The Mercury were never favored, with just a 10.7% chance to reach the WNBA Finals against Minnesota’s 89.3%. But in Game 1, a dazzling 47-point first-half showed they weren’t ready to give up. Though it wasn’t enough, as the Lynx made a comeback and Game 1 was a loss for the Mercury. Still, none of them pointed fingers and none placed blame. They knew they had what it took. Despite predictions and Minnesota’s 3-1 regular-season record over them, the Mercury bounced back, defying expectations with an overtime victory in Game 2.

The motivation came from being underestimated. As Alyssa Thomas said, “I appreciate when they don’t pick us because, you know, that’s just added fuel, added motivation. And we know the type of people we have in this locker room,” she shared during a September 25 i

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