With one month remaining in the regular season, there’s more urgency for the Phoenix Mercury to build momentum for the upcoming postseason.
And one upcoming game could have big implications for a qualifying spot in the standings.
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After playing nine games in 19 days, the Mercury took a much-needed four-day break before the Friday, Aug. 15, matchup against the Las Vegas Aces.
The Mercury at 19-12 are fourth in the WNBA, which means they currently have home court advantage in the first round. But the Aces are hot on their heels at fifth.
“This is the great time of year,” coach Nate Tibbetts said. “We put ourselves in position to have home court advantage, but we’re going to have some good wins and tough losses in the next 13 games. You want to keep fighting, and we have a lot to play for. It’s an exciting time.”
The Mercury and Aces split their first two meetings in June and have two more remaining. Winning the season series would secure a potential tiebreaker that could be crucial down the stretch.
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“In the second half, every game is a statement game,” Kahleah Copper said. “Also, looking at the standings, it’s a big game… Every single game is a big game. (The Aces are) hot. People doubted them. They put their head down and went to work and went on a five-game winning streak, so just credit out to them. I’m just ready to go out there and continue to win in the second half of the season.”
After going through an up-and-down start, the Aces have found their stride. They have won five straight and seven of their last 10 games.
Since the Aces took guard Jewell Loyd, who was acquired via a blockbuster trade, out of the starting lineup, she’s averaged 15.5 points and 5.0 field goals on 10.6 attempts through eight games. In the 25 games as a starter, Loyd averaged 10.4 points and 3.6 field goals on 9.8 attempts.
In contrast, the Mercury had a hot start despite injuries, but have gone through rough patches after the All-Star break. Over the last 10 games, they are one of two top-seven teams to have a losing record (4-6).
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The Mercury aren’t where Tibbetts needs them to be, but he’s not doubting they can find their rhythm before the regular season ends.
“I thought we made a really good step against Indiana, and then we didn’t play as well as we needed to against Atlanta,” Tibbetts said. “They’re a good team and they’ve had our number this year. We were still in position to have a chance. I think we still have better basketball ahead.”
After a dismal performance against Atlanta, Tibbetts admitted his team looked “tired.” He added at practice that his team needs to find ways to help each other offensively.
“Teams are playing us a little bit differently now as the season has gone on. (We need to be) playing with force and continue to share the ball,” Tibbetts said. “I think we have that mentality, but we’re trying to find it in different ways. We’ve been super good defensively and I’m proud of where we are, but there’s always little things. Defensive rebounding, guarding without fouling and can we take away more 3s each game.”
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The Mercury’s final slate of games includes teams vying for a playoff spot and unresolved season series on the line, including the Seattle Storm, Golden State Valkyries, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty and Indiana Fever.
With all the movement going on for potential matchups, Copper admits that the team has been checking the standings more recently.
“I think the first half of the season, it wasn’t not important, but it was not as important as it is now moving into the playoffs,” Copper said. “We’ve definitely been talking about it and trying to put the emphasis on what’s important. I’ll check it after games to see where we fall, who we’re close, who we need to get away from.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces could impact 2025 playoffs
