Phoenix Mercury fail to find any rhythm in loss at Indiana Fever
The Mercury allowed an opponent season-high 32 free-throws made and 38 free-throws attempted, which saw the Mercury struggle to gain any momentum.
In a tightly officiated game, the Phoenix Mercury failed to find any rhythm in Wednesday’s 107-101 loss at the Indiana Fever.
The Mercury (16-10) allowed the Fever (15-12) to shoot an opponent season-high 32 free-throws made and 38 free-throws attempted, which saw the Mercury struggle to gain any momentum offensively.
Thirty-eight free-throws attempted is also the most free-throw attempts in a non-overtime WNBA game this year.
With Phoenix being a team known for its pacy, “position-less” offense, the constant whistle slowed down the Mercury considerably and kept them from their identity.
“Yeah, I mean, you saw it, I guess,” Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb said. “They get to the free-throw line, and a big part of our game is getting the rebound and running. And if we have to take the ball out or we're constantly being called for fouls, that definitely limits the way that we want to play for sure.”
When asked after the game if the 38 free-throws came down to how the Mercury were playing or how the game was officiated, Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said it was a combination of the two.
“I think it was a little of both,” Tibbetts said. “We committed some fouls when we were in the bonus, just understanding that we were in the bonus, and gave them free free throws. And we were slow to some things tonight, defensively. And they play fast. They play free, and we were behind.”
The Fever shot 18 of their free throws in the fourth quarter, which helped them build a 12-point lead after Phoenix cut the deficit to two heading into the final period.
Alyssa Thomas had another MVP-caliber performance. She finished with a career-high 32 points (on 14-for-22 shooting), to go along with 15 rebounds and seven assists.
She became the only player in WNBA history with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in consecutive games.
Sloppy second quarter sees Mercury lose all momentum gained
After a near-flawless first quarter in which the Mercury played some of their best basketball on both ends by forcing six Indiana turnovers while scoring 31 points, one off their season-high, an abysmal second-quarter saw the Mercury chase the game the rest of the way.
The Mercury were outscored 35-20 in the second after leading by 12 points in the first.
Phoenix put Indiana in the bonus with 7:46 left in the second quarter, as Indiana had 12 attempts at the line, but despite how the game was officiated, the Mercury did not do themselves any favors in the turnover department.
The Mercury had eight turnovers in the second quarter, and Thomas uncharacteristically had six of them, including four in a 1:32 stretch that led to a 12-0 Indiana run.
Thomas averages just 3.4 turnovers per game, but finished with eight on Wednesday.
“I think it was times when we got a little sped up. Times where we just weren't connected,” Mercury wing Kahleah Copper said about the turnovers.
“But us just all getting back on the court together, understanding our spots. Everyone's spots, where we like to play. So kind of working through that, but also just we got to lock in and just be a little bit more focused on the little things. Handling the physicality and still being able to play our basketball.”
The Mercury finished with 19 turnovers, which tied their season-high, but they gave up 25 points off those turnovers, which set a new season-high.
Tibbetts after the game said he was unsure of the reasoning behind those turnovers.
“Yeah, I'm not sure. I'll have to look at the film. Nineteen turnovers is the most turnovers we've had in a while,” Tibbetts said. “And some of them were unforced, and when you turn the ball over in a game like this, those possessions are very valuable.”
Many of Phoenix’s turnovers were liveball turnovers or unforced errors, signifying a general theme of sloppiness and a group still figuring out how to play together.
McDonald getting downhill leads to career night
Aari McDonald gave the Mercury all sorts of problems and finished with a career-high 27 points. The former Arizona standout shot 7-for-11 (63.6%) from the field and went 10-for-10 (100%) at the line.
As McDonald and the Fever played downhill and got to the basket, the Mercury were slow to the ball defensively.
“She was moving. She was moving faster than we were moving tonight,” Tibbetts said. “She played extremely well, got downhill. To me, giving up 10 free throws to a guard like that is (poor), we were just behind all night. Give her credit. She had a really big night.”
When McDonald and Kelsey Mitchell went to the bench in the third quarter, it allowed the Mercury to finally go on a run. McDonald and Mitchell checked out with 5:34 left in the third, as the Mercury ended the quarter on a 10-2 run to trail the Fever 74-72 after three.
The Mercury held the Fever without scoring for the final 2:20 and without a field goal for the last 3:29, as the Fever offense became stagnant and one-dimensional when those two were out.
But in the fourth it was all Fever again. In the last period the Mercury fell behind by as many as 12 and were unable to claw their way out of the hole.
In addition to sending Indiana to the line 18 times, the Mercury also struggled with their pick-and-roll defense and switching, as the Fever took advantage of mismatches on Aliyah Boston.
Boston got off to a slow start, tallying just five points through the first three quarters before she exploded for 17 points in the fourth, which included going 4-for-5 (80%) from the field and 9-for-11 (81.2%) at the line.
“I mean, we had two poor, poor quarters defensively, the second and the fourth. You're not going to win many games when you give up 107 points,” Tibbetts said. Wednesday was the first time the Mercury have given up more than 100 points this season.
“It's not reliable,” Tibbetts added. “They got 3s, they got to the free-throw line. We have to be a little more solid. You're just not gonna win games when you give up 32 from the free-throw line.”
The penultimate game of Phoenix’s five-game roadtrip will see the Mercury head to Atlanta to face the Dream (16-11) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. MST. The game can be watched on ION.