These New Faces Are Fueling the Mercury’s Deep Playoff Run

The Phoenix Mercury's busy offseason paid off, and now they are going for another championship.

Oct 5, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) drives the ball against Megan Gustafson (17) during the second quarter of game two of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury are in the WNBA Finals once again, and they are seeking their first win. Luckily, Game 3 will be on their home floor, and which is where they are at their best.

Phoenix worked hard to get to this point, and it all started with a busy offseason. The Mercury made moves that put them in a position to win, and they avoided a complete rebuild. Phoenix would end up losing Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, as Taurasi announced her retirement, and Griner ended up signing with a new team for the first time in her career.

Oct 3, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) looks to shoot against Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) during the second quarter of game one of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

New faces, new places

Despite those losses, the Mercury were active in the offseason, and they brought in two of the WNBA's top players. They acquired Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, and they also received Kalani Brown in the process.

The Mercury also brought in a veteran in Sami Whitcomb, whose shooting and championship experience have helped them get this far, and a slew of rookies, who all contributed throughout the season.

Oct 5, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) dribbles the ball against Las Vegas Aces forward Kierstan Bell (1) during the first quarter of game two of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

For example, Monique Akoa Makani is one of the Mercury's rookies, and she has been a consistent presence in their starting lineup. She contributes in different ways, and she is the ideal starter to put alongside stars like Sabally, Thomas and Kahleah Copper.

This Mercury roster has a lot of talent, and in their first season together, they have proved that they are contenders. This team has defeated some of the league's top teams, as they beat last season's champion in their first series.

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) misses a game-winning shot, which allowed the New York Liberty to win 76-69 in overtime during Game One of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs first round at PHX Arena on Sept. 14, 2025. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Phoenix took down the New York Liberty, which is a team that made history last season, as they won their first championship. Then, the Mercury beat the Minnesota Lynx, who reached the Finals last season and they were arguably the favorites going into this postseason after a strong regular season.

The Mercury took care of them both, and now they have another tough foe in this series. The Las Vegas Aces are seeking their third championship, and they try to hold onto their lead and stop the Mercury from winning their fourth title.

One thing that stands out about this Mercury team is that Copper and Natasha Mack are the only players from last season. The Mercury acquired Copper in a trade before the start of that season, and they signed Mack to a deal in that time.

Outside of those two, this is a completely different roster, and they have meshed and become successful. This Mercury team is special, and it is only a matter of time before they make history.

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