PHOENIX — Kahleah Copper and Paige Bueckers spent much of Monday night trading punches in a game that felt like it would come down to whichever star could make the last bucket.
Sep 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) drives on Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Copper got the last word, nailing a backdoor layup in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to give the Phoenix Mercury an 87-86 lead over the Dallas Wings. While Bueckers got the final shot attempt after a timeout, the Mercury pulled away with the win as they rallied from multiple double-digit deficits.
Just a few weeks before Monday’s matchup, the guards had donned the same colors and represented the same country as members of Team USA at the FIBA World Cup. Copper and Bueckers helped lead their country to a fifth consecutive gold medal, blending veteran players with the newer, younger faces who will help mold the next generation of women’s basketball in the U.S.
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks to pass the ball against the Phoenix Mercury at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Sept. 21, 2026. Credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts, who was part of the coaching staff for the Americans, had nothing but admiration for Bueckers after coaching her during the World Cup.
“Paige is special,” Tibbetts said. “I’m just kind of blown away by her approach, her confidence, her work.”
“I was just blown away by her approach, her confidence, her work. I just love how she carries herself.”
Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts speaks on what it was like to coach Wings star Paige Bueckers during the FIBA World Cup.
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Tibbetts said Bueckers’ passion for basketball stood out to him during their time with USA Basketball, recalling how she wanted to remain in the game during the gold-medal contest despite an injury.
“I just love how she carries herself,” Tibbetts said. “The game of basketball really matters to her. She’s a shot maker. She knows how to play. You can tell that she’s been very well coached at UConn.”
Sep 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after a play against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
He specifically highlighted Bueckers’ ability to operate in different actions rather than relying exclusively on traditional pick-and-rolls, as well as her improved 3-point shooting, positional size and defensive competitiveness.
“She’s going to be a great player for a long time in our league,” Tibbetts said.
Bueckers showed exactly why Tibbetts has so much respect for her game against Phoenix.
The guard led the Wings with 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds, repeatedly answering Phoenix’s late runs with clutch 3-pointers to give Dallas the lead whenever the Mercury pulled even.
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks to get past Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Sept. 21, 2026. Credits: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Still, it was ultimately her Team USA teammate who sealed the game in what was a thriller. Copper finished her night with 31 points, scoring 16 of them in the fourth quarter before delivering the decisive blow.
“I hate Kah right now, but I love her for real,” Bueckers jokingly said postgame.
Then she laughed and called Copper “my dog,” pointing to some of the things the two share away from basketball, including a love of hot dogs.
But Bueckers’ respect for Copper as a player was more serious.
Sep 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) scores over Dallas Wings forward Awak Kuier (34) in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
“She’s very unique as a player, as a guard, a big guard,” Bueckers said. “Gets downhill, can shoot 3s, is really aggressive, is tough to guard, and then plays both ends of the floor extremely well and rebounds her butt off too.”
It was the kind of respect that has been built beyond the lines of a basketball court. The two guards have shared a USA jersey, competed alongside one another and found themselves on opposite sides of a WNBA matchup. On Monday, they traded big shots, fought for the same game and then embraced the friendship that exists underneath it all.
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers speaks on what the Phoenix Mercury did differently in their second game in three days, and her friendship with Kahleah Copper.
🎥: @wlopezde#DallasWings #PhoenixMercury #WNBA pic.twitter.com/uHfnzlVRrz
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) September 22, 2026
And perhaps that was the lasting connection from their time with Team USA: The competition changes, the jerseys change and the stakes change, but the respect between players remains.
“I only have great things to say about Kah,” Bueckers said. “And then obviously as a friend, just a motivator and a shared love for everything. So we get along really well.”
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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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