The Phoenix Mercury faced a tough blow Sunday with a 96-69 loss to the Connecticut Sun. As the WNBA season gets closer to the All-Star and Olympic break, Phoenix is hoping to finish the first half of the season on a positive note despite the recent setbacks.
The Mercury's struggle against the Sun was characterized by inconsistencies on both offense and defense. Connecticut's relentless pressure resulted in a dismal shooting performance from Phoenix, who managed only 28.4% from beyond the arc, hitting seven out of 25 attempts. Additionally, the Mercury's 17 turnovers converted into 21 points for the Sun, and the rebounding battle was lost 44-33.
Head coach Nate Tibbetts pinpointed rebounding as a crucial issue, emphasizing its recurring nature throughout the season.
“I think it’s the collective group, we have to be better on the glass,” Tibbetts said, per Alec Cipollini of Burn City Sports. “You are not going to win many games when you are giving up 16 second-chance points in the first half, that’s not realistic, it’s deflating. Our focus and physicality on the glass has to be way better.”
Phoenix's roster has been marred by injuries, with key players like Diana Taurasi, Natasha Cloud and Brittney Griner just returning to the lineup. Griner missed the season's first 10 games due to a toe fracture, while Rebecca Allen and Sug Sutton have faced multiple injuries, alongside other players dealing with various issues.
Mercury can learn from loss against Sun
Sophie Cunningham, a Mercury guard, believes the team can draw lessons from the loss to the Sun.
“I think this is a game where you can learn a lot from,” Cunningham said. “I think we got away from our culture quite a bit, we’ve had a lot of people in and out. Even from the start of the season, people have just been injured. There’s been a lot that has been thrown our way, hopefully we are getting this out of the way and come back from (WNBA) All-Star and Olympic break good to go. Good news is that we are not peaking too quickly. For us, it’s about our culture and getting back to what Phoenix does this year.”
With just one game remaining before the break, a matchup against the Washington Mystics, the Mercury aim to end this portion of the season on a high note. The previous encounter between these teams saw Phoenix edge out a narrow 83-80 victory on May 23. Despite a 4-8 record on the road this season, the team is determined to secure a win.
Rebecca Allen expressed the importance of the upcoming game against the Mystics.
“It’s important to get this win against D.C., we want to finish on a high especially going into a break,” Allen said. “We want to stay together and play to how we want to play, represent Phoenix Mercury basketball.”
The Mercury will face the Mystics early on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. CST.
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