Mercury preseason win sets up roster crunch before opener
Phoenix finished preseason with an 86-60 win over Japan, but the bigger takeaway is looming cuts and roles before the May 9 opener.
The Phoenix Mercury beat the Japan National Team, 86-60, in the preseason finale on April 29 at Mortgage Matchup Center. Even though the preseason game against Japan wasn’t an accurate assessment of the size and skill in the WNBA, it was a decent showing by the Mercury’s starters. With the season opener on May 9, coach Nate Tibbetts took advantage of the conditioning opportunities by using starters Kahleah Copper, Sami Whitcomb, DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, and Natasha Mack through the end of the third quarter.
At times, the Mercury showed some rust. Copper picked up four fouls in the first 13 minutes of the game. Thomas committed three fouls in under three minutes to start the first half.
But there were also times when the offseason improvements showed up. Mack, who got stronger in the offseason, found herself in more offensive situations than in the past season. Mack’s strength helped her get more involved in pick-and-rolls early on.
“Our group really likes playing with her because she does all the little things,” Tibbetts said. “I’ve been very impressed with her approach and professionalism and her growth. She has to be extremely proud of herself and how far she’s come in the last two years.