When the WNBA Finals teams were decided earlier this week, was there any matchup more touted than the one between Alyssa Thomas and A'ja Wilson?
The two have squared off in the Finals before, with Wilson coming out on top as the Aces strode past the Connecticut Sun in four games to capture the franchise's first banner. But that was a different time, and these are different players.
Wilson, with one more ring and two more MVPs since that last showdown, is widely viewed as the most unstoppable force in the women's basketball world, capable of dominating the game on both ends at unprecedented levels.
Thomas, with two All-WNBA first-team selections (and another set to come this year) to her name since 2022, is the league's answer to a LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo, parlaying her size, scoring acumen, vision and defensive IQ into a two-way force.
Though it looked like Thomas would come away with the upper hand in Friday's opening duel, Wilson's inevitability won out in the end, as she finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to help her Aces earn a tight 89-86 Game 1 win.
With the game hanging in the balance in the final quarter, Wilson scored six points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out an assist and blocked a Sami Whitcomb three-point attempt, proving her prowess on both ends and reminding fans why she's a four-time M'VP.
That wasn't the story of the full game, though. Thomas looked in control for much of this one, as the 33-year-old offensive mastermind finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 7-of-10 from the field, with Wilson defending her for much of that.
Thomas was dominant in the first half, especially, nullifying much of what makes Wilson great on the defensive end. Because of Thomas's ability to set up the offence as a forward, Wilson was forced to guard her away from the paint, which she usually patrols with an iron fist.
Wilson was forced to pick Thomas up beyond the arc, allowing the rest of the Mercury's forwards to have free rein down low, leading to free layups or quick ball movement to the perimeter after the Aces rotated in help.
But the Aces moved to a zone defence in the second half, allowing Wilson to play more off the ball and shut down the paint for the Mercury's cutters and drivers. Suddenly, the open lanes were overshadowed by Wilson's mammoth presence, forcing the Mercury into contested looks or into miscues — which the Aces took advantage of, netting 20 points off turnovers.
Then, on the final possession with the Mercury down three, the Aces went back to a healthy helping of man defence. Wilson matched up with DeWanna Bonner, the least threatening offensive piece on the floor, so as to flex her muscles in help defence should it be needed. The Aces held out, with Chelsea Gray getting into Satou Sabally's final shot, forcing the miss and securing the win.
Overall, it was an appetizer into how these teams, and in particular, how these two players could match up for the rest of the series: Thomas setting up the offence from beyond the arc and dragging Wilson out, and Wilson using her size to recover to the paint and shut down the Mercury's incredible ball movement.
How sweet it is to potentially get six more games of this.
Aces show strength in numbers
By Wilson's standards, 21 points is an off-night. But there's a reason why the Aces went after microwave guards like Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans in the off-season.
The duo were the perfect sparkplugs for the Aces, combining for 39 points off the bench on 16-of-29 from the field and 7-of-13 from long range.
Evans, in particular, had one of her best games in an Aces uniform at the perfect time. The diminutive point guard was unconscious in the fourth quarter, hitting three triples and grabbing a steal on Thomas with five minutes left. She finished the game with five threes and four steals, becoming the first player in WNBA Finals history to do so.
It was exactly what the Aces needed, as the usually productive Jackie Young finished with only 10 points on 3-of-13 from the field and 0-of-6 from deep and Chelsea Gray only managed eight points — albeit still dishing 10 assists.
While Evans poured it in from range, Loyd showed off her speed in off-ball actions, jetting around the Mercury's defence to find open layups served on a silver platter from Gray and Wilson.
When the Aces' offence was sputtering in the first half, Loyd was the team's safety valve, netting eight points in the frame to keep it tight.
By contrast, the usually dependable Mercury bench couldn't find a rhythm, as Bonner finished the game shooting 4-of-13 from the field and Whitcomb went 2-of-8, leading to a massive 41-16 in bench points between the two sides.
Copper, Mercury in their element
Don't let the struggles and sluggishness against zone defence fool you — the Mercury offence was absolutely buzzing in this one.
More commonly known for their defensive aptitude, coming into the Finals as the league's No. 1 playoff defence, the Mercury's offensive game plan was stellar in the first half in particular.
As alluded to earlier, Thomas's ability to steer the offence as a six-foot-four big-bodied forward was Wilson's kryptonite for much of this one. With Wilson unable to roam the paint, the Aces leaned on NaLyssa Smith down low, who got into quick foul trouble with two calls in 10 seconds in the opening minutes.
Past Wilson, the Mercury hold the size advantage in this matchup, and they pressed that button a ton early on, with Thomas feeding the ball to Sabally down low.
Against a smaller lineup for the Aces in the first, Sabally got the switch onto Loyd for the easy foul and sank both from the line. On the next offensive possession, Sabally got the ball in the post against Gray and backed her down for another foul. Then, one more time for good measure, the German forward cut inside on a weakside ghost screen for an open layup. Just like that, it was 10-2 Mercury.
For the rest of the game, the Aces did well doubling Sabally when she got into the post, preventing her from getting those easy looks, but once help did come for the forward, the Mercury swung the ball around with ease.
Enter Kahleah Copper, the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP, showing just how she came away with that title.
The 31-year-old was lights out from range, netting catch-and-shoot looks off dribble-drive penetrations and kickouts from Thomas, drilling in transition off dribble handoffs and sinking shots with hands in her face like a horse with blinders.
Though Copper is usually considered a great conductor of electricity, she was instead the benefactor of the Mercury's incredible offensive scheming in this one. The question now becomes how they keep that going for a full 40 minutes once the Aces' defensive scheme adapts.
