The Phoenix Mercury hit the road Thursday night, squaring off against the Washington Mystics, and came away with a win that mattered. Behind Alyssa Thomas’ near triple-double — 12 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists — Phoenix ground out a 75–69 victory. Kahleah Copper added 18 points on a gritty 7-of-21 from the floor, along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, stuffing the stat sheet in true Copper fashion.
The victory pushes Phoenix to 27–14 on the season. But more importantly, it locks
in home-court advantage for the opening round of the playoffs, clinching a top-four record with three games still to play. The first round is a best-of-three series, and if it comes down to a Game 3, the decisive matchup will take place on Mercury’s home floor inside Footprint Center. Circle September 14. That’s when the chase begins.
This win marks six straight for the Mercury, nine of their last ten, and they haven’t dropped a game since August 21 against the Las Vegas Aces. Las Vegas are winners of 12 straight themselves. Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Atlanta remain locked in a battle for the second overall seed, with every game down the stretch carrying weight.
The WNBA throws conference standings out the window come playoff time. It’s the top eight records, period. Three spots are still up for grabs, so the Mercury’s opponent remains a mystery. What isn’t in doubt? Phoenix has earned the right to defend their season on their terms, in their building, with momentum firmly on their side.
The team continues this quick two-game road trip on Saturday as they battle the Connecticut Sun, a team that is just 10-31 on the season.
