The Phoenix Mercury ousted the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx with an 86-81 victory on Sunday in Game 4 of the semi-finals, sending Phoenix to their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2021.

It was a back-and-forth affair, as Minnesota led by 11 points after the first quarter before Phoenix rallied to tie the game at half-time.

The Lynx then went ahead by 13 points after three quarters, but the Mercury stormed back again and outscored Minnesota 31-13 in the fourth.

Alyssa Thomas led the way for Phoenix with 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and Satou Sabally poured in 21 points.

THE PHOENIX MERCURY ARE FINALS BOUND!!! pic.twitter.com/laUjSy6rYr

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 29, 2025

The Lynx, who lost to the New York Liberty in a decisive Game 5 in the WNBA Finals last season, played without injured star Napheesa Collier and suspended head coach Cheryl Reeve.

Reeve served a league-imposed suspension for her conduct and comments during and following Minnesota’s 84-76 loss in Game 3.

A furious Reeve was ejected from Friday’s 84-76 defeat after Thomas stole the ball from Collier and made a layup with 21.8 seconds remaining to seal the Mercury's win.

Collier was injured on the play, and Reeve received her second technical foul after running onto the court and confronting the officials.

Collier, the runner-up for WNBA MVP, hurt her ankle and had to be helped to the locker room.

Kayla McBride scored 31 points for Minnesota on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to get the Lynx back to the WNBA Finals.

It will be the Mercury’s sixth trip to the Finals after winning championships in 2007, 2009 and 2014 and coming up short in 1998 and 2021.

"Let's go! Let's go get it, let's go get it," veteran Mercury guard Kahlea Cooper exclaimed to head coach Nate Tibbetts as Phoenix celebrated on the court after the win.

The Mercury will face the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever or the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces after Indiana defeated visiting Las Vegas 90-83 earlier Sunday to force a decisive Game 5 in their semi-final series.

Game 5 is set.

see y'all in Sin City. pic.twitter.com/8qOLW6WDXM

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 28, 2025

Kelsey Mitchell scored 25 points and Aliyah Boston had 24 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for Indiana, who are a win away from a trip to the WNBA Finals despite being without injured players Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, Sophie Cunningham, Damiris Dantas, Chloe Bibby and Sydney Colson.

“We over me. That’s been our identity the entire season,” Boston said. “We all we got, we all we need.

“We’ve stuck with it … everything you do is for the betterment of the team.”

Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 31 points, nine rebounds, four steals, three assists and three blocked shots, while Jackie Young chipped in 18 points and Chelsea Gray scored 12.

The Aces are trying to return to the WNBA Finals for the first time since winning back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, while the Fever’s last Finals appearance came in 2015.

Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday in Las Vegas.