The 2025 WNBA season has given us many teams that have fallen short of expectations so far–whether it’s the Chicago Sky or the Indiana Fever. But there’s one team that has far exceeded pre-season predictions. The Phoenix Mercury! Gone are the days of the White Mamba, Diana Taurasi, gracing the Phoenix crowd. Gone are the days when fans got to witness dunks from Brittney Griner. This was a new era of Phoenix basketball–one that has delivered results but has also had a few hiccups along the way.
Nate Tibbetts’ team came into the season with just one returning starter–Kahleah Copper. Diana Taurasi retired, while Natasha Cloud, Sophie Cunningham, and Brittney Griner all moved on. On paper, it looked like a rebuild year. But when you have a coach with years of NBA coaching experience under his belt, the reality looks different.
Tibbets managed to bring in players like Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally to replace the outgoing big names. And the result? Mercury found themselves with a 15-7 record heading into the All-Star break–the third-best record in the league. But this isn’t even the best part about their season. The Mercury managed to accomplish all of this despite facing multiple injury issues.
Crucial role players like Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally, and Lexi Held all remain sidelined due to injuries. But with the All-Star break now over and a big game against Brittney Griner and co coming up, coach Tibbetts shared an injury update that might just be a sigh of relief.
Following today’s training session, he said, “I think if you would have asked them, they would have played a week ago. You know, I would guess… the hope is Wednesday, but you never know. It’s a day-to-day thing. They had a good day today, and it’s kind of like, how do they respond?”
Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said the hope is that Kahleah Copper – (Right Hamstring), Lexi Held – (Pneumothorax) and Satou Sabally – (Right Ankle) will all return to the court on Wednesday vs. Atlanta.
He said they all had a good day at practice.#WNBA pic.twitter.com/wYXBXkzggB
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) July 21, 2025
For the Phoenix Mercury to be where they are without arguably their best player from last season, Kahleah Copper, is a testament to the work coach Tibbetts has put in. Copper missed the first month of the season after undergoing a left knee arthroscopy. She then went on to play just six games before injuring her hamstring earlier this month in the game against the Wings on July 3. Tough luck for the guard. But Wings’ misery didn’t end here.
Another player who hasn’t suited up for the Mercury since the Wings game is Satou Sabally, who’s been dealing with an ankle injury of her own. But the scariest injury of them all was that of rookie Lexie Held. The guard was averaging close to 20 minutes a game off the bench for the Mercury before one of her lungs collapsed after a collision with the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart on June 19.
With all three players likely to return soon, it only strengthens their case as one of the contenders for the championship come October. Their next game is against the Dream, which means a reunion with Brittney Griner is on the cards. Naturally, Coach Tibbetts had some words of appreciation for the star center.
Coach Tibbetts praises Brittney Griner ahead of Mercury reunion
For the past 11 seasons, Phoenix was home to Brittney Griner. Her partnership with Diana Taurasi was a joy to watch. The center was a 10-time All-Star and had helped the Mercury win a championship in 2014. But the fit with Coach Tibbetts wasn’t a great one for her.
Howard Megdal reported that Phoenix’s shift toward a more “five-out” system was a key factor in Brittney Griner’s decision to move on. That decision eventually led her to the Atlanta Dream. Still, returning to Phoenix was bound to be an emotional moment, and the Phoenix Mercury coach was quick to acknowledge that. He said, “The hope is that the X-factor gives her a ton of love… what she’s meant to this organization and city is going to be hard to match.”
The Mercury will be eagerly counting down the days until their superstar trio returns to face the Atlanta Dream. It definitely helps that DeWanna Bonner is now part of the squad, helping fill the gaps left by injured players. So, if you had to pick a winner, who are you going with?
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