Copper, Sabal, Thomas leads Merkur in the VNBA playoffs

Kahleah copper and Satou Sabal He was sitting one another at the restaurant in Miami at the end of January, two blocks from their residential complex in a shitty, for breakfast in Midmoria before practice.

For years, they played basketball against each other, but never in the same team. They made small conversations – so that the inaugural season of new 3-3-3 leagues would develop their games, how many impressive resources were in the VNBA, in one space, created the recruitment of unmanned funds for the upcoming free agents together in one space.

Just a few weeks before, it said sabally Dallas Wings She intended to find a new home, making it one of the best league players in the market. And she had to let her peer in Miami know that she was open for bribes and coffee.

Copper sent his coach and general manager with Phoenix MerkurTaking Nate Tibbetts and Nick U’ren, she threw the team to sabally – and she demanded compensation for a meal.

“What are you looking for with your next team?” Copper asked how he ate.

“I have to enter professional organization, top to bottom, where there are high standards,” “Sabbathly recalled ESPN.” I want to be in place where I don’t set the standard, but I live to one. “

Diana Taurasi and Brittney Grins Set the bar in Phoenix for the last decade. But with Taurasi probably retired and grinder, he was in motion, live in a new era. If they wanted to oppose the title, they had to redefine and find new identity.

Three weeks after that breakfast, she informed Foenik’s front office she wanted to play for Mercury. Underreno already put final homes on bringing a multi-annual MVP candidate Alissa Thomas In Phoenix, but the historic four teams trade also landed and sabally and Thomas, establishing a new large three and start of a new chapter in the desert.

“It’s about having that legacy and standard of what they asked,” Copper ESPN said. “But now it also takes into account that the next step up to the size – to the playoffs and championships and that caliber of the organization. It is an honor, but they accepted this new era.”

---

Copper rated Options at the top of the key Find Thomasa with a bounce, while cutting on the hoop. A Seattle Storm The defender almost intercepted the passage, but Thomas collected him just in time to pass the ball with sabally, who was waiting for the right wing and crashed a 3-pointer.

Phoenix went over to win that Aug. 17 times with three points, and that kind of game was what Tibbetts and U’ren predicted during offseas, when they discussed the need to add elite, versatile wings in the list. In his first season in Phoenik, it was 2024. year, the coaper proved a reliable shooter, and they wanted to surround the greater bodies that could facilitate the scoring and intensify the defense.

The elite cutter, Copper would be able to pass in Thomas, and sabally – nickname “Unicorn” due to her shooting and dribblinia versatile and size – he could tie him together. On paper, the trio perfectly corresponds to the positions in the style of position, which was the NBA assistant 12 years, and U’ren, a former CEO with golden state warriors, brought from his NBA background and wanted to establish in Phoenik.

Mercury went after sabally 2024. Year when a free agent was limited. Although she decided to stay in Dallas for another year, seeds planted. And as thomas could be looking for a new home after 11 seasons with Connecticut SunShe also became the target of phoenix.

During the unsurpassed season, copper also visited Thomas. Since playing with Candace Parker in Chicago – they helped the sky win 2021. VNBA Championships – Copper hunting at another point forward to play next to. Copper conveyed Thomas that Tibbetts and U’uno made her Phoenix’s primary ball throw and rely on her to call the game and initiate a violation. Thomas is given even more freedom than she expected.

“This year, it was mostly in my career criminal offense,” said Thomas ESPN. “It was easy for me for me. It’s the first time I have someone from the NBA style, so it’s fun to choose their brain at that level.”

Thomas composes another VNBA recording of 16.0 points, both career (still high career. This year, three came in consecutive games, and the 26th. August became the first player in the history of the recording league 10-Points, 15-polcound games.

“She did it all her career, but now he works in a new footage,” Tibbetts told ESPN. “The thing I woke up with is how much he likes to compete, how much he wants to win and what she’s ready to make it achieved.”

Playing together allowed Thomas, sabally (Tim-High 16.5 PPG) and copper (16.0) to play less minutes without sacrificing influences.

“Playing next to them, it feels as hard for weight in the games,” said Sabally, who is on average from 34.1 in 2024. “I can only play minutes with maximum intensity, not the maximum time.”

Injuries prevented them from playing as often as they hoped. Chemistry is difficult to reach copper (left knee) based on the first 4 – left weeks, Thomas (left calf) missed five games between May and June and sabally (right ankle) was two weeks in July.

But when all three players are available, alive is 14-9 and has a net rating plus-7.3. According to the second spectrum, in possession of Mercury achieves 1.08 points and allows only 1.01 points per defense possession when it is sabally, copper and Thomas part of the Court in the best four of both categories in VNBA in VNBO.

“Real winners don’t want to do it for themselves,” Copper said. “You want help, you want to surround the glow. That’s a big reason why I pressed them to come and join me.”

---

They remain four games in the regular season. Phoenix is ​​one of the five teams that skided the playoffs. Now the focus for the end degree integrates all pieces together for post-season pressure.

The depth was one of the biggest questions that enter the season, but it was early established when Tibbetts thrown different lines and combinations together to see what would work. It was not an ideal way of starting the year, but key associates appeared, such as unconventional rookies Movie Caner Shol – 24-year-old Cameroon Guard who played professionally in France in the last six years – and Kathin Westbeld29, which was part of the NCAA team for NCAA NCAA in 2018 years.

Phoenix brings warmth to playoffs

Merkur is located a place with the winds of the dreams 👏 pic.twitter.com / oeebpvlzah

– espnv (@ odsnv) 30. August 2025

Seven Mercury Players started at least 19 games, and 10 players at least 15 minutes per game.

“(It’s) not only having a depth, but believing in that depth,” Copper said. “We have so many players who are threats. They take one thing, we play with the following option.”

At the beginning of July, Mercury signed Devanna BonnerWho returned to the franchise, helped win VNBA titles in 2009. and 2014 years. Now settled like the fourth two-digit team shooter (11.6 ppg). Finally, in mid-July, their large three are healthy.

“An exciting part is the success we have when we didn’t have much time,” Copper said. “That’s Such A Plus. If We Continue To Have This Time Together and We Continue to Build Before The Playoffs, That’s Having Success And We’re Just Out There Freestyling.”

Mercury won five consecutive matches and seven his last eight dates back to that victory in Seattle. Phoenix, the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces are all six games behind the leading league Minnesota LinkBut Mercury sits in the fourth place in the table through the matches on Wednesday while they are 1-3 against ASA and 0-3 against sleep. The advantage of the domestic court may not decide until the last few days in the season.

Tibbetts warned their players not to be caught looking at the plane, advising them to find a balance between consciousness where they are, but they cannot focus too much on the results of other teams.

Phoenix, he said, he must focus on what he can control: constant growth and development.

He recently said that Mercury was 80% of the places where they wanted to be for the post-season, but as they still received more reps as a complete team, they became more confident in what their ceiling could be this year.

“We knew we had to stay patient,” said Sabally. “We kept talking about being patient, we trust the process, everything will get together. We just have to at the top at the right time.”