The Phoenix Mercury falling to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals might not have been a big surprise to anyone. For people watching the game, it was strange how they squandered a lead. But it wasn't strange to Kahleah Copper and Nate Tibbetts.
Both saw the Aces switch to a zone defense that gave them problems throughout the regular season. However, the first half was a much different story.
Phoenix was using an inverted pick-and-roll to give Alyssa Thomas the chance for an easy basket or for her teammates. Funny enough, Copper tied a Mercury franchise record with five made 3-point shots in the opening half.
After that, Las Vegas didn't let Phoenix obtain anything easily. That zone defense became a nuisance, and it forced a barrage of shots late in the shot clock and squandered possessions.
Following the Game 1 loss, Tibbetts gave credit to the switching zone that was the Aces' defensive focal point.
“They went zone. We got up (by) nine, and they went zone. Kind of made us stand a little bit,” Tibbetts said via Desert Wave Media Co. “I thought we had some good looks. Give them credit for mixing up their defense.
“I thought it was a good adjustment. We didn’t handle it well, and that was part of the reason she didn’t get as many shots in the second half as them going to that zone.”
Kahleah Copper was discrete following Mercury's loss to Aces
The defense became an immediate problem, which allowed Las Vegas to claw back into the game. As a result, the last three minutes of the game were a constant back-and-forth.
While the Aces ultimately pulled away with the win, it hasn't phased Copper in the slightest.
“It’s a game of runs,” Copper said. “I think we did a pretty good job understanding and handling the runs. I think just down the stretch, they made the plays. They made the plays; we didn’t.”
Speaking of plays, the final play of the game was stymied by Las Vegas. It was originally drawn up to get Copper a clean look from beyond the arc or at the basket.
However, center Kiah Stokes immediately switched onto Copper when she called for a screen. At that moment, it forced the Mercury to panic, and result in a forced and missed Satou Sabally 3-point shot.
Tibbetts explained in more detail what transpired on the final play.
“We ran a play to get (Copper) a look,” Tibbetts said. “They did a good job of switching out and we had one more option off of that. They switched. I probably should have ran out and called another time-out with about six seconds to go. It made it a little tougher that it was at the other end, but they made a good defensive stand there.”
The common denominator: the Aces switching zone defense. The Mercury will have minimal time to prepare, as they'll face off again on Sunday inside the Michelob Ultra Arena.
