In the 2025 WNBA season, the Phoenix Mercury was one of the unbeatable teams until the Las Vegas Aces exploited their weakness in the WNBA finals. The clean sweep was brutal, where the defeated side gave its all and yet came up short. So the Mercury team will be in for a busy offseason to overcome that shortfall.
As per the numbers put forward by ESPN, the Las Vegas Aces’ triumph over the Phoenix Mercury was the sole reason for the dip in playoff rating. Had Mercury won a game or two, the story would have been different. And for that, they might need some additions in the upcoming offseason.
Phoenix Mercury Will Be Busy In Offseason Acquisition
After the WNBA finals loss, Kahleah Copper sent a heartfelt motivation to the Mercury teammates, and the front office also might have felt the heat and will make a few changes for the ‘final push’.
Nate Tibbetts had an eight-player rotation throughout the season, with four of his stars clocking the most minutes and the remaining four filling in for the fifth players and garbage minutes. In the finals, the side had two key drawbacks, the first one was their depth, and the second one was the absence of a true playmaker.
Alyssa Thomas played at all positions, putting up triple-double numbers nearly every night. A side missed a true playmaker and elite ball handler to unlock the opposition defense. In the finals, the Aces put pressure on AT to cut her passing lanes.
2025. A year Mercury fans will never forget.
— PHNX Mercury (@PHNX_Mercury) October 11, 2025
Thank you, Phoenix Mercury.
It has been an incredible ride. pic.twitter.com/f8GscMEHsO
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Similarly, the side will be looking to add bit depth with a few more additions that will complement its core. A versatile player or hard-core playmaker would solve most of the issues for the Arizona-based side, who look to rely on its stars to deliver results.
With their performances in the 2025 season, many players would love to be part of the 2025 finalists, provided they get respectable playing time.
Phoenix Mercury’s Players Under Contract
Like many other franchises, the Mercury will have only its rookies under contract while the vets will be free agents in the 2026 offseason. While players like DeWanna Bonner, Cooper, Thomas, Sabally, and Whitcomb are unrestricted free agents, the only player under contract is Kalani Brown.
The Mercury also has multiple exclusive rights free agents, which will allow them to resign those stars for one more season on one-year league minimum wages. Incidentally, Natasha Mack and Monique Akoa Makani fall in this category. Nate Tibbetts will look to make use of this scenario and enter the new season without losing any players.
If the side could address the issues as mentioned above, they could be a serious contender for the title once again, irrespective of the other team’s changes and upgradations.