Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (No. 2) during a matchup against the Seattle Storm on June 20. (Photo: Adrianna Peralta | Trippy Traveler Media)
TORONTO — Even when the team is down three guards and two starters, the Phoenix Mercury (7-13) always finds a way to fight hard, securing two tough road wins; one over the Indiana Fever (10-8), 111-109, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday and 89-80 over the Toronto Tempo at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.
Mercury’s Win Over the Fever on Wednesday
Five Mercury players scored in double figures, underscoring a collective effort in the thrilling, hard-fought win over the Fever.
Guard Kahleah Copper paced Phoenix with 28 points, including an impressive 15-of-16 from the free-throw line. Forward Alyssa Thomas contributed 24 points, four rebounds and eight assists, providing an all-around impact.
“Seriously, I couldn’t be more proud of a group, to be quite honest,” head coach Nate Tibbetts said Wednesday. “I mean, we’ve faced a lot of stuff here early in the season. A lot of change, a lot of injuries. (Natasha) Mack being out tonight, it’s been quite a journey.
“But man, we came out, and we just played our butts off tonight for the whole game. I’m just super proud of our group. We’ve lost quite a few of those games here to start the year, so for us to have that belief to see us make plays down the stretch in such a tough environment is just a credit to our group and our will.”
As the Mercury played in tough opponent atmospheres in Indiana and Toronto during the three-game road trip on the East Coast, Phoenix displayed its resilience and stayed together while empowering others on and off the court.
Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held (No. 10) after the team’s win over the Seattle Storm at home on June 20. (Photo: Adrianna Peralta | Trippy Traveler Media)
What Do the Wins Mean for the Phoenix Mercury?
Throughout the first quarter of the season, the Mercury faced adversity on the court, figuring out their new identity while building on their consistency on both ends. Over the last 10 games, Phoenix has made significant progress on those aspects of their season while implementing new players into the rotation and finishing on a high note in close games.
Guard Sami Whitcomb, who has yet to make her season debut, sent an encouraging message for Phoenix to never give up, no matter what types of challenges they face on the court, before their win on Wednesday.
“This was important; one, we’ve been battle-tested all season,” Copper said. “And before the game, Sami (Whitcomb) said something huge. She was like, ‘We still have enough right here to win this game,’ and just continuing to pour into us, and having that unwavering belief while she’s going through her own s**t. Sami is fighting to get back on the court by just having her leadership and continuing to pour into the group.
“That message before the game was really important for us to know, like, we can still do it. I mean, losing (Natasha) Mack is a huge blow for us, and what she brings for us, offensively, defensively, and just our presence, our joy, and our vibes. So, we just had to get a little more connected, and everybody had to step it up in us exactly what we did.”
Despite losing Satou Sabally and other key rotational players in the condensed offseason after their WNBA Finals run in 2025, the Mercury play their best through their duo of Thomas and Copper, who are both Olympic Gold Medalists and WNBA All-Stars.
Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner has been a bright spot for the Mercury, making an impact both as a starter and a motivator off the bench. Tibbetts and the coaching staff are thrilled with the leadership and stability her veteran presence brings to the court.
“They were high-level,” Tibbetts said what he has seen from the trio of Bonner, Thomas and Copper. “I thought they played a really good game one, to be honest, those two (of DeWanna Bonner and Kahleah Copper), and they played even better tonight. And we need them to be great, to be good, and I think that they’re ready for that.”
Kahleah Copper Surpasses Skylar Diggins for Eighth All-Time in Mercury’s Scoring List
Over the past six games, Copper has ignited the Mercury’s offense with her relentless drives to the basket and assertive scoring. According to Shane Young of the Phoenix Mercury website, she has converted an impressive 25 of 28 attempts within four feet of the rim, highlighting her dominance and efficiency in the paint.
“Shout out to (assistant coach) TC (Swirsky),” Copper said Saturday. “We have just been getting after working on my finishes. Getting downhill is a big part of my game, and so I just had to get back to it, especially early in the game, being able to get downhill, draw some fouls, and feel comfortable within the game.”
On Wednesday, Copper surpassed Skylar Diggins for eighth all-time on the scoring list in her third year in Phoenix, and Tibbetts was pleased to see how he has built his player-coach relationship since arriving in 2024.
After a rough start to the season, going through a shooting slump, Tibbetts encouraged Copper to stay aggressive and be open to shooting the ball before her career-night against the Los Angeles Sparks, and it has been working well since then.
“Obviously, everybody was making a big deal about how (Copper) was playing early in the year,” Tibbetts said on Saturday. “You’ve got to believe in the player that she’s been over the course of her career.
“She’s an elite rim attacker now. She’s done a really good job of implementing and working on her left-hand finishes; that’s something she’s extremely proud of, and she should be. She’s put a lot of work into that, so now she’s got an opportunity to go right and left, and she had some big buckets for us down the stretch.”
Two Las Vegas Aces Stars Impressed with Copper’s Progress with the Phoenix Mercury
Since being drafted seventh overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2016 WNBA Draft out of Rutgers, Copper has evolved into one of the best scorers in the paint and at the three-point line.
She also became a WNBA Champion and Finals MVP in 2021 when she was with the Chicago Sky and was a key player in Team USA’s Gold Medal run in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Two of Copper’s Olympic teammates, Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson and guard Jackie Young, were pleased to see how hard Copper can be to guard for the Mercury.
“Kah’s always gonna be Kah,” Wilson said of Copper on June 17. “I have so much respect for Kah and the way that she attacks the game, approaches the game, it’s always professional, and also a bucket. She has obviously been a three-level scorer, which is sometimes very hard to guard. So, it’s one of those pick your poison things. Her success does not come as a surprise to me, because I can only imagine the work she puts in. I’m glad they did showcase it tonight and every night. This is Kah. This is what she does.”
“She can score at all three levels,” added Young when being asked about Copper. “That’s what makes it hard to guard her. She’s a great player on both ends. She’s a leading guard whom they’re playing through. Just the ability to be able to create (and) finish at the rim.”
Next-Woman-Up Mentality for Mercury
Despite losing starting center Natasha Mack, who has been one of the key players this season, to a foot injury and Thomas to a league suspension on Saturday, Phoenix relied on its diverse offensive weapons and embraced a next-woman-up mentality, encouraging every player to step up and contribute over the last two games.
“(Natasha) Mack going down, that’s huge,” Copper said Wednesday. “You lose somebody, you gotta get closer, everybody’s gotta step up in what they do, and that’s exactly what we did today.”
One of the bright spots over the last four games for the Mercury is how forward Valeriane Ayayi has been productive off the bench on both ends, recording a career-high 20 points and six rebounds against the Tempo on Saturday.
Tibbetts mentioned how Ayayi’s versatility has been making a positive difference as she continues to get more comfortable in the coaching system.
Another positive point for Phoenix is the return of guard Lexi Held and how she has stepped up while starting in Monique Akoa Makani‘s place. She recorded 16 points and three three-pointers made against Toronto, with whom she played at the start of the season.
“We’re down some bodies, so we’re just trying to throw different things at different teams, and everyone’s committed to the game plan,” Held said. “And we’re trying to fly around and mix it up on other teams, and we’ve done a pretty good job of just communicating and being really high energy when we’re in that zone at times. We had some success with that tonight, which was important.”
After back-to-back narrow road victories, the Mercury sense their momentum building in a positive direction. The team is embracing a patient, game-by-game approach, steadily developing and learning how to turn close contests into consistent wins.
In their 30th season in the WNBA, Phoenix continues to spread positive vibes as a group on and off the court, and Tibbetts admires the winning ways he has seen from the team.
“You’ve got to keep feeling this, like when you feel it, there’s nothing like it, and that’s why I’m happy for our group, is that we haven’t felt this,” Tibbetts said. “This is what we all play for. We all play to win, and we haven’t won at the level that any of us expected; that can wear on you, and you need these wins, and to keep building and keep believing, for sure.”
The Phoenix Mercury returns to the Mortgage Matchup Center as they begin their three-game homestand, starting with the Seattle Storm on July 2.
Game notes from Mercury’s win over the Fever on Wednesday, per Shane Young: “The Mercury shot 69.6% from two last night against the Fever, marking the second-highest efficiency in franchise history.”
Phoenix scored 111 points in regulation in the win against the Fever, the most they have recorded since July 12, 2011, when they scored 112 points in the win over the Minnesota Lynx. Franchise legend Diana Taurasi led the Mercury in scoring with 27 points and five three-pointers made and had eight assists, and Bonner had 24 points and three rebounds off the bench.
Game notes from Mercury’s win over the Tempo on Saturday: Mercury recorded 10 steals off of Tempo’s 12 turnovers and turned them into 13 points.
