Phoenix Mercury rout Las Vegas Aces 99-66 to spoil ring ceremony
The Phoenix Mercury avenged their WNBA Finals defeat by thrashing the Las Vegas Aces 99-66 on Saturday, spoiling the defending champions’ ring ceremony at T-Mobile Arena.
The 33-point victory represents the largest opening-day winning margin in the Arizona franchise’s history, dating back to their inception in 1997.
It also marks the heaviest season-opening defeat ever suffered by a defending WNBA champion.
A bittersweet afternoon for the champions
The hosts were presented with their 2025 WNBA championship rings before tip-off, celebrating the sweep they inflicted on Phoenix last season.
However, the celebratory mood quickly faded as the visitors dominated proceedings on the court.
“I hate ceremonies like this. Obviously, you want to enjoy it, but there’s a whole business side of the issue to take care of.” – A’ja Wilson
Aces star A’ja Wilson, who led her team with 19 points, admitted it was difficult to separate the emotions on the day.
The four-time Most Valuable Player acknowledged that their opponents carried extra motivation following a painful offseason of reflection.
Nogic shines on historic debut
While returning stars Alyssa Thomas and Natasha Mack anchored the visitors with 20 points and 15 rebounds respectively, a highly anticipated debutant stole the spotlight.
Serbian guard Jovana Nogic, playing her first WNBA game at the age of 28, poured in 19 points for the Mercury.
Her arrival highlights the impact of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, which offers higher salaries to attract elite international talent.
“This is a player who hasn’t come over because maybe it wasn’t worth it, money-wise. The bump in salary, hopefully, is a reason for some of these European players to start coming over.” – Nate Tibbetts
Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts praised the international rookie’s immediate impact on the court.
Nogic expressed her gratitude for her team-mates, stating they helped alleviate the pressure of her American debut.
Looking ahead
Thomas, who narrowly missed out on a triple-double by adding nine assists to her 20-point tally, emphasised the importance of starting the new campaign strongly.
“You don’t forget what happened last season. But at the same time, it’s the beginning of a new season. For us, it was about setting the tone.” – Alyssa Thomas
For the defending champions, attention now turns to finding their rhythm before they raise their third championship banner at Michelob Ultra Arena on 23 May.