The first ten games of the Phoenix Mercury’s season have been plagued by first-half woes and frequent swings of momentum.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On Tuesday in Seattle, Phoenix had the opportunity to improve to 5-5 on the young season, marking what would’ve been the Mercury’s second-straight victory. However, Phoenix fell to the red-hot Storm by 18-points — a game where Phoenix was forced to play catch-up from the first quarter.
Final. pic.twitter.com/clejC1Egop
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 5, 2024
“It’s tough,” Tibbetts said regarding Phoenix’s frequent slow starts. “I’m not sure what it was, but we got to do better to start games.”
The Mercury were outscored by the Storm 25-12 in the first quarter of play. Matters were only made worse when Seattle went outscored Phoenix 18-10 up until the 3:25 mark of the second quarter — making the score 43-24 with just over three minutes to go in the half.
A 9-3 Mercury run to close out the half was the brightest glimmer of hope Phoenix would see throughout the entirety of the contest. Down 13-points going into the second half, the Storm went on yet another run to open the third-quarter, and kept a chokehold on Phoenix through the rest of the contest.
Time and time again, the Mercury find themselves on the wrong side of a run — something that has played into every one of their losses.
Jordy SPLASH ???? pic.twitter.com/KQh9U2u1A0
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) June 5, 2024
“Every possession, every point matters in the Commissioner’s Cup,” said Tibbetts. “Even to start the second half, we’re down 13. They hit a three, we turn it over. They score a two, so they go on a 5-0 run, we’re down back to 18.”
Basketball is a game of runs, and the Mercury are a team that operates off of momentum. They like to get up-and-down the court while frequently moving the ball in the half-court — a philosophy that creates opportunities for plenty of momentum-swinging plays.
Unfortunately for the Mercury, the three-point efficiency has taken a massive toll as of late. Phoenix shoots 33.3% from long-range on the season, a 7% decrease from its initial 3-1 start. Despite league-high volume, Phoenix hasn’t capitalized on its plethora of opportunities to get hot and convert upon timely buckets.
© Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
However, a reason for Phoenix’s currently struggles could be attributed towards its relenting schedule. Since May 28, Phoenix has played five games in an eight day span — all of which in different states. The Mercury visited Connecticut, New York and Minnesota between May 28 and May 31, before taking a quick trip back home to host the Sparks on June 2. Two days later, the Mercury traveled to Seattle, marking its fourth road game in eight days.
The Mercury will see their first opportunity to practice in The Valley in “10, 11 days”, and now have the opportunity to rest and recuperate.
“I don’t know if we’ve practiced [in Phoenix] in the past 10, 11 days,” said Tibbetts. “[Wednesday] will be an optional day, they can come in and get work if they need. Hopefully a lot of them stay home and have a good day, mentally rest, and Thursday we’ll get back to it.”
Mercury set to recoup, re-energize before 1st practice in nearly two weeks
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
