WNBA: Copper set to make 2025 debut for Mercury in game against Aces

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The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup play continues this Sunday, June 15, with a three-game slate beginning at 12 p.m. ET. The Chicago Sky (2-7) and Connecticut Sun (2-7) will meet in a nationally-televised game (CBS), both seeking signature wins that could be used to turn around what have been disappointing seasons thus far.

Then, at 2 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, the red-hot Atlanta Dream (7-3) look to continue their winning ways against the Washington Mystics (4-6), who previously defeated the Dream in their season opener.

Finally, the Phoenix Mercury (7-4) will take on the Las Vegas Aces (5-4) at 6 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass. Phoenix expects to have its core trio of Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally healthy and playing together for the first time this season, which will present a big challenge for the Aces—especially if A’ja Wilson remains in concussion protocol.

The Sky and Sun are trying to turn their seasons around

It doesn’t seem long ago that the Sky and Sun were battling it out in the WNBA semifinals in the 2021 and 2022 playoffs. Now, they’re both struggling near the bottom of the league standings.

Chicago was dealt a devastating blow last weekend when Courtney Vandersloot, their starting point guard and veteran leader, went down with a season-ending ACL injury. It’s coincided with a three-game losing streak in which the Sky have been outscored by an average of 21.3 points per game, dropping their record to 2-7.

The Sun are having a similarly rough go of things, also sitting at 2-7 in the first year of what’s expected to be a rebuilding period for the franchise. Connecticut lost the vast majority of its core to free agency last offseason and while the team is still getting production from veterans such as Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles, its overarching focus this summer has been on the development of its younger players.

Given that both of the Sky’s wins this season came against another below .500 team (the Dallas Wings), they could very well be looking at Sunday’s game against Connecticut as an opportunity to back on track. Without Vandersloot and Moriah Jefferson, who is nursing a leg injury of her own, Chicago has lacked options at lead guard; players like Ariel Atkins and Rachel Banham have had to play out of position and handle the ball more often, so it’s worth monitoring how much head coach Tyler Marsh trusts rookie guard Hailey Van Lith, whose minutes have fluctuated wildly thus far.

Connecticut, however, will have the distinct advantage of time off. It’s been a week since the Sun’s last game (June 8), giving them ample time to rest and recover; guard Lindsay Allen and forwards Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Rayah Marshall were all out last weekend due to injury, so if even one of them returns for Sunday, it would give Connecticut’s depth a boost. In any case, expect the duo of Mabrey (17.1 points per game) and Charles (16.6 points per game) to continue carrying the load for the Sun.

Can the Dream keep it rolling against the Mystics?

The Dream have been one of the WNBA’s hotter teams, most recently blowing out the Sky at home for their fourth win in their last five games. During that span, they’re averaging 84.6 points per game, despite failing to crack 30 percent accuracy on 3-pointers three times.

That’s a sign of growth for the Dream, who are taking 43.5 percent of their shots from long range but have clearly demonstrated that they can win without making a whole bunch of them. Atlanta currently ranks No. 4 in the WNBA in assist rate (69.3 percent) and assist/turnover ratio (1.54) and No. 3 in total rebounding rate (53 percent).

Overcoming the Mystics on Sunday would be another sign of progress for Atlanta. At 4-6, Washington hasn’t exactly been a world-beating team, but the Mystics nonetheless surprised the Dream in their season opener, scoring 94 points (41 of them coming from guards Brittney Sykes and Sonia Citron) and overcoming a 37-26 rebounding disparity. It was a solid debut for rookies Citron and Kiki Iriafen, who have played at an All-Rookie pace since then and should once again factor heavily into Sunday’s matchup.

Atlanta will counter with one of the most explosive wing duos in the WNBA in Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Both are multi-talented perimeter players who can both score and distribute; Gray, in particular, is playing the best basketball of her career, averaging 19.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game as she earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors for May. Howard hasn’t been quite as consistent, but she’s still a massive threat to go off at any time, as evidenced by her 36-point outburst against Chicago in which she canned nine 3-pointers.

If there’s one thing working against the Dream, it’s their home/road splits. In five home games, Atlanta is outscoring its opponents by 16.5 points per 100 possessions—the second-best home net rating of any WNBA team. On the road, the Dream haven’t fared nearly as well, posting a net rating of -1.2. Can the Mystics take advantage of this trend on their home court or will the Dream keep rolling?

Copper expected to return for the Mercury against the Aces

Don’t look now, but the Mercury are getting healthy.

Phoenix has played much of its season without one or both of Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper—two of the team’s three best players—and have performed admirably, sitting in fourth place in the WNBA standings with a 7-4 record. The team welcomed Thomas back from a calf injury in their most recent win, and she recorded an 11-point, 10-assist double-double in just 24 minutes.

Copper, meanwhile, is expected to make her season debut. The Mercury’s leading scorer in 2024, Copper underwent a knee procedure back in May, but according to the team’s social media accounts, she’ll be ready to suit up on Sunday.

This is huge news for the Mercury, who are now primed to make a statement against Las Vegas. The Aces are having injury issues of their own, recently losing reigning MVP A’ja Wilson to a concussion, and while they managed to prevail without her in their most recent game, it was clear that they sorely missed their superstar; Las Vegas surrendered a 20-2 third-quarter run to Dallas and had to claw its way back to earn a win on its home court.

Obviously, Wilson’s status will be crucial against Phoenix. If she’s unable to go, the Aces will need to get creative with their lineups; they tried a two-center starting lineup featuring Kiah Stokes and Elizabeth Kitley in their last game against Dallas, but it wasn’t very effective, and the freshly-signed Joyner Holmes did not play at all. Perhaps this will change on Sunday for an Aces team that is searching for answers.