The Mercury held off the Sparks to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2018.
The Phoenix Mercury (2-0) held off the Los Angeles Sparks (1-2) 89-68 at PHX Arena on Wednesday night. The Mercury are 2-0 for the first time since 2018.
Trailing 46-42 at halftime, the Mercury used an 11-0 run to take control. The Mercury out-scored the Sparks 24-7 in the third quarter, leading 66-53.
Even though they forced Kelsey Plum — the second-leading scorer in the WNBA entering the game — to commit six turnovers, the former Washington Husky wouldn’t go away. Plum scored 14 of her 25 points in the fourth, cutting the Mercury lead to 78-77 with 2:35 left after she made two free throws.
Without Kahleah Copper, the Mercury relied on star forwards Satou Sabally, who finished with 25 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block, and Alyssa Thomas, who totaled 19 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal, to finish the game. They combined to score the final 11 Mercury points.
Video: Nate Tibbetts on the Mercury’s 2-0 start to the season and more after their 89-86 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. @BrightSideSun pic.twitter.com/yGy4CwJyC1
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) May 22, 2025
Sabally scored 25 points, becoming the first Mercury player to score at least 25 in each of their first two games. But coach Nate Tibbetts was not impressed.
“I didn’t think she was very good tonight,” he said. “If you were to ask her, I’d bet she’d tell you the same thing. But even when she’s not at her best, she can still find 25 (points), which is pretty impressive. I think there’s better basketball ahead of her.”
The Mercury have relied heavily on Sabally and Thomas. But through two games, they have been surprisingly competitive on offense, a good sign for whenever Copper should return.
Five players scored at least six points, and guard Monique Akoa Makani impressed with 11 points.
“There’s probably a couple of players on our roster right now that when camp started, I didn’t know if they’d be here,” Tibbetts said. “They’ve stepped up to the challenge. We talked about it today: We know who our stars are. And everybody is else has just got to play their minutes and play hard, be productive. Most every night, people are going to get an opportunity and what you do with that is important.”
Video: Phoenix Mercury guards Kitija Laksa and Monique Akoa Makani after the Mercury’s 89-86 win over the Los Angeles Sparks@BrightSideSun pic.twitter.com/aoOwQSUed0
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) May 22, 2025
Several Mercury players made their WNBA debut in Saturday’s win. On Wednesday, Kitija Laksa made her debut and finished with nine points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Laksa was formerly a standout player at South Florida and the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She opened up about her thoughts on debuting for the Mercury.
“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “I don’t think I could’ve wished for a better birthday present. The fans are amazing, the atmosphere is great here. There’s nothing better.”
Phoenix will need Copper to be at its best. Los Angeles is expected to be a competitive team, so this is a very strong win for the Mercury.
Phoenix’s next challenge will be on Friday against the Storm. The game will be televised by Arizona’s Family and Arizona’s Family Sports.
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