Mercury cruise to victory over Japan in final preseason game

The Phoenix Mercury wrapped up a perfect 2-0 preseason with an 86-60 victory over the Japan Women’s National Team on Wednesday night. Following up on their win in South Dakota earlier this week, Phoenix came out aggressive by prioritizing the right shots and getting everyone involved. Kahleah Copper (6'1''-G/F-1994, college: Rutgers) set the tone early in that regard, picking up right where she left off in the preseason opener. Phoenix shot 7-of-15 from three in the first half while assisting on 12 of their first 17 buckets. They used that efficiency to build a 26-point lead in the second quarter. “We came out and played with purpose,” head coach Nate Tibbetts said. “I liked our defensive focus, we shared the ball offensively and got some really good looks.” Japan responded with 11 unanswered points to begin the third quarter, capitalizing on a few Mercury turnovers to cut the deficit in half. Despite only scoring 14 in the third quarter, Phoenix maintained a healthy lead with its defensive pressure and keeping Japan out of the paint. Their focus allowed them to utilize the fourth quarter as a talent evaluation period, which every team needs during camp. Phoenix will have tough roster decisions to make next week as the regular season approaches. Associate head coach Kristi Toliver took over the coaching reins in the second half, roaming the sidelines and instructing the team on both sides of the ball. Tibbetts slid over on the bench, just like he did Saturday in South Dakota while having assistant Megan Vogel take the wheel. He loves giving his assistants as much shine as possible. The Mercury led wire-to-wire in their first home game in over six months, giving the X-Factor a preview of exciting things ahead. Kahleah Copper looked poised offensively, scoring 17 points and never hesitating to attack when she found a gap.
In her two preseason games combined, Copper scored 36 points across her 37 minutes – a scoring rate that Phoenix will gladly welcome next week and beyond. She shot 6-of-11 from two (54.5%) and 7-of-12 on threes (58.3%) during her preseason action. That kind of shot profile is right in line with what Tibbetts and the Mercury coaching staff are aiming for.
Similar to the first preseason game in South Dakota, there was an early emphasis on getting Natasha Mack (6'3''-F-1997, college: OK State, agency: LBM Management) involved offensively. Mack’s teammates found her near the basket on multiple occasions, notably out of pick-and-rolls after making good contact on her screens. Two of her buckets were three-point plays as she finished through contact and let the crowd hear it.
Mack scored 12 points and grabbed 9 rebounds while shooting 5-of-6 from the field. It’s clear the Mercury are going to trust her more with the ball in her third season with the franchise. With the strides she has taken in her conditioning and touch around the basket, this could be a transformational year for her career.
Courtesy of: mercury.wnba.com