ARLINGTON— The Phoenix Mercury lost to the Dallas Wings with a score of 85-70 in Arlington on Thursday, bringing their season record to 4-10. It was another underwhelming performance by a team that has played like it is in a post-WNBA Finals hangover.
"Tonight was a step backward in terms of our approach, our togetherness, and understanding what it takes to win in this league," Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts said after Thursday's loss, the Mercury's eighth in their last ten after a 2-2 start.
The Wings went up early, leading by as many as 22, and racked up a season-high 50 points in the paint. Paige Bueckers made it look easy, scoring 24 of her 31 points before halftime.
Roster Flaws
After ending the 2025 regular season 27-17 and reaching the Finals, the Mercury were swept 4-0 by Las Vegas. The front office mostly kept the same roster, but at this rate it's worth wondering how many losses will the Mercury endure before weighing a rebuild.
Now, Phoenix is scoring 80.8 points a game, down from 82.8 last season, and its net rating has swung from +2.7 on the way to the Finals to -4.9 now.
Satou Sabally, a key part of the big three with Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper, averaged 16.3 points on 40.4% shooting in her lone season in Phoenix. After Sabally endured a concussion in Game 3 of the Finals, Phoenix didn't offer a supermax deal, so she joined the New York Liberty. While many observers expected Sabally to re-sign, she stated that the Mercury "wanted to keep their options open," and she was looking for a team "that believes in me."
Phoenix re-signed Thomas and Copper, aiming to offset Sabally's output with contributions from other players. General manager Nick U'Ren decided against targeting high-profile frontcourt players and instead intended to rely on international prospects Jovana Nogić, Noémie Brochant, and Kyara Linskens.
The results still haven't improved enough. Linskens, signed to enhance perimeter shooting, didn't play in Dallas. Other absences, including Sami Whitcomb's knee surgery recovery and Monique Akoa Makani's international commitments, have further shortened the rotation, causing Tibbetts to frequently change lineups in his third season.
Shooting Has Fallen Off
The team's weaknesses are most noticeable on offense, with a rating of 102.4 entering Saturday. Since Thomas isn't much of a jump shooting threat, the Mercury depend on their center to stretch the floor. However, this strategy failed in the game against Dallas. Thomas contributed nine rebounds and 10 assists but scored only six points on 3-for-8 shooting. Phoenix totaled just 70 points, shooting 11-of-31 in the paint.
Copper (averaging just over 15 attempts per game) has seen her shooting percentages drop to 32.8% overall and 21.8% on three-pointers compared to last season's 42.4% and 37.7% respectively. DeWanner Bonner's outside shooting has also slowed down, down to 17.2% in her first full season of her second Phoenix stint.
Overall, Phoenix is now hitting only 31.4% of its three-pointers, down from 34% last season, with the most effective shooters being role players rather than the main core: Nogić is shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc, and center Natasha Mack is making 68.6% of her inside shots.
Defense has also been a major issue throughout the season. Opponents are shooting with a 53.5% effective field goal percentage against Phoenix, one of the highest in the league, and the Mercury's defensive rating stands at 107.3, 11th in the league after placing fifth last season.
"Our on-ball defense wasn't connected tonight, that's for sure," Bonner said after Dallas shot over 52% from the field on Thursday. "They were getting downhill pretty easily."
In Dallas, Lexi Held led the bench with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and was the only Phoenix player to finish with a positive plus-minus, emphasizing where the scoring mainly comes from.
What Comes Next
If the Mercury remain below .500 into July, the front office will be unable to dismiss the slump as something a minor move can rectify. Thomas is the Mercury's top trade asset, averaging 14.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, and she led the WNBA in that final last season.
With a 4-10 record, Phoenix is in danger of heading to the lottery if a meaningful turnaround doesn't occur soon. At 34, Thomas could still command an intriguing trade return for the Mercury, if that were ever weighed. Phoenix has veterans in its supporting cast that could pique the interest of rival teams.
Entering the weekend, Phoenix sits 3.5 games out of the eighth and final WNBA playoff spots. Clarity could further form with a three-game homestand that tips off on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Sparks (7 p.m. PT, Arizona's Family).
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