Balanced Mercury Offense is a Headache for Defenses

The Phoenix Mercury are a perfect 10-0 when five or more players score in double figures. Their balanced, versatile offense could carry them deep into the playoffs.

Aug 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) celebrates with teammates against the Golden State Valkyries in the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

In Tuesday's come-from-behind win against the Golden State Valkyries, the Phoenix Mercury dropped 98 points and had five players hit double digits in scoring, led by Kahleah Copper's 25. It's the 10th time this season that five Mercury players have scored 10 or more in the same night, and Phoenix has won all 10 games.

The game showcased what the front office envisioned this offseason when they built a team with myriad scoring options, too many for an opponent to take all of them away at once.

Last year's Mercury was relatively top-heavy team that relied on a few scorers to shoulder most of the burden. Copper was excellent, dropping a career-high 21.1 points per game, Brittney Griner was still incredibly efficient in the paint, and Diana Taurasi showed that she could still get buckets in her age-42 season, but the team's offensive production fell off pretty hard after their top three.

Aug 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) warms up before a game against the Chicago Sky at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham and Bec Allen were mostly spot-up shooters and Natasha Cloud, while an excellent playmaker and defender, was probably overextended as a third/fourth option on an offense that didn't always play to her strengths, and shot under 40% from the field and under 31% from three. In all, only six Mercury players averaged at least five points a night and the team had a below-average offense, just eighth-best in the league out of 12 teams.

This year, 11 Mercury players are scoring at least five points per game. The team has enough players capable of getting baskets that a few players who are genuine offensive contributors aren't even getting game time right now.

Aug 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) talks to her teammates after their win over the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

There's arguably no true first option from a scoring standpoint. Their three leaders in points per game are Satou Sabally (17.1), Alyssa Thomas (16.1), and Copper (16.0), all within 1.1 of each other. DeWanna Bonner provides complementary scoring off the bench to the tune of 11.8 a night, and both Sami Whitcomb and Monique Akoa Makani are averaging just under 10 a game.

All three of the team's big stars are capable of going off for 25 or more in any given game -- and all three of them have at least three times this season -- but the team's at its best when its attack is balanced. When Phoenix's offense really gets humming, there are genuinely five players capable of leading the team in scoring, forcing defenses to make difficult decisions every single night.

If Phoenix makes a deep playoff run, it might not be because of a heroic performance by one of their All-Stars, but rather because everybody is getting touches and the team is moving in perfect harmony.

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