The Phoenix Mercury opened the season with a 99-66 victory against the Las Vegas Aces, who swept them in the WNBA Finals last season.
It’s been pretty much downhill ever since.
Despite returning four starters, the Mercury (2-8) have lost six straight to drop into last place in the Western Conference standings entering Wednesday’s game at the Seattle Storm (3-7).
The low point came Monday in a 111-77 loss to Minnesota, the second-largest home defeat in franchise history.
“We have to continue to hold this standard of what it takes to be a championship team. What it took for us to do that last year, it’s not easy,” said guard Kahleah Copper, who leads the Mercury in scoring at 18.4 points per game. “It just doesn’t carry over just because you did it. So for us it’s about just everybody looking in the mirror, I think.”
Veteran forward Alyssa Thomas is second on the Mercury in scoring (15.6) and rebounding (6.8) and first in assists (7.8) but scored a season-low six points Monday on 1-for-6 shooting from the field.
“It’s one of those things where when you start to lose, people start to hang their head a little bit,” said Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts, whose team’s 110.0 defensive rating is second-worst in the league. “We’re gonna get this figured out. It doesn’t feel like it right now, but we gotta keep working.”
The Storm have lost three in a row since a 97-95 victory against visiting Washington on May 24. Their offensive production reached a low in a 79-56 defeat Monday at Dallas when they shot 32.8% from the field (20 of 61), including just 4 for 19 from 3-point range.
Rookie Flau’jae Johnson had team-high totals of 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
“I ain’t going to lie, I don’t like losing,” Johnson said. “I hate losing more than I love winning. But just kind of taking it for what it is and really learning and really like implementing it into the next game.
“We can’t come and make the same mistakes and keep talking about we’re going to do this and we’re going to do that, but it don’t change.”
The Storm remain without center Dominique Malonga, who has missed seven consecutive games while in concussion protocol. Forward Ezi Magbegor has yet to play this season due to a foot injury.
–Field Level Media
