Phoenix Mercury’s season ends in Las Vegas after playoff loss to Aces

The Phoenix Mercury’s 2022 season came to an end on Saturday night with a 117-80 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 2 of the first-round series.

After battling their way into the postseason as the No. 8 seed, the Mercury fell in back-to-back road games in Las Vegas as the Aces completed the series sweep.

It must be stated, however, that Phoenix was a heavy underdog coming into Game 2 with the likes of guards Skylar Diggins-Smith (personal reasons), Diana Taurasi (right quad) and Shey Peddy (right Achilles tendon) all ruled out prior to tip-off.

Not to mention the absence of center Brittney Griner for the entirety of the season due to her imprisonment in Russia after being arrested in February for bringing cannabis oil vape cartridges into the airport, which weighed heavily on the team all year.

Forward Kaela Davis led the way for the Mercury with 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 30 minutes played off the bench.

Phoenix guard Diamond DeShields also added 21 points, two assists, two steals and one board in 22 minutes. No other Mercury player was in double figures.

Compare that to the Aces, who had all but one starter reach the 10-plus points mark, with guards Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum leading the way with 27 and 22 points, respectively. Gray also had a game-high eight assists.

Scottsdale native and Phoenix head coach Vanessa Nygaard finished her first season at the helm with a 15-21 regular-season record.

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