Without Kahleah Copper, the Phoenix Mercury took care of business in their 81-58 win over the Seattle Storm on Saturday night at PHX Arena.
Copper, who was the third-leading scorer in the WNBA (21.1 points per game) in 2024, will be out for four to six weeks after a successful left knee arthroscopy. The Mercury ‘Big 3’ may not be together for some time, but fans were treated to a masterful game from Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, who made their presence felt in their respective first games in Phoenix.
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Sabally, a two-time All-Star who was traded to Phoenix from the Dallas Wings, scored the most points (27) by a player in their Mercury debut. She made 9-of-17 field goals, including 3-of-9 3-pointers, and had six rebounds.
Thomas, the WNBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, paced the Mercury and had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Coach Nate Tibbetts expected many players to step up for his team, which returns just two players (Copper and Natasha Mack, who will be out two to three weeks with a lower back injury) from last year’s roster.
With Diana Taurasi (retired) and Brittney Griner (signed with Atlanta Dream) no longer in the fold, the Mercury will rely on their defense and strong play from Sabally and Thomas to weather the storm without Copper.
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Here is more on how the game played out.
First Quarter
Without Copper, the Mercury needed to have big performances from Sabally, who is one of the game’s more versatile bigs, and Thomas, the all-time leader in WNBA history in triple-doubles.
The two combined for 14 first-quarter points, as the Mercury relied on two threes from Sabally and an all-around period from Thomas to build an eight-point lead.
Sabally is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. At 6-foot-4, she can handle the ball and shoot from the perimeter. Seattle’s defense struggled to guard her throughout the game. If it were not for her two fouls, she may have had an even bigger game than she did.
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Coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters the Mercury would rely on Thomas as a roller for their main offensive option. She scored the first points of the season on this spin move into a right-handed layup.
Sabally’s 3-pointer with 1:54 to go build the Mercury lead to 20-6. That was their largest lead of the first half.
Phoenix’s strong quarter was limited by two personal fouls on Sabally and five turnovers that led to nine Storm points.
Second Quarter
Take a bow, Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas.
The dynamic duo for the Mercury scored 16 of their 18 first-half points. By halftime, they combined for 30 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.
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Sabally was a team-best +9 in the quarter.
Third Quarter
The Mercury struggled collectively from beyond the arc, but their 3-point defense helped them build a lead as large as 18 in the third.
The Storm were 0-of-5 from three. Sabally and Thomas had 13 of the 19 Mercury points.
By the end of the period, six Mercury players recorded at least one steal. Combine that with Seattle’s 1-of-13 clip from three through three quarters, and you get a solid performance that Mercury coaches and fans can be happy about.
Sabally missed all four of her 3-point attempts, but the defense was enough to build a lead that Seattle never overcame.
Fourth Quarter
Phoenix’s fourth quarter allowed many of its new faces to get some run.
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Thomas credited the entire team for the win after the game. Center Kathryn Westbeld in her WNBA debut was a +16, finishing with nine points and five rebounds. She made two threes in the first quarter.
Starting guard Monique Akoa Makani was a +24 in the win, the highest of any Mercury player.
Next Up
Phoenix will play at home on Wednesday against Kelsey Plum, Rickea Jackson and the Los Angeles Sparks. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be televised by Arizona’s Family and Arizona’s Family Sports.
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