2020)</li>
<li>WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2020)</li>
<li>WNBA Rookie of the Year (2019)</li>
<li>WNBA All-Rookie Team (2019)</li>
<li>WNBA All-Star Game (2019, 2021)</li>
<li>Western Conference Player of the Week (2019:1, 2020:1)</li>
<li>WNBA Rookie of the Month (July 2019)</li>
<li>Olympic Gold Medalist (2021)</li>
</ul>
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CAREER TRANSACTIONS
Selected by Minnesota in the 1st round (6th overall) of the 2019 WNBA Draft on Apr. 10… Signed to a three-year contract on Apr. 24, 2019.
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2021 SEASON
Had a delayed start to her third WNBA season, missing the Lynx&#8217; first three games while wrapping up her season in France… Started all 29 contests after arriving and ended up leading the league in minutes per game (34.6) for the third consecutive year… Averaged a team-high 16.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.31 spg and 1.28 bpg; she ranked among the league&#8217;s top 20 in all five categories: scoring (13th), rebounding (14th), assists (19th), steals (11th) and blocks (9th)… Shot a career-low 44.1% from the floor, 25.3% (21-for-83) from beyond the arc and a career-best 86.0% (good for 15th in the WNBA) from the line… Led the Lynx with 22 points and seven assists Sept. 12 vs. Indiana; she also swiped a career-high four steals… Collected five point/rebound double-doubles; she tied her career best with 14 rebounds Aug. 31 vs. New York, part of her seventh career 20/10 outing… Had a career-high five blocks Aug. 15 vs. New York… Pumped in a career-high 27 points July 11 at L.A., one of seven times she led… Scored her 1000th career point and hauled in her 500th career rebound June 30 at Phoenix… Tallied 23 points and registered career highs in minutes (44:17), assists (eight) and FTs made and attempted (11-for-13) June 25 vs. Las Vegas… Scored 23 of her 27 points in the 1st half vs. Chicago on June 15 and led all scorers with 26 points June 4 vs. Atlanta – including the game-winning FTs with :01.5 left.
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WNBA CAREER CAPSULE
2020: Again started every game for Minnesota in her second season in the WNBA… Averaged 16.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg (good for 3rd in the league), 3.3 apg, 1.82 spg and 1.27 bpg in 34.2 mpg, finishing two assists shy of leading the Lynx in every category on a total basis… Shot 52.3% from the floor, 40.8% (20-for-49) from three-point range and 82.9% from the FT line… Overall, she ranked 12th in the WNBA in scoring, 19th in assists, 9th in FG accuracy, 15th in three-point accuracy, 3rd in steals, 6th in blocks and 1st in minutes played for the second straight season… Had 21 points and 11 rebounds Sept. 8 vs. Washington, her fifth career 20/10 effort; the minute total (39:20) was a career high… Notched season highs in FTs made (nine), assists (six) and steals (four) Aug. 21 vs. Phoenix… Named Western Conference Player of the Week on Aug. 17… Scored a season-high 26 points Aug. 15 vs. New York, one of three times she led Minnesota across the board (pts/reb/ast)… Contributed 21 points and a career-high 14 rebounds Aug. 13 vs. Las Vegas, one of seven double-doubles on the season… Tied her career high with four steals vs. Indiana on Aug. 7 and blocked a season-best four shots Aug. 1 vs. Connecticut… 2019: Wrapped up her debut season in the WNBA as the fifth rookie in Lynx history to start every game (Anosike, Augustus, Moore, Ohlde)… Contributed 13.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.91 spg and 0.94 bpg while leading the league in minutes played (33.3 mpg)… Logged 1131 minutes overall, eclipsing Seimone Augustus&#8217; franchise rookie record of 1127 and marking the 4th-highest rookie total in WNBA history (Breanna Stewart 1179, Odyssey Sims 1169, Tamika Catchings 1167)… Ranked 16th in FG accuracy (49.0%), 21st in three-point accuracy (36.1%, 30-for-83) and 31st in FT accuracy (79.2%, 80-for-101); she also finished 4th in the league in steals, 15th in blocks, 15th in rebounds, 21st in scoring and 26th in assists… Scored in double figures in each of her final 15 starts, notching four of her five double-doubles in that span; she averaged 15.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg in those 15 games, hitting 53.8% from the field and 42.9% (15-for-35) from long range… Named Western Conference Player of the Week for Aug. 19-25, becoming the second Lynx rookie to earn the weekly honor (Augustus, June 5, 2006)… Tallied 23 points Aug. 25 vs. Las Vegas, adding a season-best three blocks… Led the Lynx across the board (22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists) Aug. 6 in Atlanta, becoming the fourth player in team history to register a 20/10/5 effort (Moore 9, Fowles 3, Brunson)… Named the WNBA&#8217;s Rookie of the Month for July… Played in the All-Star Game on July 27 in Las Vegas… Scored a season-high 27 points May 25 vs. Chicago, the second-highest total ever for any player in her WNBA debut; Candace Parker poured in 34 points at Phoenix on May 17, 2008… The 27 points are also an all-time best for a player&#8217;s first game in a Lynx uniform.
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PLAYOFFS
2020: Collected 16.5 ppg (50.0%), 9.0 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.50 bpg in four playoff starts… Tallied 25 points and a franchise playoff-record six blocks Sept. 22 vs. Seattle and netted 22 points and 15 rebounds vs. the Storm on Sept. 27… 2019: Totaled 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals (in 38:28) at Seattle on Sept. 11.
 
 
INTERNATIONAL 
2021: Member of Team USA&#8217;s gold-medal-winning entry at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo… 2019: Won gold at the FIBA AmeriCup tournament in San Juan, P.R., averaging 6.0 ppg and 6.3 rpg in six appearances… 2018: Listed as one of 16 finalists for the FIBA World Cup team, averaging 5.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 2.6 apg in five exhibition outings… 2015: Won a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Russia, earning All-Star Five honors after averaging 12.7 ppg (54.2%), 9.3 rpg, 2.0 apg and 2.43 spg in seven appearances.
 
OVERSEAS
2020-21: Played for French club Montpellier, averaging 14.7 ppg and 7.9 rpg in 14 LFB contests.
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COLLEGE
Helped Connecticut advance to the NCAA Final Four in each of her four seasons on campus, highlighted by the 2016 national championship that capped a 38-0 campaign… Overall, the Huskies won 145 of 150 games during her career (36-1 in 2016-17, 36-1in 2017-18, 35-3 in 2018-19)… Finished her career ranked 3rd in school history in points scored (2401), 4th in rebounds (1219), 7th in blocks (251) and 3rd in FG accuracy (61.3%)… Chosen as the 2019 winner of the Katrina McClain Award, given to the nation&#8217;s best power forward… Garnered First Team All-America accolades from the A.P., USBWA and Wooden Award as a senior, following a season that saw her average 20.8 ppg (61.2%), 10.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.47 spg and 1.68 bpg in 38 starts… Registered 25 double-doubles, including five games with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds… Totaled a season-high 37 points vs. East Carolina in the opening round of the AAC Tournament on Mar. 9 and snared a career-best 17 rebounds Dec. 19 at Oklahoma… Averaged 16.1 ppg (58.3%), a team-high 7.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.62 spg and 1.70 bpg in 38 games as a junior… Collected 25 points and a career-high nine assists vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) on Mar. 17, 2018… Earned First Team All-America honors from the A.P., USBWA and WBCA in her sophomore season after netting 20.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.73 spg and 2.08 bpg in 37 outings… Ranked 3rd in the nation in FG accuracy at 67.8% &#8212; the 4th-best single-season percentage in Connecticut history – and shot a career-best 43.1% (22-for-51) from three-point range and 81.8% from the FT line… Scored a career-high 39 points at South Florida on Feb. 27, 2017 and grabbed a season-best 16 rebounds at SMU on Jan. 14, 2017… Played in all 38 games as a freshman in 2015-16; she averaged 6.8 ppg (53.3%) and 5.2 rpg in 17.2 mpg… Chipped in six points and five rebounds in Connecticut&#8217;s title-game win over Syracuse on Apr. 5, 2016.
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PERSONAL
Nicknamed “Phee” … Daughter of Sarah and Gamal Collier … has two siblings, Kai and Wanza … Father played rugby at Buckingham University on England … Name the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Gatorade Missouri Player of the year.
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