Mercury Looking For Answers Amidst Losing Spell

The Mercury have lost five of six and have been springing leaks on defense. Can the team break out of their "funk?"

Jul 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) talks to her had coach Nate Tibbetts after receiving a technical foul against the Atlanta Dream in the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury, who had previously looked like shoo-ins to finish third or better in the WNBA standings this season, have lost five of their last six games, with their last two losses to the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream standing out as their two worst defensive performances of the season. It's been a tough time for a team that had ridden one of the league's elite defenses to its best start in over a decade and the team is now searching for answers after starting to slide down the standings.

In the last two games alone, the Mercs gave up a highly concerning 202 points and have given up tons of open shots, allowing the Fever and Dream to shoot a combined 24-for-55 (43.6%) from three-point range. Even a team with an offense as explosive as Phoenix's can't win games that way. After all, they scored 101 points in regulation against Indiana and still lost.

Head coach Nate Tibbetts has started to get frustrated with the team's defensive effort. He benched All-Star forward Satou Sabally for the second half of the Atlanta game, calling it a "coach's decision" and said that "we've been a step slow since the All-Star break...for whatever reason, we've had a ton of breakdowns." He pointed to over-helping as one of the reasons the team has been giving up so many open shots and struggling to get stops and described the team as being in a "funk."

Aug 1, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada (3) dribbles guarded by Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) during the first half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Sami Whitcomb commented on the team's issues with help defense, saying that it starts at the point of attack. "It gets us out of position early and then we're kind of scrambling. Or sometimes we're not already set," she added, stating that they could do a better job of showing bodies in the paint early in possessions to discourage dribble penetration. "We're trying to see which lineups work and figure it out right now." Issues early in possessions have been snowballing, as poor initial efforts lead to help defenders getting pulled out of position, forcing them to scramble.

Phoenix has dropped three of the first four on their road trip but the final game of a the trip presents a chance to get back on track. They finish up against the Chicago Sky, who have the league's second-worst offense, and they'll be playing four straight games at home after that.

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