Phoenix Mercury’s Defensive Shift Meant CHECKMATE For Lynx In game 2 of WNBA Semi-Finals

The Phoenix Mercury, led by Alyssa Thomas, served up a defensive checkmate of sorts to ultimately win game two.

Midway through the abbreviated best five series in round two, Nate Tibbetts and company ultimately decided it was best for the team to go with a different defensive coverage that would flatten out a lot of the actions Minnesota likes to get to.

In that, they were ultimately able to complete a historic 20-point comeback all in the second half of a pivotal game two, add more to that in game three, and ultimately win a third game in a row to close the series in four.

In my game two keys to a Mercury win, I noted they would need to be more nuanced and varied to lead the dance of the game, defensively.

Exactly what was the coverage shift defensively? How did it come about? What did it look like?

Tap in with Stephen PridGeon-Garner as he dives into the details of the Phoenix Mercury’s defense, spearheaded by Alyssa Thomas, and what Game 2 entails for them in the future in this series. Follow the show on Twitter at @PHNX_Mercury, and him at @StephenPG3.