Mercury set WNBA single-season record for technical fouls by a team
The Phoenix Mercury added three technical fouls to their growing list that leads the WNBA this season.
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Mercury set a WNBA single-season record with 30 technical fouls during their 89-76 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts was charged with his technical late in the third quarter, his second of the season. Guard Sophie Cunningham was ejected after she picked up two technical fouls with 3:28 remaining in the game.
“Yeah, I mean, probably all of the above, to be quite honest,” Tibbetts answered when questioned if the Mercury’s frustrations stemmed from opponents or referees.
Tibbetts, who is in his first year as Mercury coach, has two technical fouls, but has two players, Natasha Cloud and Diana Taurasi, who have six each and with one more will receive a one-game suspension.
“I also know that we got competitors,” Tibbetts said about his team’s intensity.
“I would rather that we have people who compete and get after it.”
Taurasi, who is widely regarded as the greatest women’s player ever, is someone the Mercury cannot lose if they are to make a deep playoff run. Even though she is one technical foul away from a suspension, she has not changed her reactions to non-calls.
Cunningham’s ejection was something intentional, she said.
“Maybe I could have controlled my emotion a little bit more, but honestly I didn’t want to,” Cunningham said.
The Mercury struggled mightily against the Lynx, who rank first in many defensive categories among WNBA teams. Minnesota is led by longtime coach Cheryl Reeve, whose screen-and-roll coverage against Kahleah Copper forced the Mercury superstar to miss her first six shots and finish 3-of-10 from the field.
Copper in her last five games is shooting 35.4% and just 22.2% from 3-point range. She is arguably the most complete scorer in the league and her struggles have hurt the Mercury significantly.
Phoenix as a team shot 38.2%.
Cunningham was tied for most points by a Mercury player (16) with Taurasi after she came off the bench and was replaced in the starting lineup by Monique Billings.
“I think it was just really good for rotation-wise,” Cunningham said. Billings is 28 years old and gives the Mercury some youth and a true power forward in the starting five with Brittney Griner. “ … I’m kind of just doing whatever they need me to do.”
“I thought her energy and offensive rebounds were good in the first half,” Tibbetts said on Billings. “We haven’t played two traditional bigs all season.”
The Mercury within their offense have stagnated and looked confused at one another since they started what will be a five-game homestand.
“There’s no way to deny that,” Tibbetts said. “ … We had 10 (of their 19) turnovers in the first quarter. That leads to bad offense. Our execution, spacing, all the way across the board.”
Phoenix says it will use what is scheduled to be two days of practice before its next game on Sunday versus the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces to correct those things.
“We’ll clean it up,” Cunningham said.
Along with their offensive miscues, the Mercury have struggled to stay out of the “Manure Strip,” a term Tibbetts uses to describe anything outside shots within 10 feet of the rim and within the 3-point arc.
Copper in her last five games is being forced to take long twos and is 4-of-14 from mid-range in the stretch. The Mercury also could not find Griner, who finished 3-of-13 from the field.
Combined, Copper, Griner and point guard Natasha Cloud shot 15-of-39 (38.5%) in the loss.
Phoenix is working through a rough patch but does not have time to be stuck in it. It is a half-game above the Indiana Fever for the No. 6 seed and if it were to fall, would be in position to face the Lynx in the first round of the playoffs.