Phoenix Mercury teammates DeWanna Bonner (No. 24), Sha Carter (No. 20) and Natasha Mack (No. 4) celebrate during the game against the Portland Fire on June 5. (Photo- Phoenix Mercury)
PORTLAND, Ore. — Just four days after the Phoenix Mercury lost its sixth consecutive game at home, they won two straight games over the Seattle Storm (72-68) on Wednesday and the Portland Fire (78-72) on Friday.
Two of the stars, forward Alyssa Thomas and guard Kahleah Copper, were unavailable for the Mercury in Friday’s game due to injuries.
“Once the season gets going, it just keeps coming,” head coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters in the pregame.
Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner came in clutch for Phoenix at a crucial time, leading the team while being everywhere on both ends of the court. She recorded 19 points, three three-pointers made, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks in the team’s victory.
“It was just a good opportunity for everybody else to get some confidence and get some reps in, so everybody just stepped up,” Bonner said postgame. “We knew we had to step up, but our bench can be matched up with a lot of benches, well, a lot of teams in the league. We just got great players, but it was just an opportunity, and everybody’s going to take advantage of that.”
Mack & Akoa Makani Became the X-Factor in Mercury’s Last Two Wins
What stands out to Tibbetts is how she has seen center Natasha Mack improve on her pick-and-roll defense and score aggressively in the paint since the offseason.
Throughout the game, Mack shot 63.6 percent from the field and had 16 points and four rebounds for the Mercury as she continued to be consistent on both ends of the court.
“Her confidence level is rising; she played well tonight, but the thing that I was most proud of is her communication,” Tibbetts said. “I thought in the first half, especially, she really had a voice, and when you’re a defensive center, an elite defensive center, you’ve got to have a big voice, and it’s hard to talk when you’re out of shape. The last couple of years, she hasn’t been in great shape, and I think you know, again, credit to her—she’s in elite shape, and when you’re in great shape, you can talk, and she did that tonight.”
In 30 minutes of action, she tallied 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and a blocked shot—demonstrating her all-around impact as the Mercury continue to build momentum this season.
“Mo, this is her second year, so I feel like she got her feet under her a little bit better, and just understanding how the league works, and she was huge for us on the defensive end in general,” Bonner said. “We play off of her because she’s at the top of the defense every single night, but we rely on her for that, and she answers every time. When you see someone play that hard, you want to be behind them and do the same, so shout out to Mo for that.”
How Sha Carter Made a Difference for the Mercury
With Thomas and Copper unavailable, the Mercury gave rookie forward Sha Carter some playing time to help the team. She has stepped up, recording two points and three rebounds, all on the offensive end, and helping set the tone for Phoenix to win the game.
“Sha (Carter) just came in and gave us some big plays at the right time, where the momentum could have changed,” Bonner said of Carter. “She came and got some offensive rebounds. She got the and-one. She just changed the game for us. So just super happy (for her).”
Despite not seeing the shots fall from the three-point line, rookie guard Jovana Nogic led the Mercury in total assists with six while recording nine points, two rebounds and two steals.
When being asked about which basketball player she looks up to for her ability to pass, Nogic said, “Definitely Magic Johnson. That’s my favorite player,” and would put on highlights to watch on YouTube growing up.
After winning two consecutive games on the road to start the four-game road trip on the West Coast, the Mercury are 4-8. They have another challenging stretch, facing the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday and the Dallas Wings on Thursday.
“It’s been a tough start for us,” Tibbetts said. “I mean, I don’t think any of us are ducking or hiding that momentum, and belief is real, and you’ve got to have it to be a good team, and you need these kinds of wins throughout a season.”
Game notes: DeWanna Bonner became the only player in the league to record 15 or more points, five or more rebounds, five or more assists, two or more steals and three or more blocks this season, per the Phoenix Mercury on X.
Per digital reporter Shane Young, “The Mercury assisted on 80% of their made baskets. Phoenix forced 22 turnovers, a season-high for their defense, while scoring 23 points off those Portland giveaways.”
