PHOENIX \u2013 For the first time in weeks, Kahleah Copper found her rhythm, putting together a performance that felt like a long awaited breakthrough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite a historic night from the guard, the Phoenix Mercury were left with another frustrating loss Saturday. Copper erupted for a career-high 41 points and delivered one of the most complete performances in WNBA history, but the Mercury fell 111-102 to the Los Angeles Sparks in overtime, leaving the team still searching for answers in close games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the Mercury\u2019s ninth loss in 11 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Copper became just the third player in WNBA history to finish with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five made 3-pointers in a game. Yet even with Copper breaking out of her recent shooting slump, the Mercury could not turn her performance into a win. Phoenix again struggled to get key stops late, an issue coach Nate Tibbetts said continues to separate competitive performances from victories.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefensively, we had some slips,\u201d Tibbetts said. \u201cWe can\u2019t allow them to walk into some shots. \u2026 We need to do a better job of just building a wall and showing bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The loss underscored a familiar issue for Phoenix: encouraging individual performances that have yet to translate into consistent wins. While Copper appears to be breaking out of her recent shooting slump, the Mercury continue to search for the execution needed to finish games against high-powered offenses.<\/p>\n
Her breakout night was less about forcing production and more about trusting the flow of the offense, Copper said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really just put in a position,\u201d Copper said. \u201cSome of the things Nate drew up, and then just seeing the floor and our spacing. We were all in our spots, so I just tried to make good plays.\u201d<\/p>\n
After struggling through recent games, Copper said the mental shift was just as important as the stat line. Before Saturday, she shot 30% or worst in four of her last five games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been overthinking in the past however many games,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m past that. I just want to win, whatever it takes \u2013 making the right play, hitting shots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her performance drew praise from teammate Natasha Mack, who said Copper\u2019s work ethic made the breakout inevitable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud of her,\u201d Mack said. \u201cI see the work she puts in daily, so this was bound to come. When she\u2019s going, it\u2019s great for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mack also highlighted the team\u2019s effort despite another close loss, pointing to the collective mindset Phoenix is trying to build late in the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had that tonight,\u201d Mack said of the team\u2019s fight. \u201cOne game at a time and make the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, the Mercury\u2019s inability to consistently get stops late proved costly, with Tibbetts stressing that defensive execution remains the difference in games that slip away.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of these games we\u2019ve been in, and then they\u2019ve kind of gotten away from us,\u201d Copper said. \u201cBut just keeping our fight. I think we had that tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Phoenix, Copper\u2019s historic night offered a positive step forward offensively and a sign she may be fully breaking out of her slump. If the Mercury can pair that level of production with sharper late-game defense, those close losses could start turning into wins down the stretch.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKahleah Copper rediscovers her rhythm, but the Phoenix Mercury is still searching for wins<\/p>\n
Jadyn Wilgus, Cronkite News
\nJune 15, 2026<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 For the first time in weeks, Kahleah Copper found her rhythm, putting together a performance that felt like a long awaited breakthrough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite a historic night from the guard, the Phoenix Mercury were left with another frustrating loss Saturday. Copper erupted for a career-high 41 points and delivered one of the most complete performances in WNBA history, but the Mercury fell 111-102 to the Los Angeles Sparks in overtime, leaving the team still searching for answers in close games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the Mercury\u2019s ninth loss in 11 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Copper became just the third player in WNBA history to finish with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five made 3-pointers in a game. Yet even with Copper breaking out of her recent shooting slump, the Mercury could not turn her performance into a win. Phoenix again struggled to get key stops late, an issue coach Nate Tibbetts said continues to separate competitive performances from victories.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefensively, we had some slips,\u201d Tibbetts said. \u201cWe can\u2019t allow them to walk into some shots. \u2026 We need to do a better job of just building a wall and showing bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The loss underscored a familiar issue for Phoenix: encouraging individual performances that have yet to translate into consistent wins. While Copper appears to be breaking out of her recent shooting slump, the Mercury continue to search for the execution needed to finish games against high-powered offenses.<\/p>\n
Her breakout night was less about forcing production and more about trusting the flow of the offense, Copper said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really just put in a position,\u201d Copper said. \u201cSome of the things Nate drew up, and then just seeing the floor and our spacing. We were all in our spots, so I just tried to make good plays.\u201d<\/p>\n
After struggling through recent games, Copper said the mental shift was just as important as the stat line. Before Saturday, she shot 30% or worst in four of her last five games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been overthinking in the past however many games,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m past that. I just want to win, whatever it takes \u2013 making the right play, hitting shots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her performance drew praise from teammate Natasha Mack, who said Copper\u2019s work ethic made the breakout inevitable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud of her,\u201d Mack said. \u201cI see the work she puts in daily, so this was bound to come. When she\u2019s going, it\u2019s great for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mack also highlighted the team\u2019s effort despite another close loss, pointing to the collective mindset Phoenix is trying to build late in the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had that tonight,\u201d Mack said of the team\u2019s fight. \u201cOne game at a time and make the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, the Mercury\u2019s inability to consistently get stops late proved costly, with Tibbetts stressing that defensive execution remains the difference in games that slip away.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of these games we\u2019ve been in, and then they\u2019ve kind of gotten away from us,\u201d Copper said. \u201cBut just keeping our fight. I think we had that tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Phoenix, Copper\u2019s historic night offered a positive step forward offensively and a sign she may be fully breaking out of her slump. If the Mercury can pair that level of production with sharper late-game defense, those close losses could start turning into wins down the stretch.<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.<\/p>\n
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