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Does defense win championships? Perhaps Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts feels that way. However, defense helped the Phoenix Mercury take care of business against the Washington Mystics on Sunday.
It was a brutal game from both sides. After all, the Mystics made head-shaking WNBA history with 30 turnovers (18 in the first half), while the Mercury shot 33.3% from the field.
However, 15 steals to Washington's four was a major indicator of the tenacious defense. As Tibbetts took the podium following the game, he unveiled some specifics of how their defense won the game.
“I don’t know why we missed those layups,” Tibbetts said. “I know if we made those layups, we should’ve been up by 20 at half. “That’s why I’m so happy about the win is that we just didn’t give in to poor offense, and we kept fighting, and I think we guarded for 40 minutes.”
Brittney Sykes made only one shot on 13 attempts. However, she connected on seven of her eight free throw trips. Still, it was the Mercury's defense that made life difficult.
So much so that Sykes slapped the ball out of Monique Akoa Makani's hands in frustration after a stoppage of play. That was a microcosm of Phoenix's gritty defense. Still, there are specifics that Tibbetts feels the team could be better at.
Nate Tibbetts points out Mercury's success and flaws on defense
It's only the third game, but Tibbetts has a high standard for his team. He understands the Mercury's championship expectations and the franchise's history.
Also, acquiring Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and having Kahleah Copper for another season forms a lethal Big 3. While the latter is out with a knee injury, the two stars have carried the boat.
Still, the team is built on a defensive foundation. While the 2025 and 2024 teams are vastly different, this team might not have won a game like this.
No matter what, Tibbetts described his team's defensive identity, but how that over-aggressiveness is something they'll need to be mindful of.
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Picked Nate Tibbetts’s brain about being intelligently aggressive on the defensive side.
“My biggest issue is when we get in the bonus or get to four fouls and don’t understand… I think we’re doing a good job of impacting and challenging shots.” pic.twitter.com/0ajjoJ3XI9
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) May 26, 2025
“We want to compete on every possession, sometimes that leads to fouls,” Tibbetts said. “My biggest issue is probably when we get in the bonus or get to four fouls and don't understand. Like, Mo (Monique Akoa Makani) picked up a foul maybe with 2.5 minutes to go on the 4th, and they had four fouls.
“We didn't do a good enough job on the bench of letting her know that. So that was on her end and us, mostly me. But we want them to play aggressively and we want us to be smart. I think we're doing a good job of impacting and challenging shots. Like I said our bigs have been active in the pick and roll. Everything we want to do is as aggressive as that end.”
How does “The Engine” see the Mercury's defense vs Mystics?
As soon as Thomas arrived in The Valley, she brought one thing with her: defense. Throughout training camp and even at media day, defense is a non-negotiable.
While Sunday's game went back and forth, defense wasn't a question. Thomas explained postgame how that foundation counteracted the team's offensive woes.
“Credit to our defense. I think if we don’t have that, we might not win this ball game,” Thomas said. “Our offense and how we weren’t able to hit shots tonight, it was tough. But 30 turnovers, that’s the difference maker in the ball game.”
The Mercury will take on the Chicago Sky on Tuesday, and hope to secure a fourth win. They'll hope that the offensive woes don't continue. At the very least, though, the defense will continually be a point of emphasis.
