PHOENIX – As a recent Phoenix Mercury practice came to a close, Kahleah Copper waltzed onto the floor to do her best party girl imitation. With a giant smile on her face and wearing a shirt with the phrase “Mercury vs. Everybody” emblazoned across the front, Copper held up a VIP sign congratulating teammates Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally for their berths on the WNBA All-Star teams.
Coming into the season, there were lofty expectations for Copper to step into a larger leadership role with the Mercury. The guard was one of two returning players and the leading scorer of last year’s squad. With the Mercury leaving behind the Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner era, the focus shifted to Copper as the carry-over from that period.
Despite not being named an All-Star for the first time since 2020, Copper is settling into her role as one of the Mercury’s figureheads. After undergoing knee surgery before the start of the season, Copper missed the first 12 games of the year. However, she has remained a vocal leader despite her limited playing time.
“She’s a vet. She’s been doing this a long time,” said Mercury center Kalani Brown. “She’s very vocal, even when she’s off (the court). her voice is heard. She’ll pull you to the side if she ever needs to tell you something. And when she speaks, you listen.”
Thanks in large part to stellar rookie play and a combined effort from their two All-Stars, the Mercury started well without Copper and took a 14-6 record into Monday’s game against the 10-10 Golden State Valkyries. Since returning to the floor a month ago, Copper has slowly regained her rhythm.
Copper scored 33 points and grabbed five rebounds against the Dallas Wings on July 3, drilling four of the Mercury’s eight 3-pointers in the loss.
“Kah is getting more comfortable as we go. We know who Kah is as a player and how she competes on each and every possession,” said Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts. “She’s starting to feel more like herself, which is exciting.”
Copper is averaging 16.7 points and 3.5 rebounds over six games, while shooting a red-hot 45% from downtown. This marks Copper’s highest percentage from deep through her first six games since 2023, when she was a member of the Chicago Sky.
Copper has been a key focal point for the Mercury since returning. When she’s on the court, the Mercury are a +8.8 in plus-minus per 100 possessions and a +5.9 in net rating per 100 possessions.
“It feels good to move the way I like to move. I’m just grateful to be back out there with my teammates,” Copper said. “I’m just proud of myself for grinding through that and being able to see the results.”
The Mercury were without both Copper and Sabally in their previous two games against the Wings and Lynx. Even without them, the Mercury picked up two big wins in their rematch against Dallas and a crucial game against Minnesota.
Copper and Sabally were expected to miss Monday’s game against the Valkyries. Copper is out due to right hamstring soreness, and Sabally is dealing with a lingering right ankle injury.
As the season grinds toward Saturday’s All-Star game and a week-long break for the players who aren’t participating in the festivities, Copper, despite having played in only six games thus far for the Mercury, has remained a locker room leader and an influential presence to her teammates.
“Whether she’s been in, whether she’s been out. Whether it’s been in practice or a game, she’s really taken on a leadership role for us, and that really helps our team,” said Mercury assistant coach Megan Vogel. “She has the vision, she has the experience and she knows our system. So I love the fact that when she isn’t in, how vocal she’s been both on the bench and in practice.”
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