‘Kahleah Copper, Philadelphia Inquirer’ asks Mercury coach about WNBA star Kahleah Copper

“Kahleah Copper, from The Philadelphia Inquirer.”

That has a nice ring to it.

During the Phoenix Mercury’s media day on Wednesday, the WNBA star — and North Philadelphia native — unlocked her hidden reporting skills, grabbing the microphone and pretending to be a reporter from The Inquirer.

“Kahleah Copper, from The Philadelphia Inquirer,” Copper said. “What were the conversations you had with Kahleah Copper before the season, and just talk to me about what she’s been doing early on during training camp.”

Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts couldn’t contain himself, immediately laughing when he noticed Copper with the microphone.

“Well, if you would have been here five minutes early, you would have heard it,” Tibbetts jokingly responded. “Our conversations have strictly been about leadership and habits. And you’re going to see that a lot. To me, it’s just not on the court. It’s in the weight room. It’s Kah’s conversations in the meal room. It’s engaging with your teammates on the bus. It’s all the little things that make a difference between a good organization and a bad organization.”

» READ MORE: Kahleah Copper gave everyone at the Olympics a quick lesson in North Philly history and hoops

Copper was traded to the Mercury before last season and averaged 21.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. She also won a gold medal with Team USA at the Paris Olympics. Before Phoenix, the four-time All-Star played for the Chicago Sky and the Washington Mystics throughout a nine-year career in which she has averaged 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

But Copper’s roots are in North Philly. The 2012 McDonald’s All American graduated from Prep Charter and was named to the all-state team in Pennsylvania before playing college hoops for the legendary C. Vivian Stringer at Rutgers, where she majored in criminal justice.

So it’s nice to see the guard still representing her Philly roots in Phoenix. Welcome to the team, Kahleah.