Phoenix Mercury outmatched by young, depleted Dallas Wings
Despite having only eight available players and having to start four rookies, the Dallas Wings dominated the Phoenix Mercury from start to finish on Thursday.
The Dallas Wings dominated the Mercury from start to finish on both ends of the floor to hand Phoenix a 98-89 loss on Thursday.
With Arike Ogunbowale out with a thumb problem and DiJonai Carrington sidelined with a rib injury, the Wings started four rookies and had just eight available players; however, they looked every bit the deeper team as they pushed the pace and attacked the Mercury from the onset.
It is the first time this season the Mercury (12-6) have lost consecutive games, as they were previously 4-0 after a loss.
The result also slides the Mercury to third in the standings, meaning Nate Tibbetts will not coach the WNBA All-Star Game, and the New York Liberty’s Sandy Brondello will coach alongside the Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve.
Thursday’s loss came against a Wings (6-13) team that had lost 11 of their first 12 games this season, but the Wings are now winners of five of their past seven.
The Wings’ size gave the Mercury all sorts of fits, as Phoenix struggled against the 6-foot-7 Li Yueru and 6-foot-7 Teaira McCowan.
Yueru finished with a season-high 12 points to go along with 11 rebounds, while McCowan added nine points and three rebounds. In total, Dallas out-rebounded the Mercury, 38-26.
Phoenix also had problems defending Dallas’ guards who played with tempo and aggression.
Paige Bueckers had 23 points (on 8-for-11 shooting), JJ Quinerly added 17 points (on 7-for-12 shooting), but it was Aziaha James’ career-high 28 points (on 10-for-20 shooting) that led Dallas.
Turnovers weren’t the issue at large for the Mercury, who finished the game with 11.
It was Phoenix’s defense which allowed the Wings to shoot 76.9% from the field, 60% from deep and 100% from the free-throw line in the first quarter, creating a hole the Mercury were unable to dig out of.
"We were just a step slow tonight, and it was from the start,” Tibbetts said. “I'm going to have to look at the film. We're going to have to look at the film and figure out what went on.
“But it wasn't who we've been. We really haven't had one of these games this year, and it was from the start. And so I think they came out and were ready. We weren’t at the level that we needed to be, and then they got comfortable, and that leads for a long night, and it was.”
The Wings opened the game on a 9-2 run in the first four minutes, making their first four shots and they never looked back.
Thirty-two points is the most the Mercury have given up in a first quarter this season, and the second-most in any quarter they’ve allowed this year (the Mercury allowed 33 in the fourth vs. the Los Angeles Sparks on May 21).
“I think it just goes back to our start,” Mercury wing Kahleah Copper said. “I think we have to come out and control the game and start the way we want to start. And, you know, dictate.
“I think we were very much on our heels the entire game. So it was about us, how we started the game and then our defense, like, I could go on and on, and on and on.”
Copper’s season-high 33 points was the lone bright spot for Phoenix. Her scoring output was the most by a Mercury player this season, but the Mercury couldn’t get much going offensively outside of Copper.
Satou Sabally made her return to Dallas for the first time after spending the first five seasons of her career with the Wings.
Sabally got off to a slow start, as she was 1-for-7 from the field in the first half with six points, but she finished with 20 points (on 5-for-15 shooting).
“The city booed me, so I'm moving on,” Sabally said. “I was happy to see everyone in the back and hug everyone, and I was actually really happy to come here, but then I guess it's also a sign of respect to be booed. So I'll take that.”
Alyssa Thomas, playing with two of her fingers on her left hand taped together after she jammed them in practice on Tuesday, finished with nine points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. She also got off to a slow start, missing four of her first five looks.
After trailing by 18 at the half, the Mercury opened the third quarter on a 20-6 run to cut the Wings' lead to 67-63 with 5:10 left in the third, mainly through the play of Copper and Sabally. The pair attacked the basket and got downhill to the nature of combining for nine free-throw attempts in the period.
Each of them had 12 points in the third, but after Phoenix cut it to four, Dallas ended the quarter on a 15-8 run to extend their lead to 82-71.
Dallas was able to stop any Mercury momentum and control the game by getting to the foul line. The Wings shot 26-for-31 (83.9%) at the line, the most attempts Phoenix has given up this season.
In the fourth quarter, the Mercury were unable to pull within single digits until 26 seconds remained, as their four turnovers in the period and Dallas’ eight free-throw attempts kept them from building any momentum.
The Mercury will get a home rematch against the Wings on Monday at 7 p.m. MST. The game can be watched on Arizona’s Family Sports.
I did not expect the Mercury to have such an off night defensively against the Wings. It was baffling. Credit to Dallas though. Looking forward to the rematch on Monday and getting back on the winning track.