New era, missing stars, and a plan that’s gone totally sideways…but the Phoenix Mercury are still cruising at 6-3. If you remember, this whole post-Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner era was supposed to kick off with a bang thanks to a shiny new big three – Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, and Kahleah Copper. It didn’t go exactly as hoped, and yet, vibes in the Valley are still loud. Just think back to that wild 81-59 blowout win over the Storm on May 17. 

But well, Seattle didn’t just sit with that L. They bounced back fast and made sure to get their revenge just days later. And now, we’re gearing up for Round 3. The Mercury is hosting the Storm once again on June 7, 2025, at 10:00 pm ET. Both teams are statistically neck-and-neck when it comes to points. While both just came off wins, Phoenix’s roster woes are still hanging around.

Injuries & starting lineups

Let’s start with the big question…Is Kahleah Copper playing? Sadly, no.

Mercury Injury Report:

• Kahleah Copper – OUT (Left Knee)
• Alyssa Thomas – OUT (Left Calf)
• Natasha Mack – OUT (Back)
• Megan McConnell – OUT (Right Knee)

Storm Injury Report:

• Katie Lou Samuelson – OUT for the season

So who’s starting for Phoenix tonight? Here’s the lineup stepping up:

• Monique Akoa Makani
• Kitija Laksa
• Sami Whitcomb
• Kathyrn Westbeld
• Satou Sabally

And for Seattle, we’ve got:

• Skylar Diggins
• Alysha Clark
• Gabby Williams
• Nneka Ogwumike
• Ezi Magbegor

Game day outlook: Mercury vs. Storm in Kahleah Copper’s absence

In their last five meetings, the Storm have taken three of them. So we’ve seen a pretty back-and-forth pattern here, and it’s safe to say whoever takes control early tonight probably walks away with the dub. But we have to keep in mind that this isn’t the same Mercury team. Not just compared to last season, but even from the last time these two teams met.

Sure, they’ve already faced off twice, but things have shifted since then. In the first two games, when Copper wasn’t on court (she underwent successful arthroscopic left knee surgery) Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally basically said, “We got this,” and held things down  even in the rematch loss. But now, Phoenix is without both Copper and AT. 

The silver lining is Sabally is holding it down and the rookies have been showing out. Lexie Held, Kathryn Westbeld, Monique Akoa Makani, Kitija Laksa – these names might not have headlined the offseason, but they’re here now, and they’re making it count. Phoenix has one of the best defensive ratings in the W (third-best), and that’s not by accident. 

On the other side, the Storm are coming off a solid six-point win over the Dallas Wings. Gabby Williams put up 18 points and 3 steals. That win snapped a rough three-game losing streak, so they’ll be looking to keep the momentum rolling. But if Seattle wants to climb the ladder, they’ll need more from Ezi Magbegor. Could tonight be her bounce-back? Who knows.

For now, here’s what we do know: both teams can clamp down defensively. They’ve been holding opponents under 80 regularly. But offensively, it’s still a work in progress. The Storm have scored below 80 in five of their eight games. The Mercury have cracked 80 in six of their nine. So if you’re betting on a high-scoring game… you might wanna hold off.

Bottom line is, this one could seriously go either way. But considering their current form, Mercury might pull off another sneaky win at home.