Jul 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) dribbles the ball while Washington Mystics guard Jade Melbourne (5) defends in the third quarter at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

How Mercury's Copper Has Played Against Her Former Team

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Nov 12, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Kahleah Copper is one of the best scorers in the WNBA, and when she gets going, she is hard to stop. She showed flashes of that during the WNBA Finals, as she sparked a run in Game 3 after Satou Sabally went out with an injury. The Phoenix Mercury guard also had 30 points in the following game, as she tried her hardest to extend the series.

Copper has been great for the Mercury, and she has had big games against several teams in that time.

Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

After looking at how she played against teams like the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever, this time, her performance against an old team will be looked at.

Copper started her career with the Washington Mystics. They drafted her with the seventh pick of the 2016 WNBA Draft. She averaged 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds that year, and she played in 30 games. Her time with Washington was brief, as they traded her to the Chicago Sky in a deal that sent Elena Delle Donne to the Mystics. Then, Copper's role slowly started to change.

Copper heads to Phoenix

The Mercury acquired the Sky years later, and in her first season, she averaged 21.1 points. Phoenix faced Washington three times in 2024, and the Mercury won the series 2-1. In the first game, they beat the Mystics 83-80, and Copper had 20 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

In the next meeting, the Mercury won 96-87. Copper had 22 points, seven rebounds and an assist. Then, in the final game, the Mystics won, and they beat the Mercury 90-77. The Mercury star had 11 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Copper averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists against the Mystics that year.

Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

This year, the Mercury swept the Mystics, and the series started with Phoenix beating Washington 68-62. Copper was not in action for that game, as she was dealing with a knee injury. The Mercury beat the Mystics 88-72 in that game, and Copper had six points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

In the final game between these two teams, Copper had 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

Phoenix's star averaged 12.0 points, four rebounds and 2.5 assists if the game she missed is excluded. She had a solid performance in the last game, but this was a season series the Mercury won with the team's other stars leading the way.