Mercury trounce Aces by 33 on champs' ring day
Key takeaways
- LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Aces got their 2025 WNBA championship rings before Saturday afternoon's season opener.
- The Mercury, who were swept by the Aces in the WNBA Finals last year, won 99-66 at T-Mobile Arena.
- "I hate ceremonies like this," Aces' star A'ja Wilson said.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Aces got their 2025 WNBA championship rings before Saturday afternoon's season opener. But then the Aces' bling day turned into the Phoenix Mercury's blowout day.
The Mercury, who were swept by the Aces in the WNBA Finals last year, won 99-66 at T-Mobile Arena. It was the biggest opening-day winning margin ever for Phoenix, one of the WNBA's original franchises, dating to 1997. It also was the largest loss by a defending champion in its season opener in WNBA history.
"I hate ceremonies like this," Aces' star A'ja Wilson said. "Obviously, you want to enjoy it, but there's a whole business side of the issue to take care of. It's hard to compartmentalize that at times. I wish we could do [a ceremony] afterward. It's just very hard to separate the emotions -- on both sides."