PHOENIX — Kahleah Copper had been stuck in her own head for weeks. The Phoenix Mercury guard, a known bucket-getter who can flip a game in a single quarter, was averaging a respectable 17.1 points — but that number came with a nagging sense that something was off. She wasn’t herself. Teammates could see it. So could the coaching staff. And on Saturday night, Copper finally let it all out, scoring a career-high 41 points against the Los Angeles Sparks in a performance that felt less like a breakout and more like an exorcism.
The explosion didn’t come from a technical adjustment or a new play set. It came from a mindset shift. According to Copper, the biggest obstacle wasn’t the defense — it was the constant chatter in her own mind. The Mercury guard reportedly told teammates she was tired of, in her words, “f***ing overthinking” every possession. Once she let that go, the game opened up.
A needed dose of aggression
Copper started the game with 14 points in the first quarter alone, attacking the rim and pulling up with confidence. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets said after the game that the responsibility was on him to put Copper in better scoring positions — and Saturday, that meant pick-and-rolls, off-ball cuts, and inverted screens that freed her up for clean looks. It worked.
But what made the performance different was that Copper didn’t force anything. She let the offense come to her. The result was efficient, aggressive basketball that reminded everyone why Phoenix went all-in on her in the offseason.
Still, the win didn’t follow. The Mercury fell 104-96 to Los Angeles, a loss that left Copper and her teammates frustrated despite the individual milestone. Fatigue and a handful of circus-shot makes by the Sparks down the stretch flipped the outcome.
Why this matters for Phoenix
Copper’s resurgence wasn’t just about one game. The Mercury have been in a rough patch, and the veteran guard is the engine that makes the offense dangerous. With Natasha Mack chipping in six stocks (steals plus blocks) and contributions from Noémie Brochant, DeWanna Bonner, and Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix showed it can score with anyone. But the team needed Copper to be that version of herself — the one who causes havoc for defenders and doesn’t get lost in analysis paralysis.
“She looks like the Kahleah Copper that we know,” Tibbets said. “It’s been a tough start to the year. She puts a lot of pressure on herself. But tonight she let it rip.”
The Mercury now get a few days of rest before facing the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday. The last time these two teams met, Phoenix crushed Vegas by 33 points — a result the Aces will certainly be looking to avenge. If Copper can carry this mindset into that matchup, the Mercury might be turning a corner.
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