Injury-plagued Mercury fall short against Minnesota Lynx

The Mercury struggled to keep up with the Lynx’s defense at the start of the game. Half of Phoenix’s points in the first quarter were from free throws, with only two shots from the field and one from three. The Mercury battled back in the second quarter, going on an 8-2 run to start.

Phoenix was able to cut Minnesota’s 10-point lead to four after the first half.

The Lynx had five three-point shots in the third quarter, with Napheesa Collier scoring eight points. Minnesota opened a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter, continuing to shoot efficiently from beyond the arc.

Phoenix’s 66 points in the game were a season-low.

Alyssa Thomas led the scoring for the Mercury with 12 points, five rebounds and nine assists.

Injuries Before The Break

Phoenix continues to be plagued by injuries, with eight available players for Wednesday’s game. Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper have been out since July 3 with leg injuries. Lexi Held has been out since June 19 with a lung injury.

Most recently, Monique Akoa Makani was ruled out with a concussion.

Head coach Nate Tibbetts said all injuries are “bad” luck when asked about the timing of these injuries going into playing against the Lynx. Not having multiple starters has been difficult, but Tibbetts is proud of his team for working through them.

“We battled the other night in Golden State with eight players,” Tibbetts said after the game. “This was a quick turnaround to go from West Coast to the Central time zone… I was proud of our fight, proud of our group, and I’ve been proud of them all year. They’ve just continued to just stay with it.”

All-Star Break

Mercury fans can catch Sabally and Thomas will represent the team during the WNBA All-Star game on Saturday, July 19.