The first half of the season didn't go as expected for the Phoenix Mercury, especially one season removed from reaching the WNBA Finals.
But that doesn't mean that the 2026 season is over.
Phoenix hosts the New York Liberty for a noon matchup on Saturday, Aug. 1.
At 11-18, the Mercury don't have the flashiest record and yet could make the playoffs as the eighth seed. And now playing at full strength with three consecutive wins, the Mercury aren't going away just yet.
Take the 13-point comeback win against the Golden State Valkyries on July 29, for example. The Valkyries came in with the WNBA's second-best record and a 2-0 series edge over the Mercury.
But when Golden State attacked the perimeter, the Mercury adjusted with a bigger lineup in the second
half and used their post presence to gut out a tight win.
"We haven't won at the level we wanted to start the year, and to see the joy in that locker room, this is why we do this (expletive)," coach Nate Tibbetts said after the game. "This is why we want to have fun and winning is fun.
"We won the right way. We were competitive, we fought and battled adversity and stuck together and got it done in the end."
The Mercury struggled to close out games throughout the first half, but having a healthy roster will help, as it allows more room to make adjustments. Not to mention, Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas are both playing at a high level.
Thomas has averaged a near-triple-double over the past three games with 17 points, 11.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds per game. Copper has averaged 22 points and has shot 40% from 3-point range in that span.
Getting back to the postseason is anything but guaranteed, but the Mercury at least have some of the toughest opponents behind them. Their remaining strength of schedule is, based on opponent win percentage, the seventh-toughest in the league.
Nine of the Mercury's 15 remaining games are against opponents in the eight-team playoff picture, including the No. 7 Liberty, who were beaten, 104-99, by the Las Vegas Aces on July 30.
The loss dropped New York (16-13) to the eighth seed and narrowed its advantage to five games over the Mercury. Head-to-head, the Liberty have a 2-0 advantage against the Mercury after winning both games in New York in late May.
The Mercury embark on a four-game road trip beginning on Monday, Aug. 3, against the Chicago Sky. The Mercury will get the Atlanta Dream again on Aug. 5. They still have their entire three-game season series against the Washington Mystics, which will begin on the road on Aug. 9.
"It's going to be a wild run here in the next 14 days," Tibbetts said. "We can't look too far ahead. Each game matters."
And if the Mercury make it out of the road trip with their postseason chances intact, three of their six games at home will be against opponents in the eight-team playoff picture. Once August ends, the WNBA will go on its FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup break until Sept. 16.
“I think the (All-Star) break was important just to reset, physically, mentally, but we talked a little bit about it before the break just about our approach when we got back," Copper said.
"Just seeing everybody in the gym, just getting ready, getting locked in to how we approach shootaround and how we approach games. We wanted to take one game at a time toward what the ultimate goal is."
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What the Phoenix Mercury need to do to stay in postseason race
