PHOENIX – After an exuberant All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, the Mercury were back at Mountain America Performance Center for practice Monday. With the second half of the season approaching, the team is settling in for a strong finish to the season.
In his second season at the helm, Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts has led the team to the third-best record in the league. The Mercury are 15-7 and four games behind the Minnesota Lynx for the best record.
The team will open up the second half of the season Wednesday at home against the Atlanta Dream and former Mercury All-Star Brittney Griner, who will bring her annual Heart and Sole shoe drive in her first game back in Phoenix.
Entering the season, outside expectations were low. ESPN projected the Mercury to finish with only 19 wins, the same number they had the previous season. They are four games away from surpassing the prediction.
Tibbetts has led the team to a strong start despite injuries to each member of their big three, Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, as well as notable rotation pieces such as Lexi Held and Natasha Mack.
The team has built its identity around defense, pace and spacing. The Mercury, along with the Liberty, lead the league in 3-pointers made per game at 10. They average the second-most attempts from deep in the league behind Golden State, boast the third-best defensive rating and the fifth-best offensive rating in the WNBA.
“We know we can score, but we want to be able to rely on our defense,” Copper said. “The first thing was defense. Everyone followed the energy of ‘yeah, we’re going to guard,’ and really taking pride in that.”
Entering this season, defense was the Mercury’s calling card. While fans and analysts were excited by the potential offensive capabilities of this team, Phoenix was keying in on its defensive mindset. At the break, the Mercury are holding their opponents to 42% shooting, fourth-best in the league. They also allow the sixth-fewest points per game.
“Defense was a focus coming into the season,” Tibbetts said. “I thought we set the tone in training camp. Coach (Michael) Joiner has done a hell of a job each and every day pushing and challenging us to be great on that end of the court. Our group is bought in.”
Phoenix’s versatility has allowed it to be a threat on the defensive end despite a series of injuries throughout the first half of the season.
The Mercury are amid a potentially historic season from long range. Approximately 35.8% of their points come from beyond the arc. Before Tibbetts arrived, the Mercury averaged eight 3s or more per game just four times in their 29-year history. If the season were to end today, Phoenix and New York would become the fourth and fifth teams in WNBA history to average 10 or more 3-pointers per game.
This milestone would mark a franchise-best season from deep for the Mercury; meanwhile, this would be the fourth time Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty have averaged 10-plus 3-pointers per game.
The Mercury’s historic long-range shooting isn’t just a franchise record. They’re currently attempting the fourth-most 3-pointers and making the fifth-most 3-pointers per game in WNBA history.
Spearheading the Mercury’s long-range assault this season is guard Sami Whitcomb, who was making 2.2 3-pointers a game heading into the All-Star break.
“We want to shoot 3s,” Whitcomb said. “We know that we want to, that’s been our M.O: defense, 3s, at the rim – and the coaches and the organization put together a team that’s got phenomenal shooting. When we can play defense well enough that we can get those stops and get running … that’s kind of how we’re going to generate those threes.”
The Mercury were big on surrounding Thomas with shooters that could play off her. Whitcomb has seemingly found success playing with Thomas. Tibbetts has encouraged his players to embrace their green light from deep, motivating the entire team to pull up from beyond the arc.
“I think the league is moving that way,” he said. “Last year, we talked about shooting the three and wanting to be aggressive with that. Part of coaching professional basketball is being able to adjust to the team you have. Part of our strength is shooting.”
The Mercury have five players – Whitcomb, Copper, Monique Akoa Makani, DeWanna Bonner and Kiana Williams – shooting 35% or better from 3 on 2.8 or more attempts per game heading into the break.
Bonner, the newest yet most tenured Mercury player, has had a tumultuous start to her 16th season in the WNBA. She began the year with the Indiana Fever, playing just nine games before the two parties came to a mutual breakup.
After being waived by the Fever, Bonner signed a deal to return to Phoenix, the city she had called home for 11 seasons before departing in 2020. In her initial run with the Mercury, Bonner won Sixth Player of the Year three times, helping her team win two championships and earning All-Star honors three times.
Bonner has been crucial in her first three games with the Mercury. She’s averaging 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on 54% shooting.
In the Mercury’s latest win against Golden State, Bonner led the team in scoring and finished with a double-double, putting up 22 points and 11 rebounds.
“She brings an easiness to the group,” Tibbetts said. “She’s seen everything. She can play the three, she can play the two, she can play the four. She hasn’t even played the five for us yet, but she’s going to do that.”
During the three-day All-Star break, Thomas and Sabally spent time hanging out with their All-Star companions and taking part in the WNBA’s crucial CBA negotiations. While Thomas missed the initial CBA meeting, she joined her All-Star teammates in donning the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts during pre-game warmups.
“It’s exciting that we’re all unified like this,” Thomas said. “Hopefully, we can continue to make progress.”
In the game, Thomas and Team Collier defeated Team Clark by a score of 151-131. Off the bench, Thomas had 6 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in only 13 minutes. Sabally did not play due to a nagging ankle injury.
“Team Collier, we came to play,” Thomas said. “It was just a lot of fun and a great atmosphere. It’s even better when you walk away with a win.”
While Thomas and Sabally spent their time in Indianapolis, their Mercury teammates opted to remain in Phoenix or spend time visiting family and friends. Tibbetts, who joked earlier this season about wanting to take some time away, noted how this midseason reset could be beneficial.
“It’s a great time for everyone to step away and take a deep breath and get ready to finish the season,” Tibbetts said. “I think everyone has their own plans and approach.”
But with just three days of rest before returning to practice on Monday, Mercury center Natasha Mack noted how the quick turnaround isn’t quite an ideal match when it comes to the WNBA’s scheduling.
“It’s kind of hard when they got these games scheduled back-to-back,” Mack said. “I’m going to try my best to relax my body but not get too comfortable because as soon as we start back, we’ve got a game.”
With the break in the rearview mirror, Phoenix will shift its focus to the busy second half of the season.
After Wednesday’s game, the Mercury will make trips to New York, Washington, Indiana, Atlanta and Chicago. Their next home game won’t take place until Aug. 5 against Connecticut.
“When we come back, it’s time to go to work,” Tibbetts said. “We’ve got to have a great finish to the season.