Oct 5, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) drives the ball past Las Vegas Aces guards Jackie Young (0) and Dana Evans (11) during the second quarter of game two of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Revisiting Mercury Star Kahleah Copper's Game 4 Performance

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Phoenix Mercury had a strong 2025 season, and their efforts led to them making the WNBA Finals for the sixth time in history. They started their playoff journey with a series against the New York Liberty, and the Mercury beat them 2-1. That series started with a loss, as the Liberty beat them 76-69 in overtime. Then, Phoenix bounced back with wins in the next two.

After that victory, the Mercury faced the Minnesota Lynx. That series started with a loss as well, but Phoenix recovered. The Mercury won the next three games, and they would go on to face the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals.

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During Phoenix's playoff run, the team's stars played at a high level. Satou Sabally was the team's leading scorer during that time, and she averaged 19.0 points.

Kahleah Copper was behind her, and she averaged 17.8 points. She had some strong performances, and when it came to the Finals, she was at her best. She had a playoff career high during that time, as she had 30 points in Game 4 of the series against the Aces.

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Copper has playoff career high against the Aces

Las Vegas won that game, but as Copper showed, Phoenix was not going down without a fight. On top of her 30 points, the Mercury guard had six rebounds and an assist. Alyssa Thomas had a strong game, as she had a triple-double. She had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Then, the Mercury had three players who scored 10 points.

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Two of those players were in the starting lineup, while another came off the bench. Monique Akoa Makani had 10, and DeWanna Bonner, who was inserted into the starting lineup after Sabally's injury, had the same. Then, Kalani Brown had 10 points off the bench.

Copper's 30-point game was impressive, and before that game, her playoff career high was 26 points. She had that back in 2021, which was the year the Chicago Sky won it all. Copper also received the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) that year, and she averaged 17.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in that series.

The Finals MVP had her 26-point game against the Connecticut Sun, and the Sky beat them 86-83.

Phoenix's star is an exceptional scorer, and come next season, she will once again put up big numbers in the postseason.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Mercury On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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