The only word I can think of to describe the season for the Phoenix Mercury is mercurial. This has been an unpredictable season, as it has been for several teams. The Mercury’s longest win streak in three and they’ve never lost more than two in a row. Their last five games were 2-3, the most recent a loss to New York. Against the Minnesota Lynx, who they will meet on Wednesday night in Phoenix, they are 1-2. At the moment, the Lynx have the longest winning streak in the league with six and are serious title contenders.
It would seem that the momentum is with Minnesota, but as this season has shown us, wins and losses home and away have made no sense.
The Mercury is not without talent, although much like the season, the performances of some players have been equally uneven. Adding Monique Billings to the roster is certainly a plus, having done so well recently in Dallas. Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, and, of course, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi make for a team that has the potential to do better than they have done. But like anything, the reasons for under-production are hard to define.
The Lynx Post-Olympic Break
While the Lynx have had an overall better season, their month of July was anything but stellar. However, winning the game before the Olympic break and then coming back to win their next five games is certainly worth noting. Napheesa Collier has regained her early-season dynamism. Courtney Williams, Alanna Smith, and Kayla McBride continue to demonstrate what this team can do.
Wins over Las Vegas were certainly a big plus, with the defense back in great form and more consistent offense providing the spark to keep them going.
At this point in the season, any in-depth attempt to analyze what each team is doing seems rather pointless. We’ve seen what teams are capable of and how their weaknesses can affect a game. At the moment, Phoenix would be in the playoffs if they stayed as is. But with Indiana playing much better basketball, could they overtake the Mercury? Quite possibly.
see ya in Phoenix. pic.twitter.com/V5EZRjBc7M
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 27, 2024
In fact, the Lynx have one more game with the Fever in Indiana, which they should consider as a must-win. The Lynx have seven of their final ten games on the road, but with a winning road record, perhaps that isn’t as great a factor. The Mercury have five home and four road games to end the season. As I’ve said before, I’m not much of a believer in home-court advantage. For Minnesota though, going into Bloomington with Clark’s Army in attendance, it might be loud, but so is the Target Center.
But this is just another game, and from whichever side of the cheering section you’re on, it should be a good one.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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