Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts draws comparisons of Alyssa Thomas
Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts draws comparisons of Alyssa Thomas to past basketball players he’s coached.
The Phoenix Mercury play their final regular-season home game against the visiting Los Angeles Sparks, and it’s going to be an important matchup for both teams.
The Mercury are 27-15 on the season and are fourth in the WNBA. They sit one game behind the Las Vegas Aces (28-14), but the Aces hold the tiebreaker if the teams finish with the same record.
The Sparks are 20-22 and are 1 1/2 behind the Seattle Storm for the final remaining playoff spot. Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker over the Storm, which makes the race even tighter.
The Storm play the playoff-bound Golden State Valkyries at the same time as the Mercury’s contest on Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. MST. The Storm need the Sparks to lose, while the Sparks need to win to continue.
The Mercury have a 3-0 edge over the Sparks and are 8-0 in the past eight meetings. The Mercury don’t have any injuries to report for the game.
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, who is adept at providing late 3-pointers, is questionable with a left foot injury. Across the past five games, Plum has averaged 16.4 points and 5.2 assists. Forward Rickea Jackson is probable with a right lower leg injury.
The game will be shown locally on Arizona’s Family Sports.