Phoenix Mercury vs Atlanta Dream Game Preview

The Phoenix Mercury are 0-2 against the Atlanta dream this season but this game gives them a chance to not only get revenge, but also jump back into third place in the standings. Can the Mercury beat the team that's given them the most trouble this year?

Aug 1, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held (1) and Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao (2) fight for the ball during the second half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

On August 1st, the Mercury had one of the toughest days of their season so far. Despite entering the game with a healthy squad, the team dropped their fifth game in a six-game stretch, losing 92-75 to the Atlanta Dream.

The game knocked them out of their third-place spot in the WNBA standings, a star player got benched for the second half, and the team appeared to be struggling after their hot start to the year.

On Sunday, the teams will be meeting under a different set of circumstances. The Mercury appear to be back on the right track, riding a three-game win streak and coming off their most dominant win of the season, a 35-point demolition of the playoff-bound Indiana Fever. Phoenix has lost both games against Atlanta this season but they not only have a shot at redemption, but also a chance to pass the Dream and get back in third place, as both teams are currently 19-11.

Atlanta may be without former Mercury star Brittney Griner (listed as questionable with a neck injury, per Underdog WNBA), who was excellent in the first game between the two teams, but they also played without her in their second matchup and still easily won.

The Dream are a tough opponent, just one game behind the New York Liberty for first in the Eastern Conference, and their offense, led by Allisha Gray, is explosive. Phoenix had a tough time defending them in their last two outings, but they've been playing some of their best defense lately, although two of the wins on their current streak came against the two worst teams in the league.

I've written a bit about how the teams match up before, so here I'll focus on what the Mercury can do better so they can flip the tables on a Dream team they're winless against so far in 2025.

Mercury guard DeWanna Bonner (14) hits a three against the Fever at PHX Arena in Phoenix on Aug. 7, 2025. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Offensive keys

The Mercury offense never really got into a rhythm in either of their previous games against the Dream, and although their stars' individual billiance showed up at times, they weren't able to consistenly generate good looks.

Phoenix's ball movement has been much improved over the last couple of games, especially against Indiana, where the Mercury's three stars played off each other as well as they have all year.

They put up 25 assists as a team and, although they were credited with just two and four assists, respectively, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper's ability to act as secondary playmakers outside of Alyssa Thomas (who had 10 assists) did a lot to keep the Phoenix offense flowing and get them the kinds of open threes that fueled their success in the first half of the season. If they can get into their sets early and execute them smoothly, they should be able to score points on an Atlanta defense that's good but not great.

Aug 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever forward Chloe Bibby (55) against the Phoenix Mercury during an WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Defensive keys

Phoenix has to defend better at the point of attack this time around. In their last game, Jordin Canada may not have had a great scoring night, but she got wherever she wanted off the dribble, forcing the Mercury to collapse and scramble on defense. Canada picked up 11 assists, and many of them were to wide open shooters and cutters. They simply cannot let a dangerous scorer like Gray get nine shots off from three because she won't miss many (she hit seven of them in that game and went 3-for-5 the time before that en route to 28 points).

They'll need to find a way to apply pressure to the Dream's ballhandlers. Phoenix has been one of the league's best teams at forcing turnovers this year, but are only forcing 7.5 a game against the Dream. If they're as active in passing lanes and as connected in help defense as they have been these last three games, it should give their offense the easy transition buckets they thrive on.

It's a big game for the Mercury, who are halfway through a pivotal four-game homestand. If they can keep their hot streak going, they could use it as a platform to vault back up the standings and re-assert their place among the league's elite.

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