Phoenix Mercury’s WNBA Playoff Run Falls Short, But Future Remains Bright

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 10: Alyssa Thomas #25, Kalani Brown #21 and DeWanna Bonner #14 of the Phoenix Mercury react in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Aces during Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 10, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Every story isn’t promised a magical ending. And not every team can have their moment of glory, raising the championship trophy with confetti raining from the rafters.

The Phoenix Mercury were unequivocally the best story of the 2025 WNBA season, climbing from below .500 last year to immediate title contenders with a major roster overhaul.

They just didn’t have enough left in the tank during the WNBA Finals, falling 4-0 to the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night.

Sports can be cruel sometimes. Nothing is a guarantee, no matter how much work you pour into your craft.

You can have the most connected team possible, overflowing with chemistry and good vibes throughout the whole season.

Yet, all it takes is a perfect storm to halt the momentum. The wrong opponent. The wrong superstar standing in your path. Untimely injuries as an unfortunate byproduct of the hard-nosed, physical style that helped rally the team and guide you to this stage.

Nothing can prepare you for running into a buzzsaw. Once the best player on Earth stomps through the door, all bets are off. A’ja Wilson and the Aces were the final boss, and both proved too dominant to take down.

Always classy in defeat, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts acknowledged how Vegas had one glaring advantage that wasn’t possible to replicate: Time together.

“We ran into a really good team,” Tibbetts said. “We ran into a team that has been through it together. We ran into a team that had the ultimate belief and trust they could get it done as a unit, with a great coach that has been through this.”

He’s right. If anything, his praise of Las Vegas was mild compared to the reality.

The Aces are a well-oiled machine. They are flooded with deep playoff experience and otherworldly stars that consistently find ways to mask any of the team’s weaknesses.

It was the top-end talent that allowed Vegas to cap off the wildest midseason turnaround in WNBA history. The Aces were 14-14 in early August, searching for answers and losing faith in their defense.

From that point forward, they finished with a 25-3 record to claim their third championship in four years. In many ways, the Aces were destined for this type of coronation.

Still, this WNBA Finals was closer than a 4-0 sweep indicates.

Game 1 was hanging in the balance with 24 seconds remaining. Alyssa Thomas had two free throws with a chance to take the lead and steal homecourt, but couldn’t capitalize.

Game 3 was tied with one minute left on the clock before the Mercury missed a layup and set up Wilson for an all-time dagger.

But those are the breaks. Series are often won and lost on the margins, and that includes four-game sweeps.

Adversity became the calling card for Phoenix this year. They might not have invited it, but they didn’t run away from it. The Mercury personified resilience from start to finish.

There’s no other explanation for their achievements, or the manner in which they reached the Finals.

Phoenix was written off after losing Game 1, at home, to the New York Liberty. No way they were going to fly across the country and steal a road game from the defending champions to force a Game 3.

They did.

Even fewer people believed in them a week later. The Minnesota Lynx had a comfortable lead in Game 2 of the semifinals, and were only minutes away from leading the series 2-0. Phoenix outscored them by 22 the rest of the way and kept hope alive.

When times got tough and the odds were stacked against them, such as Game 4 of the Minnesota series, nobody batted an eye.

Phoenix trailed by 13 entering the fourth quarter, which is almost a death sentence during any playoff game. Historically, teams were 2-106 under those circumstances. Still, the Mercury knew it was possible if they dug deep and defended their tails off in the final 10 minutes.

And they did.

For a Mercury team that wasn’t on anybody’s radar five months ago, simply reaching the Finals should be considered a success. Internally, they will view this season as an important stepping stone.

After the loss, Tibbetts repeatedly mentioned the insurmountable heart and fight that Phoenix displayed all year long. While disappointed they couldn’t finish the job, there was a sense of pride – and excitement for what these lessons can teach them moving forward.

Thomas reinforced that sentiment at the podium. She remained an extension of her coach, just like she’s been on the floor.

“It’s been a great season and nobody expected us to even be here,” Thomas said of the Mercury’s journey. “Of course it didn’t go the way that we wanted to end. But we have a lot to build on.”

Thomas has now played in 13 WNBA Finals games. She’s yet to get over the hump, losing to the Mystics in heartbreaking fashion in 2019 and falling to Las Vegas two separate times.

As the Mercury’s leader – both vocally and by example – she knows how to take a defeat and use it as a building block for the following year. While it was never going to be easy limiting the Aces’ firepower, Phoenix knows it let a couple of these games slip away.

Whether it was uncharacteristic turnovers or slight lapses on the defensive end, Thomas knows they didn’t perform up to their standard.

“I think we relaxed when we got to the Finals,” Thomas admitted. “I think what made the run so special in the first and second round is how we played together. We moved the ball. We didn’t complain or let anything bother us. But the Finals are hard for a reason. I’ve been saying, every stage gets harder. It’s definitely a learning experience for a lot of players in our locker room that have never been on this level. But still super proud of how our team fought and competed and never gave up.”

With a brand new roster and multiple players who didn’t have playoff experience, you understand how that could happen. The Lynx were the WNBA’s crème de la crème all season. They boasted the highest Net Rating in basketball by a wide margin. Once the Mercury defeated them, it’s only natural for some players to take their foot off the gas – even just a little.

That’s what separates championship teams from the pack, however.

Nobody understands that line of demarcation more than Kahleah Copper. Her dynamic scoring run in the 2021 playoffs led the Chicago Sky to their first WNBA title, and she had to lift her team over multiple powerhouses along the way.

Since arriving in Phoenix two years ago, she’s been evolving into a stronger leader and becoming one of the primary voices in the locker room. Many people around the Mercury are quick to credit Copper for how naturally their chemistry developed. She was more vocal this year than any other season in her career.

One thing should be clear: Players don’t evolve into superstars without having a solid foundation of leadership qualities. It just doesn’t happen. Leadership is baked into the formula of becoming great, which she already was in Chicago.

But for Copper, there was still another gear to reach. She knew it, and Tibbetts knew it as well. That’s why he pushed her from day one in training camp, and she appreciated the challenge.

Copper is carrying that mentality into next season, too. Immediately after the buzzer sounded and Vegas was jumping for joy, she brought all of her Mercury teammates together for a quick huddle.

She believed it was important for them to soak in the moment. As painful as it would be for everyone involved, she wanted the team to embrace the agony before walking off. For her, it was about making sure those visual and audible senses lingered during the offseason as they prepare for redemption.

“I wanted us to feel it and I wanted us to hear the celebrations,” Copper said. “To really feel that moment, feel the hurt, and let it fuel us for the future. But I’m just proud of this group and how we continuously responded to adversity all year. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group. I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish in just a short period of time.”

Copper continued showing throughout the playoffs why she’s made for the big stage. She had an up-and-down season, fighting off injuries and gradually rediscovering her rhythm as a scorer. In the moments Phoenix needed her most, though, she delivered.

Without her 11 consecutive points in the fourth quarter of Game 3, including her absurd stretch of nine points in only 39 seconds, the Mercury don’t have a chance to force overtime on the final possession.

The Mercury never stopped clawing back. Even after they were dealt a bad hand with Satou Sabally suffering a concussion, they kept chipping away and being the type of nuisance Las Vegas couldn’t wait to get rid of.

It happened again in Game 4 after Phoenix let the tempers flare a little too hot.

Tibbetts was ejected late in the third quarter following a rapid double-technical that most people agreed was an overreaction. As he was escorted off the floor, the Mercury had no choice but to rally together.

At that point, it was like pouring gasoline on the fire.

“When he was gone, it was just another form of adversity on the year,” Copper said with a smile. “Let’s just add on to it. Let’s just play harder. I think that’s what we’re about. When you talk about Mercury basketball and when you talk about the Phoenix Mercury period … we’re never going to quit. We’re going to get after it. And we can handle whatever you throw at us.”

Ultimately, it wasn’t enough to overcome Vegas and their mission to cement the dynasty.

Phoenix is still set up nicely for the future, and that’s what the organization is focused on. The Mercury have plenty to look forward to in 2026 – if the WNBA season isn’t compromised because of CBA negotiations.

The rookies have already started to blossom as Phoenix attempts to strike the right balance between veteran talent and youth on the rise. Monique Akoa Makani is on her way to becoming a two-way machine that opposing teams should fear for the next decade.

Sabally, who turns 28 before the start of next season, is entering her prime. She’s fresh off a career year, scoring 22 points per 36 minutes and improving as a defender.

Thomas wants to remain in Phoenix and build a legacy with an organization that already proved its commitment to women and smart roster-construction. She will be 34 when next season begins. As she gets older, though, her physical strength and pass-first tendencies will keep her in the WNBA’s upper-echelon until she hangs it up.

One thing is for certain – Thomas’s teammates won’t let her go anywhere. Copper emphatically said she will never be on the other side again:

Tibbetts is also growing as a head coach. That storyline isn’t getting enough attention.

He has only been around the WNBA for two years, and the progress is already miles ahead of what people envisioned the Mercury would look like after Diana Taurasi exited.

“I just told the team, this was a special year … it’s one of the funnest years I’ve ever had in basketball,” Tibbetts said. “For a new group to come together the way we did and competed, it says a lot about who’s in our locker room. Everyone involved. Everyone bought into the vision and the restructuring of the group. I think the X-factor [the Mercury’s fanbase], the city of Phoenix and state of Arizona have really gotten behind our group because we play the right way, play together, and play tough.”

He knows there are still things to learn and implement before next season arrives. For now, it’s about relishing what they just accomplished.

“I’m going to remember this year forever,” he concluded.

So will the fans and the Phoenix community, who have thoroughly enjoyed and resonated with this new iteration of the Mercury.