PHOENIX — Two main themes have defined the Phoenix Mercury’s 2026 season: inconsistency and an inability to close out close games.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Friday night’s game against the Connecticut Sun was the former.
Jul 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held (left) drives to the basket against Connecticut Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Mercury returned home from a two-game road trip against the Las Vegas Aces and the Minnesota Lynx. While both games ended in losses, the performances couldn’t have been more different.
Las Vegas handed Phoenix a historic 48-point loss. Against the Lynx, however, the Mercury battled the league’s best team until the final seconds before eventually falling 104-100. It wasn’t the first time the club had surrendered a slim lead, as multiple games have slipped away late this season.
Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts reflects on his club’s last two games, and what the emphasis was this week in practice to turn close games into wins.
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When asked before the game what his team was emphasizing to turn those narrow losses into wins, head coach Nate Tibbetts said it was about continuing to play to the team’s standard.
“We’ve fortunately, unfortunately, been in some close games,” Tibbetts said. “They haven’t gone the way that we’ve wanted. I think they’re good learning opportunities, continuing to work on situational work, learning how to finish games… The last two, three games, two of them have been in those situations. When you get in those situations, you want to finish them.”
Against Connecticut, however, the issue wasn’t finishing. It was finding consistency from the opening tip.
Jul 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Kennedy Burke (25) grabs a pass against Phoenix Mercury forward Noemie Brochant (1) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Sun led from start to finish, building a lead that grew to as many as 20 points. Phoenix’s inconsistency on both ends of the floor was apparent throughout the night. The Mercury committed 15 costly turnovers, many of them the result of errant passes and miscues, which led to 25 Connecticut points.
Phoenix shot 46.2% from the field but went just 4-for-15 from 3-point range. Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 21 points, while Alyssa Thomas added 17. Connecticut’s Leïla Lacan finished with a game-high 26 points, and former Valley favorite Brittney Griner added 12 in the club’s 96-83 win.
For a Mercury team looking to gain ground in the playoff race at 8-18, losses like Friday’s become increasingly costly. With the season entering its latter stages, Phoenix has little room for performances that lack the consistency it showed just days earlier against Minnesota.
Jul 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Kennedy Burke (25) controls the ball against Phoenix Mercury forward Noemie Brochant (1) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Friday served as a reminder that the Mercury must first put themselves in position to compete for four quarters if they hope to climb the standings down the stretch.
Phoenix will once again take on Connecticut on Sunday, July 19, at 4 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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