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Thursday, May 15, might be one of the toughest days for WNBA organizations, and especially for the Phoenix Mercury. After head coach Nate Tibbetts raved about the competitiveness of training camp, Thursday was the tough day.
Despite a birthday celebration from Kahleah Copper, three players were not there to celebrate. Celeste Taylor, Megan McConnell, and Temira Poindexter were not a part of that celebration.
They received the news that they wouldn't be a part of the main roster. It was all the more shocking when the Mercury signed Taylor to two seven-day contracts last season.
She capitalized on the opportunity due to injuries and secured a pivotal spot in the rotation. Her best game came against the Los Angeles Sparks, where she had five steals and an emphatic block on Rickea Jackson.
That defense is something the team will need.
Still, Phoenix had to shrink the roster down from 15 to 12. It required a thorough examination and an idea of what the Mercury will look like.
Although Phoenix went 0-2 in the preseason, it was an opportunity for them to analyze. When asked about why Tibbetts cut Taylor, he gave an insightful explanation.
Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts on what led to the decision to cut Celeste Taylor. #WNBA #ValleyTogether pic.twitter.com/H9JoJVh5NQ
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) May 15, 2025
“I think when you have a competitive camp, you’re gonna have to make some tough decisions,” Tibbetts said via Desert Wave Media on X (formerly Twitter). “We really like (Taylor) as a player and as a person. Because of some of the roster stuff that is going on, we had to decide not to bring (Taylor) back.
“I really believe (Taylor) is a (WNBA) player. I think she’s gonna find a home. She’s about the right stuff. She’s super smart, competitive, so we wish (Taylor) nothing but the best.”
How did Nate Tibbetts shrink the Mercury roster?
Two preseason games were a small sample size, but what Tibbetts needed. Not to mention, the team had the entirety of training camp to figure out who would mesh.
Essentially, there were six players with nearly guaranteed spots. Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Natasha Mack, Kalani Brown, Sami Whitcomb, and Copper.
The others?
It was pure uncertainty riddled with anxiety and tons of self-reflection. While players like Alexis Prince, Alexa Held, and Kathryn Westbeld made the roster, Taylor, Poindexter, and McConnell were the odd women left out.
However, after the Mercury's 84-79 preseason loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, it presented four days between that game and the roster cuts.
Tibbetts explained his evaluation process after that loss and what he was looking for.
Nate Tibbetts was honest with me with what he’s looking for with the final roster being announced on Thursday.
“I would say who’s gonna fit next to our best players… culturally what we’re about. Are they workers? Are they team players?” pic.twitter.com/eydhN8bKSr
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) May 12, 2025
“I would say, who's gonna fit next to our best players, right?” Tibbetts said. “Culturally, what we're about. Are they workers, or are they team players? All that stuff matters. And so we've had a really good camp. We've got some tough decisions to make.
“There's still room and roster spots to be had, and so we'll look at all those things. How do they play next to our best players? How do they come to work? Are they professional?”
Will Nate Tibbetts and the Mercury regret some of the cuts?
Not every cut is a smart one. As the head coach said, though, it's about fit, and his three superstars play uniquely. Thomas is the facilitator. She's essentially the point guard, without having the official label.
Sabally is a jack of all trades. She can handle the ball, initiate the offense in the half court, be a shooter, and dominate in the low-post.
Then there's Copper, who's the most dynamic on the team. Her athleticism, confidence, and swagger rub off on her teammates and her game as a whole.
Either way, finding the right balance isn't for the faint of heart. It requires exact precision and execution, something that Tibbetts touched more on following Sunday's loss.
“As a coach, the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th player, you want to know, when you check someone in, what you're going to get right?” Tibbetts said. “It gets a little scary when you're guessing and don't know. So there are a lot of different things that we look at.”
There were no specifics, he said, about Taylor, McConnell, or Poindexter as to why they were cut. No matter what, though, he remains confident in the roster on the floor.
With the Mercury's season opener on Saturday against the Seattle Storm, the 12-person roster is set. If Tibbetts's roster decisions were well-executed, that will be the million dollar question.
