Phoenix Mercury outworked in loss to Los Angeles Sparks

One of the characteristics that defines a team led by Alyssa Thomas is a strong defense. After six games, the Phoenix Mercury (2-4) haven’t matched the intensity needed and were once again exposed in a 97-88 loss against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 21. “Teams are coming in and getting anything and everything they want against us,” Thomas said.

“For us, we got to decide if we want to defend. As you see, if you’re not going to defend, you’re not going to play. ” The Sparks came in as one of three WNBA teams with one win, but looked elite in catching the Mercury’s defense flat-footed.

“The biggest thing is people have been comfortable,” coach Nate Tibbetts said. “That’s the most disappointing thing. ” Tibbetts said the defensive struggles began when Sparks guard Kelsey Plum shot a walk-in 3-pointer at 8:19 from a “bad” pick-up point from the Mercury.

From there, the Sparks didn’t have trouble seeing their shots fall and posted 60 points in the first half. “We’re not doing a good enough job of getting to their shooters and that’s disappointing,” Tibbetts said. Plum and guard Ariel Atkins took advantage of multiple open looks on the perimeter, combining to hit 7-of-17.