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Phoenix Mercury fueled by WNBA Finals loss to Las Vegas to open season
TL;DR
The Phoenix Mercury are motivated by their WNBA Finals loss to the Las Vegas Aces as they prepare to open the 2025 season. The season-opener will feature the Aces raising their championship banner after sweeping the Mercury in the finals.
Key points
- Phoenix Mercury lost to Las Vegas Aces in 2025 WNBA Finals
- Kahleah Copper is motivating teammates with the memory of the loss
- Mercury's season-opener is against the same team that defeated them
- Aces will raise their championship banner during the game
- Mercury last won a title in 2014
Phoenix MercuryLas Vegas AcesWNBA Finals 2025Kahleah Copper
PHOENIX — After the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA Finals in October, Kahleah Copper gathered her teammates in a huddle as the Aces celebrated on Phoenix’s court.
“After the game, I just wanted us to feel it. I wanted us to hear the celebrations. I wanted us to really feel the moment, feel the hurt,” Copper said immediately after. "Let it just fuel us for the future."
It’s a level of disappointment that lingers seven months later as the Mercury prepare to open the league's 30th season against the same team that ended its championship dreams. And if that wasn’t loss enough motivation, the Mercury will watch as the Aces raise their latest championship banner and get their rings Saturday at T-Mobile Arena (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/Disney+).
“You would have some motivation too, right?" a fired-up Copper said Wednesday, ahead of Phoenix’s season-opener that doubles as a WNBA Finals rematch. "We just got swept…We want to get that one for sure.”
No one expected the Mercury to go on a deep postseason run last year, let alone make the WNBA Finals. And despite defying all odds, few selected Phoenix to return to the championship series. Being the perpetual underdog is nothing new to the Mercury, who last won a title in 2014 during the Diana Taurasi era.
Frankly, they don't care.
"We're not really worried about the expectations of what others think," Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said. “Our expectation is always going to be bigger than what the national media thinks. Some national media picked us to be the seventh best team in our league. When we look in the mirror, we don't see that. We see a team that's playing for a championship."
The belief is still there among the franchise. Unlike last season when Phoenix had two returning players, the Mercury have continuity on its side with seven returnees, including veterans Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Sami Whitcomb and DeWanna Bonner. Phoenix lost last season's leading scorer in , but the team reloaded with French forwards Noémie Brochant and Valériane Ayayi to collectively help fill that void.
Q&A
What happened in the 2025 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces?
The Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA Finals, ending the Mercury's championship hopes.
How is Kahleah Copper motivating the Phoenix Mercury for the new season?
Kahleah Copper is using the memory of their finals loss to inspire her teammates, urging them to feel the disappointment and use it as motivation for the upcoming season.
When does the Phoenix Mercury open their 2025 WNBA season?
The Phoenix Mercury will open their 2025 WNBA season against the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
What significance does the season-opener hold for the Phoenix Mercury?
The season-opener is significant as it is a rematch against the Aces, who will be raising their championship banner after defeating the Mercury in the finals.
