Phoenix Mercury forwards Valeriane Ayayi (No. 11) and DeWanna Bonner (No. 24) celebrate during a matchup against the Seattle Storm. (Photo: Adrianna Peralta | The Podium Finish)
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury played one of their best, complete games of the season, blowing out the Seattle Storm, 93-73, to end the four-game skid in front of the home crowd at Mortgage Matchup Center on Saturday.
During the game, six Mercury players scored in double figures—including four starters and two reserves—fueling dominance on both ends of the court. This balanced attack helped Phoenix bounce back after dropping its previous four games, three of which were narrow defeats.
“Everyone’s here for a reason. Do what you do and do it well,” said guard Kahleah Copper, who recorded 17 points, two three-pointers made, seven rebounds, and two assists for the Mercury, in an interview with sideline reporter Brooke Weisbrod on ABC.
In the first quarter, both the Mercury and Storm went neck-in-neck before Phoenix outscored Seattle 62-37 in second and third quarter to secure the win at home.
Valeriane Ayayi Records her First career Double-Double for Mercury
Phoenix Mercury forward Valeriane Ayayi (No. 11) warms up before a matchup against the Seattle Storm on June 20. (Photo: Adrianna Peralta | The Podium Finish)
Heading into Saturday’s game, the Mercury were shorthanded on the guards, as they recently lost Kiana Williams, who was on a developmental contract, to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Additionally, Phoenix was without guards Jovana Nogic (personal reasons), as well as Monique Akoa Makani and Sami Whitcomb (injuries). With the team in need of a spark from the bench, a French Olympian answered the call, making a significant impact in relief.
Forward Valeriane Ayayi recorded the first double-double of her career and was one of the key contributors for the Mercury in their win. Playing nearly 22 minutes of action, she scored a career-high 18 points, drilled two three-pointers, and grabbed 11 rebounds for Phoenix, impressing head coach Nate Tibbetts and the coaching staff.
“(It’s a) big one,” Ayayi said postgame. “It feels good, everything feels good. At some point, I started doubting myself, but then I was like, I know how to play basketball, I know what I can bring to this team. I need to be patient, (and) I need to keep working on the practices.
“This is what I did. And then my time came today. Today was me, but tomorrow it can be somebody else. And this is what I love about this team, is that we have that much time that we don’t need to worry, we’re going to have a great night.”
As she became efficient off the bench for the Mercury, Ayayi became the second player in the WNBA to record 15 or more points and ten or more rebounds off the bench this season, joining Connecticut Sun forward and league standout Aneesah Morrow.
While continuing to find her footing with Phoenix, Tibbetts and the team are impressed with the work ethic, leadership, and determination she brings throughout the season.
“Valou’s been around,” Tibbetts said of Ayayi. “She’s the captain of the French National Team. She’s a really good player. It hasn’t got off to a great start for her. I know it hasn’t been easy. I told her in front of the group, and I’ve told her, individually in our conversations,
“I’m just really proud of how she’s continued to work. Even in our video sessions, when she’s not played much or not played at all, she’s spoken up. This is why you just keep working. You wait for opportunities, and tonight, her minutes were up, and she performed. So, I’m really happy for her to have some success and just proud that she stayed with it.”
Noemie Brochant Records a Double-Double for Mercury
Phoenix Mercury guard Noemie Brochant (No. 1) during a game against the Seattle Storm at Mortgage Matchup Center. (Photo: Adrianna Peralta | The Podium Finish)
Another French player, rookie guard Noemie Brochant, also had a career day in the Mercury’s win, becoming a capable scorer, a two-way player, and a playmaker since being inserted into the starting lineup in late May.
She shot nearly perfectly from the three-point line, making four of her five attempts, and had a double-double of 16 points and ten assists for Phoenix, as she provided a boost on the offensive end.
“I arrived at the end of training camp, so it was hard at the beginning, but the girls helped me a lot, and that’s where the confidence comes from,” Brochant said.
During the practices, her Mercury teammates praised Brochant for the perseverance and consistency she brought to the team since her first game.
When asked about Brochant’s efforts for Phoenix on both ends of the court, Ayayi was pleased to see her progression from coming off the bench to starting in her first year in the league.
“I’m kind of like her big sister,” Ayayi said of Brochant. “Sometimes I’m teasing her, but I’m really proud of what she’s doing. She’s always making the right play, shooting when she needs to, passing when she needs to. When everybody was cheering, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s just her.’ She’s a great defender as well, so for me it’s just awesome to witness her growth in this league. I’m really proud of her.”
Mercury Progressing Game By Game Despite Rough Start
After improving to 5-12 of the season and snapping a four-game losing streak, the Mercury continues to make progress and build consistency while finding the right rotation.
In the pregame, Tibbetts brought up the meeting he held for Phoenix before facing Seattle and mentioned they’re just right there but need to clean up mistakes in crunch time.
“We had that talk, what you just brought up yesterday with the group in our last three losses, besides the Dallas game, we’re right there with three minutes to go,” Tibbetts said pregame. “It’s a one-point game in Golden State with three minutes to go, to tie the game against LA, and it’s a five-point game with three minutes to go against Vegas.
“And putting yourself in position for games is an important part of this league, but you have to actually go out and do it. We got to keep believing, you got to put yourselves in those positions, and now we got to make that step to get over the hump.”
Just a season ago, the Mercury punched their ticket to the WNBA Finals while utilizing the underdog mentality with just two returning players from the 2024 season. This season, Phoenix brought in six returning players while building on continuity and recruiting talent overseas.
Forward DeWanna Bonner, who recorded 10 points and four rebounds off the bench, mentioned to reporters on Tuesday that the team is still figuring out its identity. She also brought up that some players with overseas experience are experiencing playing professional basketball in the United States for the first time.
“We had a tough time as a team,” Ayayi said. “It was difficult for all of us. I don’t feel like my personal case was really a personal case. I really feel like that was just the team struggling to find the rhythm. Everybody was trying to find their own position to find what they could bring to the team on the court. So, obviously, tonight was a better day for me, but it was a better day for the team, and this is the only thing that I want to keep.”
Tibbetts Sends Positive Message to Mercury’s Fanbase
The Mercury prepares for a three-game road trip in Indianapolis and Toronto before having six days of rest and recovery.
Tibbetts brought up how challenging it is for Phoenix to go through adversity and growing pains at the start of the season.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s tough when you’re losing, right?” Tibbetts said. “To sell hope before this game, to me, just looking back at the last six games, I feel like we’ve actually played pretty well, better. We had one tough game in Dallas, that was the end of an 11-day road trip, and they smacked us pretty good. But other than that, we were in three close games against three really good teams. And so, part of it is just willing to stay with it as a group, but that’s a tough sell when you take some Ls when you’re used to winning. So, you need these days.
“These are the days that give you hope. These are the days that you’re happy you’re playing at home in front of the X-Factor. I’ve just been blown away by how the X-Factor has continued to support us even though we haven’t played as well as we’ve wanted to, but I think there is still time. There is still time. And our group has been continuing to work. I’ve been very pleased with our practices, the focus and determination, and the willingness to continue to get better. You know, we can’t settle. We have to keep working, and we’re doing that.”
The Phoenix Mercury will face the Indiana Fever twice on the road at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, starting on Monday at 7 p.m. CT
Game Notes
Mercury’s defense held the Storm to 35.7 percent (25-for 70) from the field, which was the lowest by Phoenix’s opponent this season, while winning in the following categories: rebounds (41-26), assists (26-17), points in the paint (34-30), and fastbreak points (14-11).
Mercury improves to 2-0 of the season when six or more players score in double figures; Valeriane Ayayi led Phoenix with 18 points, Kahleah Copper had 17 points, Noemie Brochant recorded 16 points, Lexi Held scored 11 points, DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Mack had ten points apiece.
