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Phoenix Mercury enter conversation for league’s best with dominant victory over Sun

By Brendon Kleen

PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 16: Shekinna Stricklen #40 of the Connecticut Sun handles the ball against the Phoenix Mercury on June 16, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 16: Shekinna Stricklen #40 of the Connecticut Sun handles the ball against the Phoenix Mercury on June 16, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Battle for WNBA supremacy?: Sure, the Sun can point to the absences of Chiney Ogwumike and Alyssa Thomas, but this sure felt like an early-season weigh-in for the league’s top two squads. A night after Seattle out-dueled Connecticut for comparable bragging rights, the Mercury placed themselves in a pronounced top-two next to the Storm, a team they beat in Phoenix on the opening night of the WNBA season.

Mercury’s smarter starting five: While Phoenix’s focus in the offseason was on creating a more cohesive team around their core defensive philosophies, they tripped into a starting unit that breathes more smoothly than last year’s. Diana Taurasi’s ball skills are being utilized more in 2018, making the rangy Briann January a perfect fit opposite her. Likewise, Sancho Lyttle’s court vision and mobility is more useful alongside Brittney Griner than Camille Little.

Stricklen a weapon: On nights like these, where injuries and a Defensive Player of the Year swallow up the Sun’s normal offense, they should work Stricklen into the offense far more. The veteran found daylight a few times before the game got out of hand, but her poor shooting pushed coach Curt Miller in another direction. Her size and shooting allows her to find points in a halfcourt structure like few others on this roster can.

Phoenix solidifying rotation of eight: We didn’t see rookie Marie Gulich check in for the purple tonight until late in the third quarter. Stephanie Talbot didn’t log her first minute until the fourth. While their depth will certainly help over the course of the season, the Mercury have seemingly locked into eight women — the starters plus Little, Yvonne Turner and Leilani Mitchell — who they trust.

Mercury do Pride right: In a league where openness and honesty allows players, coaches and executives to form powerful bonds with their fans, it was heart-warming to see Phoenix go all-out for Pride Night. In addition to an appearance and halftime Q&A session with Olympic figure skater and LGBTQ advocate Adam Rippon, the team populated breaks in play with video messages from Mercury players.

“Pride means I can be me. And that’s huge,” said January in a pre-recorded segment that aired during the first timeout.

Griner also appeared in the video.

“It just means everything to me,” she said after the game. “It shows that they back me and what I stand for.”

The crowd, sitting in rainbow-colored seats for the night, was ecstatic. For a few hours, those seats indeed felt a bit closer together.

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