While both the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury have been on opposite ends of the WNBA standings this season, you wouldn’t have guessed it from their last matchup on July 3. Despite Phoenix holding a strong 12–5 record and Dallas sitting at just 5–13, it was Paige Bueckers and company who pulled off a 98–89 win in the first game of this home-and-home series. But going into the rematch, the Phoenix Mercury wanted to pull off a revenge. However, they might have a big hurdle in the way.

Kahleah Copper’s absence headlines injury-hit Mercury roster 

It all comes up as the Mercury is scheduled to face the Wings again, but this time, they’ll be without three key players: Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper, and Lexi Held, all of whom have reportedly been ruled out due to injury. This leaves Phoenix with a limited nine-player roster.

While the situation was already tricky, it became more challenging when Kahleah Copper was sidelined with a right hamstring strain. This came just after she had erupted for a season-high 33 points in Phoenix’s 98–89 loss to Dallas. It’s not the first time Copper has faced injury troubles this year. Before the 2025 season even began, she underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee, ruling her out for four to six weeks.

That’s why her current injury came as a surprise – she showed no visible signs of discomfort during that breakout game. She was expected to improve after a few days of rest ahead of today’s game, but it seems she hasn’t recovered enough to take the floor and has officially been ruled out.

Joining her on the sideline is Satou Sabally, who was spotted during Sunday’s team practice wearing a walking boot on her right leg. While head coach Nate Tibbetts listed her as “day-to-day,” the presence of the boot makes her status appear questionable at best.

Then there’s Lexi Held, who remains out due to a pneumothorax injury, a lung condition that has already caused her to miss multiple games. The team continues to monitor her closely to prevent further complications. So yes, while the Mercury is injury-ridden and desperate for redemption in this rematch, the Wings aren’t in perfect shape either.

Who’s got an edge in the Mercury vs Wings game??

It’s because even the Wings have been hit hard by a string of injuries to four of their own players who remain out of the roster, affecting their rotation and depth. Most recently, DiJonai Carrington went down with a rib injury after taking a hard hit to the chest while drawing a charge against the Connecticut Sun on June 20.

Since then, she’s missed at least six games but is reportedly “improving daily,” according to head coach Chris Koclanes. But while the Wings were dealing with that setback, they took another hit on June 28, as star guard Arike Ogunbowale injured her left thumb during routine backcourt play against the Mystics.

Though her injury wasn’t described as severe, the team has taken a highly cautious approach, choosing to rest her in hopes of a quick and full recovery. But she isn’t the only one sidelined—Tyasha Harris is already out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a left knee injury back on May 27 against the Sun. She attempted to play through it but eventually required surgery.

Adding to the woes, Maddy Siegrist joined the list as well, after fracturing her right tibial plateau during a June 11 game versus the Mercury. Fortunately, she avoided surgery, and her recovery is expected to take around 6–8 weeks or more, leaving room for a potential return later this season. With four key players sidelined, the Wings are now relying heavily on rookies.

Their last win against the Mercury was led by this rookie-heavy lineup, which included first-year players Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly, and Luisa Geiselsöder, who started alongside Li Yueru. And what a game it was! While AJ had a career-best 28 points with five threes, Quinerly added 17 points, and PB chipped in 23 points with five assists. So, you can see why even ESPN has predicted the Wings to win with a 63.8% chance in the upcoming game. But the Mercury has a strong record too, so you never know!