The Phoenix Mercury were officially eliminated from playoff contention after falling 97-87 to the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, Aug. 22, at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Alyssa Thomas posted her third triple-double of the season with 11 points, 16 rebounds and 10 ****** ists, while Kahleah Copper had 38 points.
The Mercury were down by as many as 16 points in the third quarter before outscoring the Dream by 10 points and shooting 59.1% (13-of-22). Copper made all but two of her nine shots and scored 18 of the Mercury's 33 points in the stretch.
"Right now, we're playing for pride, and I think all of us are disappointed with how the year has gone," coach Nate Tibbetts said. "The second half (against Atlanta), you can lay your head down tonight and know that you competed and played with passion and to our standard. You just can't give in, and I thought in the second half, we responded and played in a manner that you can feel good about."
However, the loss came with the sobering reminder of Phoenix's shortcomings in 2026. One season after making the WNBA Finals, the Mercury (13-24) underwhelmed in their follow-up. Tibbetts pointed out that early injuries, defensive struggles and a lack of 3-point shooting contributed to the season's early end.
#dream #Third
Alyssa Thomas posted her third triple-double of the season with 11 points, 16 rebounds and 10 ****** ists, while Kahleah Copper had 38 points.
The Mercury were down by as many as 16 points in the third quarter before outscoring the Dream by 10 points and shooting 59.1% (13-of-22). Copper made all but two of her nine shots and scored 18 of the Mercury's 33 points in the stretch.
"Right now, we're playing for pride, and I think all of us are disappointed with how the year has gone," coach Nate Tibbetts said. "The second half (against Atlanta), you can lay your head down tonight and know that you competed and played with passion and to our standard. You just can't give in, and I thought in the second half, we responded and played in a manner that you can feel good about."
However, the loss came with the sobering reminder of Phoenix's shortcomings in 2026. One season after making the WNBA Finals, the Mercury (13-24) underwhelmed in their follow-up. Tibbetts pointed out that early injuries, defensive struggles and a lack of 3-point shooting contributed to the season's early end.
#dream #Third
21 days ago
