How Phoenix's Shooting Helped Them Make The Playoffs

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The Phoenix Mercury’s 2024 season was a good year, and they found themselves back in the playoffs after missing them in 2023. The Mercury finished the 2023 season with a record of 9-31, but after bringing in players like Kahleah Copper, and hiring Nate Tibbetts, they turned things around.

Phoenix finished the season with a record of 19-21, and the team faced the Minnesota Lynx in the first round. The Lynx beat them, and they went on to make the WNBA Finals. However, they were defeated by the New York Liberty.

The 2024 season showed that the Mercury were headed in the right direction, and the following season, the new-look Mercury kept that momentum going.

Aug 3, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) looks on during the second half of a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Looking back at the 2024 season, Phoenix’s leading scorer was Copper. She averaged a career-high 21.1 points, and she had 38 points against the Atlanta Dream. The Mercury had four players who averaged at least 10 points that season, as Griner averaged 17.8 points, Diana Taurasi averaged 14.9 and Natasha Cloud averaged 11.5.

Griner was the team’s rebounding leader, and she averaged 6.6 rebounds. Natasha Mack was behind her, and she averaged five. Players flourished in different areas, and when it came to 3-point shooting, the player with the best percentage was their All-Star center.

July 19, 2024; Phoenix, Ariz., U.S.; Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham (L-R), center Brittney Griner and guard Natasha Cloud pose for a picture during the WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge. / Patrick Breen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Griner shot 50 percent from deep, and she attempted 18. Before the 2025 season, that was the most 3-pointers the star center attempted in her career. She shot 19 in her first season with the Dream, and her percentage was lower. She shot 26.3 percent from beyond the arc during that time.

Sophie Cunningham was behind Griner, and she shot nearly 38 percent from deep. She attempted 180 3-pointers, and she made 68. She was a reliable shooter, and she played a significant role in the team’s success that season.

Outside of Griner and Cunningham, the Mercury had some other 3-point threats, as Rebecca Allen, Diana Taurasi and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan rounded out the top five. Copper was sixth in 3-point percentage, and she shot 31.4 percent.

Sep 23, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) shoots against the Minnesota Lynx in the second half during game two of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Copper shot 220 3-pointers that year, which is the most she has attempted in a season. Before that, her high was 171, and she did it in 2023. Her shooting percentage was better, as she shot 40.4 percent.

The Mercury were eighth in the league in that category, and while there were teams who shot better than them, they still held their own.

Please follow us on X to read more about the Mercury’s 2024 season and the top performers during that time when you click right here!

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