Mercury climb ESPN’s power rankings as playoff push heats up

The Mercury ended their latest road trip with a win against the Chicago Sky on Aug. 3 and carried the win into their homestand. Phoenix went on to defeat the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever last week, with Alyssa Thomas making history as the first WNBA player to record three consecutive triple-doubles against the Sky, Sun and Fever.

Despite losing to the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 10, Phoenix is trending in the right direction after its slump.

“… The Chemistry between [Thomas], Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper — along with the addition of DeWanna Bonner — still puts the Mercury in a better position than they were a week ago,” said ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.

Although the Mercury won’t have a perfect homestand, they will face the Las Vegas Aces on Aug. 15 to give themselves momentum heading into their next road trip. Phoenix will have the second-easiest schedule out of all teams, behind the Dream’s schedule. With the Minnesota Lynx clinching a playoff berth, playoff spots are limited and every game for Phoenix is a must-win.

With momentum building and a favorable schedule ahead, the Mercury are positioning themselves for a strong push down the stretch.