On Tuesday, the Phoenix Mercury faced off against the Las Vegas Aces in a thriller that stayed close through the second half. The Aces improved to 2-0 throughout the preseason with a victory over the Mercury by just one point.
Deja Kelly’s Impact Coming Off the Bench
Guard Deja Kelly, who signed a training camp contract with the Las Vegas Aces after going undrafted in this year’s WNBA Draft, scored 15 points and recorded two assists while shooting 71.4% from the field off the bench.
Kelly also made the game-winning basket, contributing to the team’s victory on A’ja Wilson’s special night.
“I think it’s just a sense of gratitude for this opportunity—to be able to play in this arena on (Wilson’s) special night, in front of all these fans, wearing this jersey,” Kelly said after Tuesday’s game. “Overall, it’s just taking advantage, seizing the moment and really just embracing an opportunity.”
Her 3rd Grade Dream Board
“Hard Work Pays Off! Deja Kelly arrives in 2025!”
Indeed you have, R🤩🤩KIE!
So proud of you, @dejakelly25 !
Keep going…💫 https://t.co/kq1fJwXNRI pic.twitter.com/zdFkLLmVFC
— Theresa Nunn (@tnunn1325) May 7, 2025
When Kelly was in third grade, she created a vision board that showcased her goal of making it into the WNBA. The poster included the phrase, “Hard work pays off. Deja Kelly arrives in 2025!” Just 13 years later, it has all come true.
“That is something that I have honed and focused on since I was young,” Kelly said on Media Day Thursday. “My mom really instilled that in me—making a list of goals and visualizing. I started that at a young age, hence making that dream board.”
Aaliyah Nye’s Contribution to the Aces
The Aces are pleased with rookie guard Aaliyah Nye’s progress and contributions during the preseason. She brings defensive intensity and takes pride in her defense.
Nye enjoys the opportunity to learn and develop under veterans such as Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Jewell Loyd.
“Knowing that I put the work in to be able to shoot those threes,” Nye said Thursday. “Obviously being a shooter, you have to think about the next play. So that’s something that I’ve tried to tell myself, like, if a shot is not following, just think about the next play, or how I can impact the game in other ways.”
Aces head coach Becky Hammon states that finalizing the roster is challenging due to the difficult cuts, as she recognizes the talent among the training camp players. On Wednesday, Las Vegas has waived forward Queen Egbo and guard Harmoni Turner, who was selected at 35th overall in this year’s draft by the team out of Harvard.
“It’s their job to make my life difficult, and they’re making me make tough choices. That’s for sure,” Hammon said Tuesday. “But everybody that we’ve brought in has played solid basketball. So this is absolutely my least favorite part of the job. I don’t like it, and it’s really hard.”
“There’s only so many spots, and it just becomes a numbers game. I’d like to keep all of them. It’s just not doable, and until (the WNBA) adds roster spots, it is what it is.”
Alexis Prince and Kathryn Westbeld Impress the Phoenix Mercury Coaching Staff
The Phoenix Mercury had a busy offseason, transitioning from one of the oldest teams in the WNBA to one of the younger teams. This change followed the retirement of longtime guard Diana Taurasi, who stepped away from the game after 20 seasons.
Nate Tibbetts and his coaching staff’s key players are reserve guard Alexis Prince and forward Kathryn Westbeld, who helped keep the Mercury competitive despite the narrow one-point loss to the Aces.
“I’m a little bitter just because I was guarding (Deja Kelly) at the end there,” Westbeld told the media Tuesday. “It was really good just to get up and down the floor, and now we’ve all been working really hard. The whole Phoenix Mercury organization has done a really good job of building such a good culture and everyone from the starters till the last one on the bench— did a really good job of just staying together and being one as a team.”
Westbeld won a national championship with Notre Dame in 2018, alongside current Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and current Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey. Since then, she has participated in training camp with the Los Angeles Sparks and played for various teams overseas.
Now, Westbeld is back in the WNBA, but this time, with the Phoenix Mercury.
“I’ve been playing overseas for six years now, so I feel like I’m a new player,” Westbeld told reporters in Phoenix Thursday. “Coming out of college, I had a stacked team. I had (Arike Ogunbowale), Marina (Mabrey), Jess (Shepard), and Jackie. I was a good role player for Notre Dame. Being able to play overseas and develop my own game a lot, I feel a lot more confident coming into this training camp, and it’s great place to be so happy to be here.”
It’s a Full Circle Moment for Alexis Prince and the Phoenix Mercury
Prince, selected 29th overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2017 WNBA Draft out of Baylor, played for the team under former head coach Sandy Brondello during her rookie season. Now, eight years later, it is a full-circle moment for her with the franchise.
Prince played for 15 minutes of action, scored 10 points, and grabbed four rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the field.
“It was good to actually get out and play, (and) see how everything works,” Prince said. “It’s different when you practice in and where you get on the court. So just to be out there and able to execute some things was good.
Tibbetts praised Prince and Westbeld for their contributions to the Mercury against the Aces on Tuesday, highlighting their size in the position.
“They’ve got good positional size,” Tibbetts said. “They both can shoot it between the 2 of them they got up six threes, which is great. They both can drive the basketball. You know that neither one has is played a ton of minutes at the W level. They both have had really good camps, and they were productive here tonight.”
The Las Vegas Aces will not play again until Saturday, May 17, when they travel to Barclays Center to face the reigning WNBA champions, the New York Liberty. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Mercury have one more preseason game at home on Mother’s Day, where they will take on the Golden State Valkyries.
