Mercury star Kahleah Copper named to All-WNBA Second Team

Kahleah Copper may be gearing up for her first playoff series as a member of the Phoenix Mercury but from being traded in the offseason to making an instant impact in the regular season, she has been awarded with a prestigious honor.

On Sunday just hours before the Mercury faces the Minnesota Lynx in its first round playoff series, Copper was named to the Associated Press All-WNBA Second Team.

Being involved in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 6 between Phoenix and Chicago Sky, Copper was the third-highest scorer in the WNBA this season, averaging a career-high 21.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. She recorded nine 30-plus point games, with Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson finishing with the most (11).

This was Copper’s first career AP All-WNBA Team selection of her career, another accolade added to her decorated resume. The Rutgers product is also a four-time WNBA All-Star (2021-24), is a 2021 WNBA champion where she was the Finals MVP for the Sky and was a gold medalist for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Since arriving in the Valley, she has displayed her versatility on both ends of the court, primarily with her scoring arsenal, shot creation and defense. The Philadelphia native was 43.5% from the field and 31.4% from three this regular season.

Here are both of the Associated Press All-WNBA First and Second Teams:

First Team

A’ja Wilson (Player of the Year) | Las Vegas Aces
Caitlin Clark | Indiana Fever
Napheesa Collier | Minnesota Lynx
Breanna Stewart | New York Liberty
Alyssa Thomas | Connecticut Sun

Second Team

Sabrina Ionescu | New York Liberty
Arike Ogunbowale | Dallas Wings
Nneka Ogwumike | Seattle Storm
Kahleah Copper | Phoenix Mercury
Kayla McBride | Minnesota Lynx

Phoenix takes on Minnesota in Game 1 of the first round playoff series at 2 p.m. PT in Minneapolis.