ARLINGTON — The Phoenix Mercury’s latest four-game road trip ended with a split, falling to the Dallas Wings 85-70 on Thursday in what head coach Nate Tibbetts described as “disappointing.”
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Jun 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings forward Awak Kuier (34) drives to the basket against Phoenix Mercury guard Quionche Carter (20) during the first half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Phoenix has struggled to find its identity this year, and as the first quarter of the season comes to a close, it has become harder to do so. Whether it’s closing games, being aggressive defensively or playing together, the Mercury have now fallen to 4-10.
Those struggles were evident from the opening tip.
Dallas was relentless to start, forcing three Phoenix turnovers in the first three minutes of the game. While the Mercury settled in offensively, the Wings continued to apply pressure and eventually broke the game open, building a lead of as many as 17 points before halftime.
Jun 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) controls the ball as Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (32) defends during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Wings guard Paige Bueckers scored 31 points, while Mercury guard Lexi Held led Phoenix with 17 points off the bench. Overall, Dallas shot 52% from the field and scored 50 points in the paint, compared with Phoenix’s 39% shooting and 22 points in the paint.
Needless to say, Tibbetts didn’t believe it was his team’s best showing, citing the previous three games as having more positives than Thursday’s matchup.
“This was a step backwards tonight as far as just our approach and our togetherness and what it takes to win in this league.”
Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts on if he thinks Phoenix is getting closer to where it wants to be after splitting its 4-game road trip.
🎥: Phoenix Mercury pic.twitter.com/bORTjIBxGf— Wendy Lopez (@wlopezde) June 12, 2026
“I think the first three games, we played better, to be quite honest. I think probably our best game was Golden State [Valkyries],” Tibbetts said when asked if he believed his team was getting closer to where he wants them to be. “And we lost by four, six, maybe with free throws at the end… This was a step backward tonight as far as just our approach and our togetherness and what it takes to win in this league.”
The matchup against Golden State was close in the final moments, with the Mercury cutting the deficit and keeping themselves within striking distance. Coupled with the first two games of the road trip ending in wins, it seemed like Phoenix may have found a groove.
Now, however, there appear to be more questions about how the Mercury can sustain the level of play they showed in the first half of the road trip and against the Valkyries.
Jun 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist (20) drives to the basket against Phoenix Mercury forward-center Natasha Mack (4) during the first half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Entering the second quarter of the season, Phoenix could receive reinforcements in Sami Whitcomb, although no timetable has been provided. The newer faces continue to adapt to the league, and emerging contributors are still present. Still, against the Wings, the Mercury showed how quickly that progress can unravel.
Unlike previous losses, where Tibbetts acknowledged positives to build on, Thursday’s defeat felt more like a game the Mercury need to review and learn from rather than one they can simply build off.
Jun 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings center Li Yueru (28) scores a basket against Phoenix Mercury forward-center Natasha Mack (4) during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Now back at home, Phoenix has an opportunity to right the ship in front of the X-Factor and find the togetherness its head coach said was missing.
The Mercury return to action against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday, June 13, at 7 p.m.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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