NFL
By: Kristy Love
The Phoenix Mercury may have entered the 2025 season without franchise legends Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, but this isn’t a rebuild. This team came to compete.
Through their first four games, the Mercury are off to an impressive 3–1 start, led by offseason additions Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. Sabally wasted no time asserting herself, scoring 27 and 25 points in back-to-back wins, while Thomas has been doing a little bit of everything including a near triple-double 16-11-7 in a close loss to the Seattle Storm. And just when you think the vets are doing all the work, rookie Monique Akoa Makani steps in and drains a game-clinching three to beat the Mystics. This isn’t the same Mercury, but they’re still bringing the heat in the Valley.
Rookies Kathryn Westbeld & Monique Akoa Makani with back-to-back CLUTCH plays to put the Mercury ahead! ??
Mercury leads by 2 late in the 4th!
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As a team, the Mercury are clicking on both ends of the floor. They’re averaging 80.0 points per game, shooting 45.2% from the field, and dishing out 20 assists a night. Defensively, they’re holding strong too averaging 5.3 blocks per game and keeping opponents under consistent pressure.
Alyssa Thomas currently leads the team in rebounds 7.7, assists 6.7, and steals 1.7, showing just how critical she is to Phoenix’s early-season success. Sabally follows closely with a team-high 22.3 points per game and adds 1.3 blocks on the defensive end. It’s also worth noting that Thomas recently reached a career milestone with 500 total steals in the WNBA.
Still, there are areas for improvement. Turnovers remain a known issue as Phoenix is averaging 16.0 per game, which is high compared to league averages. These giveaways have impacted offensive rhythm and given opponents extra scoring chances. Another area needing work is three-point shooting. The Mercury are shooting 33.0% from deep overall. Rookie Monique Akoa Makani leads the team, averaging 2.3 made threes per game on 50.0% shooting. Sabally follows with 1.8 per game, though she’s hitting at a less efficient 28.9%.
Rebounding and fouling are other points of focus. The Mercury must do a better job of preventing offensive rebounds and limiting unnecessary fouls that result in free points for the opposition.
So far, it’s been a balanced attack with big-time plays in big-time moments. With a strong mix of seasoned veterans and fearless young talent, the Mercury are proving they’re still a force to be reckoned with.
Next up: a matchup with the Chicago Sky on May 27. The Sky have been struggling and are still searching for their first win of the season. The last time these two played, the Mercury won at Footprint Arena 86-68 and prior to that, the Mercury won at Wintrust Arena 85-65. With Phoenix being a tough team at home, and given how they’ve played through their first four games, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them improve to 5–1.
