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PHOENIX– After the Phoenix Mercury were in a six-game winning streak, it was eventually snapped on Sunday, courtesy of the Las Vegas Aces. Phoenix fell 84-81 in a tightly contested game that head coach Nate Tibbetts knew would happen.
Throughout the winning streak, he emphasized that the team will undergo some adversity. Safe to say that took place in the final game of June.
Aces superstar A'ja Wilson dropped a 26-point and 18-rebound double-double. The former MVP showed her dominance, but it was Vegas's poise that kept them in the game.
Following the loss, Tibbetts elaborated more on how a loss like this can have a silver lining.
#Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts on importance of playing in close games like Sunday #wnba pic.twitter.com/thTPSslsKh
— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) June 30, 2025
“We just need these reps, right? They did a good job. I didn't think we played at the level that we've been playing,” Tibbetts said. “When you win 6 or however many we won, we've been on a winning streak, and so we're gonna get people's best shot.
“(Las) Vegas has kind of been the standard the last 3-4 years. Sometimes, a team like that needs a game like this, and they were ready. It was a 1-point game, one possession. We're right in the hunt and there's going to be games like this.”
A 12-5 record might be better than anyone expected. There's plenty of room to grow for this Mercury squad. After all, the Mercury's death lineup of Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and Kahleah Copper have only played a combined five games together.
Mercury's Alyssa Thomas agrees with Nate Tibbetts
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If anyone understands the grind, it's Thomas. The latter has been in the thick of playoff basketball her entire career. Since coming to Phoenix, she's played some of the best basketball of her career.
Still, an elite roster mixed with new WNBA rookies can make losses like these a little more bearable– or as Thomas described it– a great test.
Alyssa Thomas answered @jeffmetcalfe when he asked if the team needs games like these.
“Absolutely… the way the playoffs is, it doesn’t matter what your record is, come playoffs.” pic.twitter.com/NSBxOp6NO1
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) June 30, 2025
“I think we need games like this. Especially the way the playoffs is it doesn't matter what your record is, come playoffs.” Thomas said. “So like I said, we have a lot of rookies. This is a great test. A learning process.
“We're still figuring each other out, learning our rotations as well. You definitely can learn from these games. We'll have a great video to watch, and we'll definitely see them again.”
Playing against a team like the Aces isn't for the faint of heart. Despite the lack of sustained success, they still have Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and head coach Becky Hammon.
They have been in the situations that Phoenix was in during Sunday's game. Through repetition, repetition, and more repetition, they can take that next step for being a legitimate playoff contender.
Luckily for the Mercury, they'll have a chance to get some more practice before heading to Dallas. They'll take on the Wings on Thursday
