LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The WNBA playoffs have been a rollercoaster, and a potential Finals matchup between two San Antonio natives could be next.
The Phoenix Mercury clinched their Finals spot Sunday, surviving the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 86-81 in Game 4 of the semifinals, their first championship appearance since 2021.
Now, the basketball world awaits Tuesday’s Game 5 between the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces and No. 6 Indiana Fever.
An Aces win would set up a historic clash: Kiana Williams of the Mercury versus NaLyssa Smith of the Aces, two Alamo City products vying for a title.
Williams, 26, starred at Wagner High School before leading Stanford to the 2021 NCAA title in San Antonio, earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
Drafted 18th overall by Seattle in 2021, the 5-foot-7 guard joined Phoenix in June, adding backcourt depth with her 3-point shooting.
Her playoff role has been limited but steady.
Smith, 25, dominated at East Central High School, becoming a five-star recruit.
Baylor won the 2019 NCAA title and the 2021 Wade Trophy.
Drafted No. 2 overall by Indiana in 2022, she set Fever rebounding records before trades to Dallas and Las Vegas this year.
Under Aces coach Becky Hammon, another San Antonio icon, Smith averages 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Her physicality is a potential X-factor in the Finals.
A Mercury-Aces series would mark the first time two San Antonio natives face off for a WNBA championship, a nod to the city’s hoops legacy despite losing its WNBA team in 2014.
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