3 insane things that happened at the end of Mercury-Storm playoff game

The ending of Sunday’s Mercury-Storm elimination playoff game was absolutely insane. 

The second-round game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm was everything fans could have hoped for plus much more. Yes, the Mercury pulled out with an 85-80 win but it did not come easy nor without the exhilarating turbulence of overtime.

To get to this second-round game, the fifth-seeded Mercury fought their way to victory against a young and tough Liberty team, while the Storm got to benefit from a first-round bye. With Seattle’s best player Breanna Stewart ruled out of the game and Mercury’s Diana Taurasi dealing with an ankle injury, both teams were handicapped to a degree but they poured out all they had for 45 minutes.

Here are three insane things that happened at the end of the game:

3. Phoenix kept missing free throws

While practice may not always make perfect, it does usually make one prepared — that’s what should have been the case with the Mercury and their late-game free throws, but it surely didn’t seem like that. The team went 2-of-7 from the stripe in the fourth quarter, including two misses by Skylar Diggins-Smith with 40 seconds left on the clock, which could have given Phoenix the go-ahead lead.

In overtime, it didn’t get a whole lot better. Brittney Griner missed a pair, Taurasi split at the line and finally, Kia Nurse made both of her attempts. The Mercury got the grind out an overtime win, but for a team that shot nearly 80% from the line during the season, they made it harder on themselves.

2. Jewell Loyd could not make a shot

With Stewart out, Seattle’s Jewell Loyd, as she had done many times during the season, was called to carry the offensive burden for the defending champions. She averaged 18 points per game and shot 38% from three during the season and put up 37 points against Mercury in the regular-season finale. Tonight, she scored 15 points but went 5-for-24 from the field and missed all seven of her attempts from downtown.

The Mercury were determined to sniff out anything Loyd tried to do tonight and they did it with various defensive assignments. Diggins-Smith picked up a lot of the coverage on Loyd in the second half, routinely forcing her into tough shots that often missed their intended target. Loyd went 2-16 in the second half and overtime.

1. Did Taurasi and Bird play their last game?

In what may have been their last WNBA battle, Taurasi got the win over her longtime best friend, opponent and occasional teammate, Sue Bird. The two shared a heartwarming moment at the end of the game together as Bird discussed what was next. However, during the game, the two WNBA legends battled their hearts out.

Bird hit timely shots during the fourth quarter to keep Seattle in the game then created opportunities for her teammates during overtime. Taurasi on the other hand scored six points in overtime, including a huge three that was followed up by a tough turnaround jumper that put the Mercury up 80-78.

The Mercury’s win vaults them into the semi-finals where they’ll play either the Aces or the Sun.