Dallas Defeats Phoenix, Sabally and Brown Still Shine

The Phoenix Mercury lost to the Dallas Wings in their last game of the regular season, but Kalani Brown was one of the bright spots of that game.

Sep 11, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Kalani Brown (21) shoots the ball over Dallas Wings guard Haley Jones (30) during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury ended their regular season with a loss, but the real fun begins soon. The playoffs are coming, and the Mercury are going to face the New York Liberty in their first matchup.

Phoenix was on the road for their final game of the regular season, and they took on the Dallas Wings. The Wings beat them earlier in the year, but the Mercury quickly responded with a blowout win in the next game.

Aug 21, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA;Phoenix Mercury center Kalani Brown (21) blocks a shot from Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) in the fourth quarter of their game at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

This time around, the Wings beat the Mercury 97-76. Phoenix's stars saw limited minutes, which was expected. This gave reserves an opportunity to shine, and they took advantage of the moment.

When it comes to this game, the player who stood out the most was Kalani Brown.

Brown finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds and a block. She saw an increase in minutes, as she played 24 minutes. She was one of two Mercury players who scored in double figures, as Satou Sabally was the team's leading scorer with 14 points. Sabally also had five assists and five rebounds.

Sep 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Kalani Brown (21) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens (23) and guard Julie Allemand (20) during the second half of a WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In the Mercury's previous game, Brown had seven points, five rebounds and a block. She played in minutes in that outing.

Brown has had some nice performances for the Mercury this year, and her season high in points was her 15-point performance against the Minnesota Lynx. She also had five rebounds and an assist in that game. She also had a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds in another game against the Lynx.

Overall, Brown scored 10 or more points in four games this season. She had 11 points against the Chicago Sky as well, in a game where the Mercury beat them 107-86. Phoenix lost both of those games to Minnesota, and Dallas beat them in this last one.

Aug 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) with center Kalani Brown (21) and forward Natasha Mack (4) against the Indiana Fever during WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Starters rest, reserves shine

Despite the loss, it was a great opportunity for Mercury reserves. Some players have received fewer minutes than they were getting earlier in the season, and this game gave starters a chance to rest, while players like Brown, or rookies Kathryn Westbeld, Lexi Held and Kitija Laksa played. So, it worked out for the Mercury as a whole.

The Mercury will jump right into their playoff matchup, as they host the Liberty on Sunday. With that in mind, the starters needed to rest, and as a result, Brown had chance to shine.

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