The X-Factor For The New Era Of Phoenix Mercury Basketball » Winsidr

Natasha Cloud was beaming in the post-game press conference, and for good reason. The Phoenix Mercury had just beaten the Washington Mystics for the team’s third win in a row. She had just compiled her second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 10 assists on 50 percent shooting from the field. 

But it wasn’t so much the win or her own individual performance that had her smiling in that moment—it was explaining how she felt at home with her new team: “Being able to be myself in this organization, being accepted for who I am; the fiery player, the dog, the passionate leader, that was welcomed immediately even in my free agency. I felt sought after, I felt wanted, I felt appreciated for the player that I am…so coming in they truly gave me the keys, they allowed me to lead and it is a blessing to be here alongside these players that really do accept me.” 

Another newcomer in Phoenix echoed a similar feeling of trust and acceptance from her teammates just a few days earlier. After scoring 38 points in a close win against the Atlanta Dream two games prior to their meeting with the Mystics, first year Mercury star Kahleah Copper said that in the toughest moments of that game she felt the belief of her new teammates.

“There was never a moment where we were disconnected—like things

happen on the court, whether it was turnovers, fouls or whatever,” Copper said. “We came to the timeout, we looked at each other and we were like, ‘we got it, it’s fine, we’re going to be okay.’ You talk about our culture, about what we’re trying to build and what we want to be—in the toughest moments, when you can look to your left and look to your right, and you know that your teammates are like, ‘let’s go!’, that’s what you want to be a part of.”

This level of faith in one another and togetherness is a staple for many teams with championship aspirations, however that comradery usually is gained through years of experience together riding the ups and downs of many games played together. To talk about trust this much as a new group is nearly unheard of. However it has to be a feeling that is probably welcomed after two seasons of chaos had reduced a franchise that was in the 2021 WNBA Finals to a team with the worst record in the league in 2023. 

The reasons for the decline are well detailed across the internet, and even by this writer, but stem factors, both preventable and not, that pushed this team out of playoff contention and without many resources to get back into title contention. 

That type of freefall with other organizations might send marketing teams to piece together campaigns around the themes of revival or revenge. What we have seen from the Mercury organization is decidedly more upbeat. They center around family, togetherness, even referring to the vets on the team as “camp counselors.” In short, the vibes are way different in 2024. 

checkin’ in with our camp counselor for season 20 ⛺️ pic.twitter.com/OgNtcmo6nV

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) April 29, 2024

The changes started taking place when new owner Mat Ishbia took over in 2023 and, much in the same way he retooled the partner organization Phoenix Suns, the Mercury found themselves with a whole new look. The coaching staff is new, the front office is new, six of the eleven players on the roster are new. 

In July 2023, Ishbia lured former Golden State Warriors executive Nick U’Ren away from the franchise to become Phoenix’s general manager. The move to acquire the Phoenix native was seen as a coup as U’Ren’s basketball knowledge is well respected throughout the world of basketball. 

The surprising moves continued in October when the Mercury announced Nate Tibbetts as their next head coach. Tibbetts is a former NBA assistant coach whose closest relationship to women’s hoops was via his father, a legendary girls high school coach in South Dakota. The move was met with skepticism nationally, especially when it was released that the rookie head coach would be the highest paid in league history. 

However, the team was steadfast in their support with U’Ren saying, “Nate’s vision for how he wants to lead this operation and organization, both now and moving forward, aligned so well with what we were looking for in a head coach.” The remainder of the coaching staff was rounded out with more familiar names in the women’s basketball world, with former Washington Mystics star Kristi Toliver named the associate head coach. 

Following the construction of an updated front office and coaching staff, the new roster began to fill out. Natasha Cloud signed after spending eight seasons with the Washington Mystics. Kahleah Copper and Morgan Bertsch arrived when Phoenix traded their 2024 lottery pick and veteran Briana Turner to the Chicago Sky. Adding in the resignings of Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, there was suddenly a buzz around this team that struggled so mightily in 2023. 

But expectations never appeared to be the focal point of the team as training camp rolled around. In fact, many of the team’s posts were showcasing the relationships built during this period. 

just a bunch of happy campers 🤠 pic.twitter.com/8zsVWetGsa

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) April 29, 2024

At this point early in the season it’s hard to argue with the results. The Mercury had three wins in four games, including one against the two-time defending champions Las Vegas Aces. Kahleah Copper herself is having a tremendous season, currently third in the league in scoring after scoring over 30 points in three of the team’s first five games.

Above all the players have demonstrated a dynamic that the Phoenix teams since 2021 have not displayed. They are a group of passionate players who appear to be putting that energy into one another, supporting each other on the court and in the locker room. Diana Taurasi has even commented on the passion that Cloud and Copper bring: “I love it. I’ve always said that this game is best played with a lot of passion and that’s when the creative juices really come out and they cause so much havoc. Not only that, but they’ve been able to come here and it feels like they’ve been here forever, and I don’t know if that necessarily happens a lot when you have a new group. It feels like they’ve been here forever.”

In the Mercury’s promotional video that opens each league pass game, Copper says, “Our team’s vibe is just energy.” So far, that energy is going in the right direction. 

All stats are courtesy of WNBA.com, unless otherwise noted.