The Phoenix Mercury staged a stunning comeback in Game 2 of their WNBA semifinal series against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. The game was worth every second as they rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit to win in overtime and tie the series at 1-1.
The Valley crowd had quite an outburst as the Mercury fans mocked Jonas Brothers after their concert got rescheduled. However, the star guard Sami Whitcomb took over the arena with her heric three-pointer only to win honest praise from coach Nate Tibbetts.
Nate Tibbetts Gets Honest About Sami Whitcomb Saving Him
In the game, Phoenix came flying. After giving it all away in Game 1 of the series, the Mercury had all the good reasons to take it back. Star guard Sami Whitcomb’s clutch three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left forced the extra period, saving a broken play and earning high praise from head coach Nate Tibbetts.
However, HC Tibbetts didn’t sugarcoat his gratitude for Whitcomb after her game-tying three-pointer forced overtime in the Mercury’s epic rally against the Lynx. While giving Sami her flowers, he went a little too openly about how she saved him. Tibbetts earlier emphasized the critical home game before the WNBA Playoffs, and now that they are into one, it only keeps giving.
Nate Tibbetts on the last play of regulation let it be known Sami Whitcomb saved his ass with an incredible shot. pic.twitter.com/R0txIHE3H9
— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) September 24, 2025
During the post-game presser, the coach acknowledged Whitcomb “saved my a**” while disarming the Lynx’s master plan against the team’s defense. However, this victory, the third-largest in WNBA playoff history, shifts momentum to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4 at PHX Arena.
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Tibbetts’ halftime fury lit a fire under his team, which responded with a 47-35 second-half surge, much of which came from Satou Sabally’s 24 points.
Nate Tibbetts’ Phoenix Mercury Crushes Lynx
Tibbetts, in his first playoff run as Mercury head coach, couldn’t get more honest in giving due credit to his team’s star players. And they deserved every bit of this, though. With a full-proof plan in work, the Mercury bailed out of his misread, turning a potential 0-2 hole into home-court fire for Games 3 and 4.
He was “fired up” after his Mercury, erasing a 20-point deficit, which was also the biggest road rally in postseason history.
For Phoenix, Satou Sabally led with 24 points and nine rebounds, including 11 in the fourth, while Alyssa Thomas notched her 27th career playoff double-double. The Mercury’s bench outscored Minnesota’s 25-3, with Whitcomb’s heroics sealing the rally.