Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters after the game that Thomas has a "beautiful mind" which can be overlooked because she is not an elite scorer -- and because, for the past seven years, she has played professionally with two torn labrums, one in each shoulder, that forced her to adapt her playing style.

Copper underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in May and needed to acclimate herself to a new-look Mercury roster. Phoenix will host the Liberty in a decisive Game 3 Friday night.

Copper has playoff experience, and her first time making it was in 2019. Two years later, she helped the Chicago Sky win their first championship. The Sky beat the Mercury 3-1 to achieve the feat. Now, she is playing for Phoenix and is seeking another championship.

Mercury's Kahleah Copper claimed after Game 2 vs. the Liberty that the crowd at the Barclays Center was shockingly quiet.

The first round of the 2025 WNBA playoffs continued on Wednesday night, as the Phoenix Mercury staved off elimination with a convincing 86-60 road win over the New York Liberty to force a Game 3 on Friday.

The Phoenix Mercury played well during the regular season, as they finished the season with a record of 27-17. They encountered ups and downs in that time, as they battled injuries, brought in a familiar face and they had an impressive win streak towards the end of the season.

If approved by the league, the deal will see the Lansdown family – owners of Bristol City for the past three decades — hand over stewardship of the women’s side to Mercury 13 while retaining a minority stake.