Oct 3, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Phoenix Mercury players react after their team was assessed a technical foul during the third quarter against the Las Vegas Aces in game one of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Why The Mercury Found The Right Lineup

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Nov 9, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Phoenix Mercury had an exceptional 2025 season, and they made history in the process. They made the WNBA Finals, which was the franchise's sixth time getting that far. The Mercury have won three championships in that time, while their opponents got the best of them in the other matchups.

Phoenix's season had some great moments, and it also had some obstacles. The Mercury played without some of their best players at times, as Satou Sabally was out with an ankle injury, and Kahleah Copper dealt with a knee injury early in the season, and a hanstring injury later on.

With the Mercury missing players, their head coach, Nate Tibbetts, had to adjust and try out different lineups. Phoenix's starting lineup in the first game of the season was Monique Akoa Makani, Sami Whitcomb, Alyssa Thomas, Kathryn Westbeld and Sabally. This lineup played well, and they beat the Seattle Storm 81-59.

As the season progressed, the lineup changed, and it most cases, the Mercury would win.

Mercury find the right lineup

The lineup they used the most was one that involved their star trio, their rookie Akoa Makani and Natasha Mack.

All of these players have their strengths. Mack is known for defense. Akoa Makani holds her own defensively, and she was making an impact on the offensive end, and the stars can score. Thomas impacts the game in several ways, and that is what made her a Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate.

This lineup appeared in 21 games, and they were 12-9. The only lineup that had more wins was one that started it all. The one that appeared in the team's blowout win over the Storm had a record of 13-5.

Phoenix's combination of Akoa Makani, Copper, Mack, Sabally and Thomas was used mostly towards the end of the season, and even in the team's last game, this was the starting lineup. They did not play as many minutes as they normally would, and as the team prepared for the playoffs, players like Westbeld, Kalani Brown, Kitija Laksa and Kiana Williams received more minutes.

The Mercury also utilized this lineup during the playoffs, and it helped them reach the Finals. The Mercury got into a rhythm with this group, and come next season, this may be the lineup Phoenix goes with.

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

More must-reads: