Rookie Jovana Nogic made a stunning WNBA debut on Saturday, scoring all 19 of her points before halftime as the Phoenix Mercury cruised to a 99-66 victory over the host Las Vegas Aces.
The 28-year-old Serbian guard hit her first four 3-point attempts, igniting a dominant performance from the Mercury (1-0) in a rematch of last season’s WNBA Finals. All five Phoenix starters reached double figures, led by Alyssa Thomas with a game-high 20 points. Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner each added 13 points, while Natasha Mack posted 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Las Vegas (0-1) struggled offensively, relying heavily on reigning MVP A’ja Wilson and veteran guard Jackie Young. The pair combined for 26 of the Aces’ 35 first-half points. Wilson finished with 19 points, Young added 12, but no other Las Vegas player reached double figures until NaLyssa Smith (11) and Chennedy Carter (10) scored in garbage time.
Phoenix built a 21-point lead by halftime, spoiling the Aces’ 2025 championship celebration. Nogic’s fourth 3-pointer just before the break capped a first-half blitz, and the lead only grew from there. She hit two triples during a critical 14-2 run that spanned the first four minutes of the second quarter. In one standout sequence, Nogic buried a 3-pointer, intercepted a pass on defense, and fed Bonner for a transition assist, pushing the Mercury’s lead to 41-23 with 5:52 left in the half. The advantage never dipped below 15 the rest of the game.
Thomas and Bonner fueled a 19-2 run to close the third quarter, extinguishing any hope of a Las Vegas comeback. Thomas dished nine assists and grabbed six rebounds to go with her scoring output. Kianna Williams came off the bench to drain three 3-pointers and score 11 points. She was one of four Mercury players with multiple steals—joining Mack and Nogic (two each)—while Thomas swiped three as Phoenix forced Las Vegas into 17 turnovers, converting them into 19 points.
