Phoenix\u2019s net rating of +4.1<\/a>, the fifth-best mark in the WNBA, has been in large part due to the team\u2019s lowest defensive rating since 2015 (102.0).<\/p>\nMercury forward Natasha Mack has been a key piece to the defensive puzzle by leading the team with 78 offensive rebounds and 52 blocks, a large contributor to Phoenix\u2019s 78.2 pace, the third-best mark in the league.<\/p>\n
Mack, who was absent from the WNBA scene for three years before signing with the Mercury, has solidified her status as a defensive star and an important factor in Phoenix\u2019s ascension to power. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe just impacts winning with her efforts on the glass,\u201d Tibbetts said. \u201cYou want good things to happen to good people, and she\u2019s stayed with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the other side of the court, the offense has been more than just sufficient. It\u2019s been record setting. <\/p>\n
In the third quarter of Tuesday\u2019s game, Thomas collected her eighth triple double of the season, the highest single season mark in WNBA history. Ahead of the historic moment, dozens of purple signs were raised across the arena, advocating \u201cAT for MVP.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019 performance came just one game after she reclaimed the all-time assists record from Indiana\u2019s star forward Caitlyn Clark in the Mercury\u2019s 87-84 loss to the Connecticut Sun. <\/p>\n
As a combined unit, the offense has outscored their opponents 3,567-3,428 (+139), a product of their ability to tally 3-pointers at a 33.8% clip with Thomas\u2019 work in the paint, a side of her game in which she takes the most pride.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a lost art,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s always focused on the offense and scoring, it\u2019s the flashy part of basketball. But for me, it\u2019s about getting an open and easy shot for my teammate.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Mercury\u2019s success has caught the attention of the Valley and the country under the WNBA\u2019s increased spotlight. Phoenix recorded its 17th sold-out crowd of the season on Tuesday, an environment led by the rowdy X-Factor and one that should be another advantage for the Mercury in the playoffs. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re so loud,\u201d said Sabally, who dropped 24 points in Tuesday\u2019s loss. \u201cWhether we win or lose, people stay at the games and it\u2019s been really a tremendous season.\u201d<\/p>\n
With elite team chemistry on both sides of the ball and home-court advantage in Sunday\u2019s first round, the Mercury have a strong chance to make a run in this year\u2019s playoffs. Nevertheless, the road there will be full of trials and tribulations. <\/p>\n
Third-seeded Las Vegas, No. 2 seed Atlanta and top-seeded Minnesota have accounted for nine of the Mercury\u2019s 17 losses, an indication that tougher times could be on the horizon. <\/p>\n
Phoenix and Minnesota share the same side of the bracket, and fans will recall the Mercury\u2019s swift exit in last year\u2019s first-round bid came against Napheesa Collier and the Lynx\u2019s relentless offense. <\/p>\n
New York will prove to be challenging as well. Though the Mercury finished the season 3-1 against the defending champs, the Liberty have retained valuable postseason experience from players like Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.<\/p>\n
For now, preparation and focus will be at the forefront of the Mercury\u2019s agenda, as the playoffs present entirely different challenges for inexperienced and experienced players alike. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone that\u2019s been in a postseason like that knows it\u2019s another level of basketball,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cMost players have to take their game to even another level. But I think we\u2019re doing a great job of preparing for the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DeWanna Bonner, center, and her Phoenix Mercury teammates feel confident for the WNBA playoffs, which begin Sunday for…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":219778,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,1589,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-219777","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az","11":"tag-phoenix","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-united-states-of-america","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","16":"tag-us","17":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115189072921777168","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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