The Aces secure another win over the Mercury, leading the series 2-0! Jackie Young explodes for 32 points, setting a Finals record with 21 points in a single quarter.

On October 6th Beijing time, the WNBA Finals resumed with the Las Vegas Aces beating the Phoenix Mercury 91-78, taking a 2-0 lead in the series. Jackie Young led the Aces with 32 points, notably scoring 21 in the third quarter alone, setting a Finals record for points in a single quarter.

Young’s total of 32 points matched her career playoff high, and her 21 points in one quarter fell just one point short of the WNBA playoff single-quarter record of 22. Three players have reached that mark before, the most recent being Young’s teammate Lloyd in 2021 when she scored 22 points in a quarter against the Mercury. However, Jackie Young’s 21 points remain the highest ever scored in a single quarter during the Finals.

A’ja Wilson contributed 28 points and 14 rebounds, scoring 20 points in the first half alone, while Kelsey Gray finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists.

For the Mercury, Cooper led the team with 23 points, Sabally added 22, and Alyssa Thomas, who struggled with foul trouble for much of the game, contributed 10 points.

Similar to the first game of the series where they opened with a 10-2 run, the Mercury started strong again, scoring the first 7 points. They totaled 27 points in the first quarter, but the Aces held them to just 24 points combined over the next two quarters.

From there, the Aces took full control of the game, leading 76-51 entering the fourth quarter and eventually extending the margin to as much as 22 points.

U.S. media highlighted that any team facing the Aces at their Las Vegas home court in the second game of a series, especially against coach Becky Hammon, is essentially inviting trouble. With this win, Hammon’s coaching record in this scenario improved to 9-0, with an average winning margin exceeding 17 points per game.

The third game of the Finals will take place in Phoenix, where the Aces aim to firmly seize control of the series and pursue their goal of three championships in four years. The Mercury face a tough challenge: they must win four of the remaining five games to claim their fourth franchise title — a feat that would tie the WNBA record.