The Phoenix Mercury have officially secured their spot in the WNBA Finals, marking their sixth championship appearance and their first since 2021. The team achieved this milestone after a hard-fought 86-81 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of the semifinals, winning the series 3-1.

This season marked a new era for the Mercury, who entered with an almost completely revamped roster. Only Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack returned, while new additions like Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas formed a promising core. Despite early-season questions due to injuries and an inexperienced supporting cast, the Mercury embraced an underdog mentality. Coach Nate Tibbetts emphasized the team’s resilience: "No one has had expectations for us except ourselves."

The Mercury’s playoff journey showcased their tenacity. They first overcame the defending champion New York Liberty in a 2-1 series win, highlighted by a 26-point road victory. Their semifinal series against Minnesota was equally dramatic. After losing Game 1, Phoenix rallied from a 20-point deficit in Game 2. Game 3 was contentious, with Napheesa Collier suffering an ankle injury and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve ejected and suspended.

In Game 4, Phoenix entered as the favorites but faced a nervous start, trailing by 14 points in the first quarter and 13 entering the fourth. The team responded with a dominant 31-point fourth quarter, outscoring Minnesota 31-13 to clinch the series. Tibbetts reflected, "We could have just said, 'We'll go to Game 5 in Minnesota and figure it out' ... but we kept fighting. That's what we do... good things happen."

The victory set multiple WNBA records. The Mercury became only the third team in playoff history to overcome a 13-point deficit entering the final period and the first to overcome multiple 14-point deficits in a single series.

Individual performances were pivotal. Alyssa Thomas posted 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting with 10 assists, becoming the first player in league history to record 20 points and 10 assists in multiple series-clinching wins in a single postseason. She also notched her 28th career playoff double-double, the most in WNBA history. Satou Sabally contributed 23 points, while Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner added 13 points each, with Bonner sinking two crucial 3-pointers in the final quarter.

The players reflected on the journey. Bonner noted, "It's hard to get here. It's hard to get to the Finals... I've only been to the Finals three times. That's how hard it is to get back here." Thomas shared her championship aspirations: "That's been my goal: trying to get a championship." Sabally added, "I think we are [playing] at 99 percent. Winning it, proving it, then I'll say we're at 100 percent."

General Manager Nick U'Ren was credited for the roster overhaul and building team chemistry, which proved crucial in key moments. The Mercury now has five days to prepare for the best-of-seven Finals, awaiting the winner of the other semifinal between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces. During this time, the team plans to address its tendency for slow starts, having trailed after the first quarter in three of their four games against Minnesota, despite their remarkable comebacks.