PHOENIX– Game 1 of the bout between the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty didn't go as anyone would've planned. Two of the most high-octane offenses were incredibly inefficient and turnover-prone, resulting in a Liberty 76-69 win.
It wasn't the win that shocked many. Perhaps it might've been the end of the game, where Alyssa Thomas had an open shot at the basket that rimmed in and out.
However, both head coach Nate Tibbetts and guard Kahleah Copper have had their backs against the wall before, especially Copper. The latter felt something similar to the Chicago Sky in 2021, en route to her first and only WNBA championship.
She and Thomas walked into the press conference room without any real concern on their faces. Obviously, they were disappointed with the loss, but nothing too over the top.
But there was one thing Copper revealed to her teammates as soon as the clock hit all zeros.
Kahleah Copper told me how she’s not letting Phoenix’s loss dictate the mood heading to Brooklyn on Wednesday.
“It’s over. Our heads are still up. We’ll just go to New York and get one.” pic.twitter.com/Er8u2VbDsm
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) September 15, 2025
“I think just right after the game, right in our huddle, we just got right to it like ‘It's done. It's over,” Copper said postgame. “Our heads are still up, we're just gonna go to New York and get one. It's just our mentality.
“I think we have enough experience in our locker room who have been in the playoffs and been in situations. We're just giving our group tons of life and just pouring into them and just letting them know that this is what it is. This is serious.”
Mercury's Nate Tibbetts shares same sentiment as Kahleah Copper
The long-time NBA assistant has seen his fair share of playoff basketball. As a result, Tibbetts doesn't see the pressure of heading to New York and obtaining a critical win.
Even before Sunday's game, the head coach said Game 2 would be the most important. When circling back to that, the Mercury head coach doesn't see any pressure about the win.
“I think in this job, every day there's pressure,” Tibbetts said. “When you play sports, you're gonna be put in these situations. You actually live for these moments, right? You get a chance to go to the opposing team's arena and get a win.”
After all, this Mercury team did beat the Liberty three out of four times in the regular season. Still, some of those wins were without players on either side.
Sunday's game proved to be the first test of both fully healthy rosters.
However, Breanna Stewart sustained a lower leg injury during overtime in the victory. She was seen wearing a knee brace following the game, walking back to the locker room.
Besides that, Wednesday's game should be intriguing, and bring that same level of intensity as it did in the Valley of the Sun.
