"All that just to get swept by the fever": Fans react as Mercury advance to WNBA Finals by ending Napheesa Collier and Lynx's title aspirations

On Sunday, the Phoenix Mercury eliminated the Minnesota Lynx by securing an 86-81 victory in Game 4. With Napheesa Collier out due to injury and Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve suspended for her behavior in Game 3 the Mercury took advantage and earned a trip to the WNBA Finals.

Following the Mercury's Game 4 victory, fans took to social media to post their reactions. Some fans expressed their skepticism towards Phoenix's chances to win it all, while also questioning how they won their semifinal series against the Lynx.

"all that just to get swept by the fever," one fan tweeted.

Meanwhile, other fans expressed their support for the Mercury, who have defied expectations by booking the first Finals seat this year.

"LEST GO!!!! BRING IT HOME!!!!!" one excited fan tweeted.

To the Lynx's credit, they shot a serviceable 41.6% from the field and committed just six turnovers compared to the Mercury's 12 errors. However, the free throw discrepancy ended up coming into play as the Mercury went 17-for-23 while the Lynx had just nine free throw attempts, eight of which they made.

Minnesota, in fact, raced off to a 25-14 first quarter and seized control off the halftime break, taking a 68-55 lead at the end of the third quarter. However, Phoenix would unleash a strong finishing kick, scoring 31 points in the final frame while limiting the Lynx to 13 points.

Now, the Mercury are waiting to see whether the Las Vegas Aces or the Indiana Fever will emerge from their semifinal bracket after Game 5 on Wednesday.

"Not a lot of people thought I was a great hire": Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts expresses gratitude to team executives for showing trust in him

After the game, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts reflected on how far he has come in just two years of coaching the team. In particular, he thanked GM Nick U'Ren, CEO Josh Bartelstein, and team owner Mat Ishbia for placing their trust in him.

"I gotta pinch myself sometimes just because of the opportunity that Nick, Mat, and Josh gave me to come here to take a chance. Not a lot of people thought it was a great hire," Tibbetts said at the post-game media availability. "That's okay. We're building this thing, it's still early, but I think we're getting the respect around the league."

Tibbetts was named Mercury head coach back in October 2023. His squad went as far as the first round of the playoffs last year, but this season, he and the Mercury have a chance to compete for the WNBA title.

About the author

Simoun Victor Redoblado is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over 12 years of experience writing for publications such as Collider, ALL-STAR Magazine, and Sir Charles in Charge.

Simoun has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, Major in English and Minor in journalism. Thanks to the journalism courses that he took, Simoun understood the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling in the context of sports writing.

Passionate for the UP Fighting Maroons, Simoun is a fan of the NBA, PBA, UAAP, and FIBA.
His childhood team was the Chicago Bulls and Simoun was a longtime supporter of the Houston Rockets because his friends would say he looked like Yao Ming.

Simoun loves the systematic, tactical movement of the ball and the players, the stories behind each individual competing on the hardcourt and most of all, how basketball is a sport for life and all its struggles and lessons.

A father of two, Simoun spends his free time with his kids.

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Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado