WNBA Dimes
Hosted by Cookie
About This Episode
Generated sports podcast with host Cookie based on prompt: Daily WNBA news. Scores, highlights, and general news. Call it WNBA Dimes
Transcript
Hey! It's Cookie O'Clock! Welcome to "WNBA Dimes," your one-stop shop for all things WNBA, where the games are sizzling and the commentary is even hotter. I’m Brooke, your tour guide through the wild and wonderful world of women’s basketball. Let’s dive into the action, shall we?
First up, a heart-stopping Game 3 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena, where the Las Vegas Aces squeaked past the Seattle Storm with a 74-73 victory. Picture this: The Aces trailed by five at halftime, but came roaring back in the second half. A’ja Wilson was just magical. She matched her playoff career high with 38 points—38! Not to mention, she carried the team on her back in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points after the break. Meanwhile, Jackie Young proved to be the hero with her late go-ahead put-back. Chelsea Gray also chipped in with 12 points and eight assists. The Aces booked their seventh straight semifinal appearance. Lucky number seven, anyone?
As for Seattle, even with Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler dropping 16 points each and Skylar Diggins adding 13, they couldn’t withstand Wilson’s spectacular dominance and the Aces' late 11-2 run. It was thrilling to watch, even if it was a nail-biter for Storm fans.
Now, let’s jet over to the Footprint Center where the Phoenix Mercury turned up the heat against the defending champ, New York Liberty, with a 79-73 win. Alyssa Thomas was on fire, recording her fifth career playoff triple-double. Satou Sabally dazzled as well, dropping 23 points and scooping up 12 rebounds. And let’s not forget Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner’s contributions that helped Phoenix dominate the boards, 49-33.
Breanna Stewart did her best to carry New York, scoring 30 points and tallying the Liberty’s last 14. Sabrina Ionescu added 22 points, but the rest of the team hit a cold patch in the fourth quarter, shooting just 6-for-28 from the field. Ouch! Phoenix now advances to face the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx.
Let’s talk MVP finalists, shall we? The league has narrowed it down to five standout stars. A’ja Wilson of the Aces is headlining, thanks to her league-leading 23.4 points per game. Napheesa Collier from the Lynx, Alyssa Thomas of the Mercury, Allisha Gray from the Dream, and Kelsey Mitchell representing the Fever round out this stellar group. The winner will be crowned during the WNBA Award Night, so stay tuned!
Now, let’s peek at the semifinals coming up. Las Vegas will battle the Indiana Fever, who’ve been riding high on Kelsey Mitchell’s career-best efforts despite missing MVP finalist Caitlin Clark. Over in Minnesota, the Lynx are set to clash with Phoenix, riding high after that triumphant game against the Liberty.
Alright, folks, that wraps up this episode of "WNBA Dimes." Thank you for joining me on this fantastic hoops journey. Keep those snacks ready, because the semifinals are about to serve up some serious action. Until next time, stay fabulous and keep loving the game. This is Brooke, signing off with a wink and a swish. Catch you on the court!
## Game 3 Recap: Las Vegas Aces 74, Seattle Storm 73
In a do-or-die first-round Game 3 on Thursday night (Sept. 18, 2025) at Michelob ULTRA Arena, the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces edged the No. 7 Seattle Storm 74–73 to advance to their seventh straight WNBA semifinal berth. The Aces trailed by five at halftime (33–38) but outscored Seattle 41–35 in the second half, capped by a late-game heroics from Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson. ([aces.wnba.com](https://aces.wnba.com/news/game-recap-youngs-late-put-back-gives-aces-74-73-win-over-seattle-las-vegas-advances-to-7th-straight-semifinals?utm_source=openai))
- A’ja Wilson tied her playoff career high with 38 points on 14-of-27 shooting, added five rebounds, and carried Las Vegas in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 of her points after halftime. ([aces.wnba.com](https://aces.wnba.com/news/game-recap-youngs-late-put-back-gives-aces-74-73-win-over-seattle-las-vegas-advances-to-7th-straight-semifinals?utm_source=openai))
- Jackie Young contributed 14 points, including the go-ahead put-back with 12.4 seconds remaining, and Chelsea Gray added 12 points and eight assists. ([aces.wnba.com](https://aces.wnba.com/news/game-recap-youngs-late-put-back-gives-aces-74-73-win-over-seattle-las-vegas-advances-to-7th-straight-semifinals?utm_source=openai))
- For the Storm, Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler each scored 16, and Skylar Diggins chipped in 13 points, but Seattle could not overcome Wilson’s dominance or recover from a late 11-2 Aces run in the final five minutes. ([aces.wnba.com](https://aces.wnba.com/news/game-recap-youngs-late-put-back-gives-aces-74-73-win-over-seattle-las-vegas-advances-to-7th-straight-semifinals?utm_source=openai))
The Aces will face the No. 6 Indiana Fever in the best-of-five semifinals beginning Sunday, Sept. 21, in Las Vegas. ([fever.wnba.com](https://fever.wnba.com/news/schedule-set-for-indiana-fever-vs-las-vegas-aces-in-2025-wnba-semifinals/?utm_source=openai))
## Game 3 Recap: Phoenix Mercury 79, New York Liberty 73
Also on Friday night (Sept. 19, 2025) at Footprint Center, the No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury eliminated defending champion New York Liberty 79–73 in a back-and-forth Game 3 to claim their first playoff series victory since 2021. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/wnba/recap/_/gameId/401820324?utm_source=openai))
- Alyssa Thomas recorded her fifth career and ninth of the season playoff triple-double, tallying 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Her clutch play late in the fourth quarter helped Phoenix pull away. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/wnba/recap/_/gameId/401820324?utm_source=openai))
- Satou Sabally added 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Kahleah Copper contributed 12 points and nine boards. Sami Whitcomb chipped in 13 points, and DeWanna Bonner grabbed eight rebounds to become the all-time playoff rebounding leader with 614 boards. Phoenix dominated the glass 49–33. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/wnba/recap/_/gameId/401820324?utm_source=openai))
- New York was paced by Breanna Stewart’s 30 points (including the Liberty’s final 14 points of the game) and nine rebounds, while Sabrina Ionescu finished with 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists. The rest of the Liberty combined to shoot just 6-for-28 from the field in the fourth quarter. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/wnba/recap/_/gameId/401820324?utm_source=openai))
Phoenix advances to the semifinals to meet top-seeded Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Sept. 21. ([new.cbssports.com](https://new.cbssports.com/wnba/news/wnba-playoff-bracket-where-to-watch-schedule-scores-tv-channel-as-mercury-beat-liberty-to-advance-to-semis/?utm_source=openai))
## 2025 WNBA MVP Finalists Revealed
On Friday, the WNBA announced the five finalists for the 2025 Most Valuable Player award, with voting to conclude on Sunday, Sept. 21. The finalists are:
- A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces): led the league in scoring at 23.4 points per game, averaged 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists, and shared Defensive Player of the Year honors. She also helped power Las Vegas to an 18-win surge to close the regular season and a 16-game win streak. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/wnba-mvp-be-announced-sunday-five-finalists-revealed--flm-2025-09-19/?utm_source=openai))
- Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx): became the second player in WNBA history to shoot 50/40/90 (FG%, 3PT%, FT%) for a season, while averaging 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/wnba-mvp-be-announced-sunday-five-finalists-revealed--flm-2025-09-19/?utm_source=openai))
- Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury): led the league in assists at 9.2 per game, while contributing 15.4 points and 8.8 rebounds. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/wnba-mvp-be-announced-sunday-five-finalists-revealed--flm-2025-09-19/?utm_source=openai))
- Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream): averaged 18.2 points per game and emerged as a finalist for Most Improved Player. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/wnba-mvp-be-announced-sunday-five-finalists-revealed--flm-2025-09-19/?utm_source=openai))
- Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever): averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game and has been the Fever’s offensive anchor in Caitlin Clark’s absence. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/wnba-mvp-be-announced-sunday-five-finalists-revealed--flm-2025-09-19/?utm_source=openai))
The winner will be announced during WNBA Award Night on Sunday.
## Semifinals Preview & Schedule
The WNBA semifinals begin Sunday, Sept. 21, with two best-of-five series:
- (2) Las Vegas Aces vs. (6) Indiana Fever: Game 1 in Las Vegas at 3 p.m. ET on ABC; Game 2 Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN; remaining games split between Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Michelob ULTRA Arena as needed. ([fever.wnba.com](https://fever.wnba.com/news/schedule-set-for-indiana-fever-vs-las-vegas-aces-in-2025-wnba-semifinals/?utm_source=openai))
- (1) Minnesota Lynx vs. (4) Phoenix Mercury: Game 1 Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN; Game 2 Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN; further games on ESPN2/ABC if necessary. ([new.cbssports.com](https://new.cbssports.com/wnba/news/wnba-playoff-bracket-where-to-watch-schedule-scores-tv-channel-as-mercury-beat-liberty-to-advance-to-semis/?utm_source=openai))
The Fever will be without MVP finalist Caitlin Clark (right groin), who was not active on their postseason roster, but have surged behind Kelsey Mitchell’s scoring. Meanwhile, the Aces and Mercury will look to ride momentum from Friday’s dramatic wins into deeper postseason runs. ([talksport.com](https://talksport.com/basketball/3562129/wnba-caitlin-clark-injury-return-indiana-fever-playoffs-aces/?utm_source=openai))
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