Inside Kahleah Copper's Home Debut for the Phoenix Mercury

Copper scores 12 points in Mercury's win over the Liberty

PHOENIX- The Phoenix Mercury had the trio play in front of their fans at home for the first time. More importantly, guard Kahleah Copper made her season debut at home on Friday.

The Mercury got its second victory of the season over the defending WNBA Champions, the New York Liberty. Phoenix also won its sixth straight game since Alyssa Thomas returned from injury.

The day before the game, Copper expressed her excitement about playing in front of its fans, also known as the X-Factor, during the shootaround.

“I'm super excited,” Copper told reporters Thursday. “I've been on the sidelines getting goosebumps from watching the intro videos and seeing everybody get so hyped. So for me to be able to enjoy this, I'm super excited.”

In the Mercury’s 15-point win over the Liberty, Copper scored 12 points and made two three-pointers while playing 25 minutes of action. She continues to work her way up after missing the first month of the season for Phoenix after undergoing left knee arthroscopy.

The Mercury had six days of rest and recovery after winning four straight games on the road this past week. Thus, it paid off well for Phoenix, which hadn’t hosted a home game since June 11.

“Yeah, I mean, the X-Factor has been unbelievable all season, but I do think that they enjoy seeing a familiar face, right?” Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said postgame. “We got (Natasha) Mack back a couple of games ago, but it's been 16 days, I think, since we last played here.

“So, it's been a while, and I know how much Kahleah (Copper) loves playing in front of our fans. She's super excited, which is great, and we're excited to have her back.”

Although the Mercury does not have any players in the league’s top 25 in player minutes per game, Phoenix’s team production from the starters to the bench has been observable.

While Tibbetts is pleased to see Copper’s return in front of the Phoenix Mercury’s home crowd, New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud made a return to the city after spending one season with the team.

Cloud got to play alongside Copper and the team’s two franchise cornerstones, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, last year. The duo of Cloud and Copper helped turn around the Phoenix Mercury’s culture and led the team to an appearance in the playoffs.

“(Kahleah Copper) is one of my favorite teammates that I've played with over my career,” Cloud said pregame. “She's just a Philly kid. She's from North Philly. We work hard, we get things out of the mud. But she took a chance on me last year, too, when she decided to come to Phoenix.

“That was a cool year that we got to play together. So it's always good for this fan base to give her some love. She's done a lot for this organization over the last two years, and it's just good to see my dog back on the team.”

It was the first time the trio of Copper, Alyssa Thomas, and Satou Sabally played in front of their fans. The Phoenix Mercury have a 12-4 record, their best since 2014, when they won the WNBA Championship that year.

Sabally led the Mercury with 25 points, seven three-pointers made, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals on Friday. Thomas almost had a triple-double with 17 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists for Phoenix.

“It makes a huge difference to have her on the court,” Sabally said. “She draws three people every time she drives it to the basket. She's just so fast and finesse with it, and spreads the floor. So I'm just happy we're all back together.”

Thomas has been making a significant impact for the Phoenix Mercury on both ends of the court since being acquired through a trade this past offseason. She is leading the league in assists per game with 9.5 while recording 15 assists in two games throughout the regular season.

The Mercury has been impressive from the three-point line in the last two games. Phoenix became the first team in franchise history to record 15 or more three-pointers in consecutive games. They also tied the franchise record of 30 assists in a single game.

“It’s massive for us,” said Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb, who recorded five three-pointers in the win. “It’s a big part of what fuels our offense in general. We know we are going to generate really good threes. It’s about getting really good open looks, the best shot. It’s not really about the result of them, it’s about getting the shots, and they are going to drop eventually.”

As the Phoenix Mercury continues to build their team chemistry on both ends, especially with Copper's return, they keep improving game by game.

“Every game we are getting more used to each other,” Thomas said. “Her finding these cuts and also finding these passes helps a lot. They have to keep her honest, right? When they guard me, they have to keep me honest, when Sami (Whitcomb) is out there shooting in a split second. Everyone is also on edge when they defend us, so being able to feed off each other makes life easier.”

The Phoenix Mercury will take on A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, June 29, at home.