The end of the 2024 WNBA regular season is here, with all 12 teams playing on Thursday to finalize the standings heading into the playoffs and wrap up one of the most enterntaining seasons in league history.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics all have vital games to decide who will claim the eighth and final spot in the postseason, the Phoenix Mercury host the Seattle Storm in a showdown of two teams who clinched playoff spots and have pride on the line.
The Storm are 2-1 against the Mercury this season, with both wins coming in Seattle. The Mercury were able to knock off the Storm 87-78 on June 16 in the Valley.
But as both teams prepare for the Western Conference clash Thursday, two Olympic gold medalists are questionable for their respective WNBA squads.
Mercury star Kahleah Copper (Back) and Storm guard Jewell Loyd (Right Knee) both have a chance to play tonight but could also remain out. Copper has missed the past three games for Phoenix while Loyd missed the last two. The two players reached Olympic glory in France as they contributed to Team USA winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics this past summer.
In her first year in Phoenix after she was traded by the Sky during the offseason, the 2021 WNBA champion Copper started in 36 games, averaging a career-high in scoring with 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Only Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson (26.9) and Dallas Wings phenom Arike Ogunbowale (22.2) are scoring more this season.
Loyd, a six-time WNBA All-Star, missed the last two games for the Storm against the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks. She is posting 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in her 10th season in Seattle.
The Mercury will also be without both Charisma Osborne and Rebecca Allen, who are going to miss the remainder of the regular season after suffering injuries before the Olympic break. Allen was ruled out indefinitely ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics as she sustained a right hamstring injury. Osborne (Left Lower Leg) has played just two games in her rookie year and been out since June 22.
As for Seattle, Ezi Magbegor (Concussion) will be sidelined for the final game of the regular season, having missed the previous two games with Loyd. The 2023 All-Star and two-time WNBA All-Defensive Second-Team honoree averaged 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Phoenix takes on Seattle to close out the regular season at 7 p.m. PT inside Footprint Center.
WNBA will expand to Portland in 2026, another Western Conference rival for Mercury
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
