Mercury Seek Defensive Fixes in Sun Rematch

The Phoenix Mercury will try to halt the WNBA’s longest active losing streak when they host the Connecticut Sun on Sunday in the second game of a back-to-back matchup.

Phoenix enters the contest at 8-18 after suffering its fifth consecutive defeat, a 96-83 home loss to Connecticut on Friday. The Mercury allowed the Sun to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, marking the fourth straight game in which a Phoenix opponent reached that level.

Connecticut guard Leila Lacan delivered the best scoring performance of her career, finishing with 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting. The Sun led from start to finish and built an advantage of as many as 20 points.

The performance came one game after Minnesota’s Kayla McBride scored a season-high 37 points against Phoenix in the Mercury’s 104-100 road loss.

“We kind of are who we are right now,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. “We’re still searching for better basketball. We have not found that. This is our reality. We’ve got to decide if we’re going to keep fighting when it gets hard.

“We play a good game or a competitive game, and then we don’t come out and compete. … The effort (from) one game to the next is frustrating.”

Phoenix’s five-game slide has included narrow late-game losses to Minnesota and Indiana, a 48-point defeat against Las Vegas, and double-digit losses to Chicago and Connecticut.

Defense has been a persistent concern for the Mercury. Their opponents are shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range, with both figures ranking among the three worst marks in the league.

Connecticut, meanwhile, has started to recover after opening the season with 15 losses in its first 17 games. The Sun have now won five of their past eight contests.

Brittney Griner leads Connecticut with 13.8 points per game, while Lacan is averaging 13.3 points. Injuries have forced the Sun to use 13 different starting lineups through 26 games.

“We know that we have to create from our defense and everyone is engaged on this area of the floor,” Sun coach Rachid Meziane said. “  We want our defense to be our foundation.”

For Phoenix, Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas are the only active players averaging double figures in scoring. Copper leads the team with 20.6 points per game, while Thomas contributes 14.5 points, 8.0 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals.

Thomas leads the WNBA in assists and has recorded six double-doubles this season. In 2025, she produced 23 double-doubles and eight triple-doubles before finishing third in MVP voting.

The Mercury could receive a boost from forward Natasha Mack, who is listed as probable after missing eight games because of a bone bruise in her left foot. Mack is averaging career highs of 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in her fourth WNBA season.