As the WNBA playoffs are less than a month away, the Phoenix Mercury are in the thick of the hunt. Sitting as the No. 6 seed, the Mercury gear up for a five-game homestand, their longest of the season.

They also open their stretch against the New York Liberty, who hoist the league's best record at 25-5. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts explained the joy of playing consecutive games in front of the home crowd, via Desert Wave Media. 

“It's like our vibe is good, we're as healthy as we've been,” Tibbetts said pregame. “I think everyone's excited to be sleeping in their own beds and seeing their family and actually probably getting away from one another a little bit. We're ready, we'll see how it goes tonight, but I think we're a confident group.”

Nate Tibbetts remains confident in Mercury

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts smiles during the second quarter against the Seattle Storm at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Sunday, June 16, 2024.
Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Phoenix has every reason to be confident. They handed the Liberty one of their five losses on the year back on June 18 in Phoenix. Six Mercury players scored in double figures and both teams combined for a WNBA record-setting 33 three pointers.

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Even with that high number, Phoenix has decreased its three ball, in part to Brittney Griner. The two-time defensive player of the year has averaged 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game since the all-star break. Tibbetts recognizes the change of play to accommodate not just Griner, but the players around her.

“When we throw it down there, I think we're finding ways to get threes, so I like where we're at in the paint or threes obviously,” Tibbetts said. “In Atlanta, (game one), we completely settled for way too many mid range (shots). I think our team understands that when we're when we're really good, it's when we're living in the paint and we're shooting threes.”

Phoenix thrives from beyond the arc, as they hoist the fourth-most attempts per game with 26.1. However, they also have the fourth-best percentage with 34.1%. The inside-out game with Griner dominating the paint and players like Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper and Rebecca Allen torching from beyond-the-arc makes it very difficult for teams to defend. Still, Tibbetts doesn't want to get complacent and recognizes the tough challenge ahead.

“We've got our eyes towards the end, but like each game here this homestand is going to be tough,” Tibbets. “And so this is the first step in those tough games and we've had good games against the Liberty and you know they're coming off a loss, so I'm sure they'll be ready.”

After taking on the Liberty, the Mercury will next face the Minnesota Lynx.