🌵 Layup Lines: Historic comeback

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA.

• Scheduling note: With the league off today and tomorrow, we’ll be back in your inbox Friday to break down both Game 3s.

This 498 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

1️⃣ - 1️⃣ So much for that sweep

• Midway through the third quarter last night, it seemed like Phoenix’s season was on the brink of ending. Instead, the Mercury pulled off just the second 20-point rally on the road in playoff history, per ESPN Research, to win 89-83 in OT.

  • The Lynx got really sloppy with a big lead and Phoenix finally started hitting 3-pointers, with the perpetually underrated Sami Whitcomb making a late one to tie the game.

  • The Lynx got just three total points off the bench and might be missing injured guard DiJonai Carrington more than expected.

• In the late game, the Aces returned to form by pummeling the Fever, 90-68.

  • While Indiana coach Stephanie White was frustrated with the refs despite the Aces being called for more fouls (22-19), this is just a really hard team to beat when players like Jackie Young (13 points on 5-11 shooting) and NaLyssa Smith (18, 7-9) are efficient in complementing A’ja Wilson (25 points, 9 rebounds).

• In the gambling streets, I went 1-2 by finding essentially the only way to not make money on the Mercury win (taking them +4 in the first half). We’re now 6-9 in the playoffs. On to Friday!

👀 Looking ahead

• Game 3 flips to the home courts of the lower seed and will be on ESPN2 — we have Las Vegas @ Indiana (7:30pm ET) and Minnesota @ Phoenix (9:30pm).

  • We’ll break down the matchups more on Friday, but keep in mind that Game 4 is also at the lower seed — so the Fever and Mercury both stealing one of the first two road games means they can head to the Finals by sweeping their home games.

🧢 Quote of the day

• The Brondello firing continues to ripple through the league — especially after Alexa Philippou reported on ESPN yesterday that the Liberty might have let her go last year had they not won the title.

  • It’s believed that Becky Hammon (Las Vegas) and Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix) are the two WNBA coaches who make $1M+ per season. Don’t be surprised to see New York join that list with a big, splashy, out-of-nowhere hire.

    • My wild take: GM Jonathan Kolb at least calls Tom Thibodeau.

⭐️ Pic to go

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. I very much appreciate you reading and will see you back here Friday.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor