After Diana Taurasi retired and Brittney Griner left in free agency, the Mercury’s sole mission was to build another championship contender. They did just that, bringing in Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to form a new big three with Kahleah Copper and signing some unknown but impactful role players to round out the roster.
The Mercury brought down the defending champions and the Minnesota Lynx to book a ticket to the finals, but then ran into a wall against the battle-tested and veteran Las Vegas Aces. The Aces swept the series, defeating the Mercury 4-0.
It was a demoralizing loss, but Phoenix’s future can still be bright if the organization retains its core in the offseason. After the game, Kahleah Copper told reporters, “I wanted us to feel it. I wanted us to hear the celebrations. I wanted us to really feel that moment, feel the hurt and,…let it just fuel us for the future.”
By losing in their first finals appearance with their new big three, the Mercury followed a long line of teams needing to suffer a brutal blow before winning it all. Few teams win a championship on their first try.
Losing at the highest level is often the first step towards winning a title
The Las Vegas Aces won three titles in the last four years. They are the WNBA’s most recent dynasty, but before they got there, they had to go through some heartbreaking losses. In 2020, they were swept in the finals by the Seattle Storm. The next year, they lost in the semifinals before going on to win back-to-back titles.
Many other teams went through the same thing. The New York Liberty lost the 2023 championship to the Aces before winning their first title in 2024. Likewise, the Washington Mystics lost the 2018 finals to the Storm before winning it all in 2019. The Sparks fell short of even making the finals three consecutive times before winning the title in 2016. Indiana went through the same thing twice ahead of its 2012 championship.
The Mercury can get back to the highest level if the offseason goes well
This offseason holds a lot of uncertainty for every team in the league. Because of the new CBA, almost every veteran in the league will be a free agent in the winter. The CBA negotiations are not going well, as evidenced by the public conflict between the players and commissioner Cathy Engelbert, so it is still unclear when free agency or the expansion drafts for the new franchises will happen or under what circumstances.
The Mercury only have one player under contract for the 2026 season: Kalani Brown—one of two veterans who signed a two-year deal ahead of the 2025 season. Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally, and Alyssa Thomas are all unrestricted free agents. After a heartbreaking end to the season, all three likely feel that they have unfinished business in Phoenix. If the organization can retain all three and build a deeper supporting cast around them, Phoenix could very well be back in the finals soon.