Mercury Stars Return to Practice

Three key players returned to practice Monday for the Phoenix Mercury, a sign that the team could be getting healthy again just in time for a tough stretch of games.

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) talks with injured guard Kahleah Copper during the third quarter against the Washington Mystics at PHX Arena on May 25, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have been dealing with a ton of injuries lately and had to play their last two games before the All-Star break with just eight players suited up. However, it appears the bulk of the injury issues may soon be behind them and there is some promising news for Mercury fans.

Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper, the team's leading scorers, returned to practice yesterday, according to posts on X from Underdog WNBA. Sabally had been dealing with an ankle injury that has kept her out of the team's last four games (as well as the WNBA All-Star Game) and Copper has been out for that same stretch with a hamstring issue. It's unclear if either player will be available for Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Dream, but this bodes well for Phoenix. Copper has played in just six games this season -- she missed the beginning of the season with an injury as well -- which has limited the Phoenix Big 3's opportunities to gain experience playing together and develop chemistry.

Still, the Mercury sit 15-7, second-best in the Western Conference, at the season's midway point. Their upcoming schedule is about to get tough, as they come out of the break with games against Atlanta, at New York, and at Washington, with tricky matchups away at Indiana and Atlanta after that. The return of two dynamic offensive players like Sabally and Copper could be key for helping them navigate a difficult stretch and maintain their position in the standings.

Sabally's two-way play has been massive for the Mercury this season, especially in games where they were stuck playing without both Copper and Alyssa Thomas. The Unicorn has put up 10 20-point games this season, answering the call when the team had to lean heavily on her scoring. Copper hasn't been on the court much, but the former Finals MVP led the team in scoring last season and scored 33 in her last outing this season, a 98-89 loss to the Dallas Wings. Her points per game is down from last season, but she is shooting 44.8% from three, the best she's shot from beyond the arc since her rookie season when she came off the bench. Her return could bolster an already-lethal Phoenix three-point attack.

To add to the good news, Lexi Held also returned to practice. She had been dealing with partially collapsed lung, which famously caused her to have to take the train all the way across the country to return to Phoenix. She was one of the team's top bench performers in the early part of the season and will add to the teams' depth when she is fully ready to play. She scored a career-high 24 in an early-season win over Golden State, with four made threes. She's hit double digits six times off the bench this year.

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