Despite all the off-court controversy surrounding the Phoenix Mercury team in recent weeks, Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper are having standout seasons so far. Their omission from the All-Star team has certainly disappointed their fans and coach Nate Tibbetts.

The coach has come under a lot of scrutiny in recent weeks after what he said following the Indiana Fever-Mercury matchup. However, he decided to come in support of his players and express disappointment after they missed out on the All-Star selection.

“I’m extremely disappointed. I know our players are disappointed. It’s a prideful group, but I think when you win, obviously, you get recognized a little bit more, some teams more than others,” he said.

“This is a group that has always had a chip on their shoulder, put more wood on the fire, however you want to use it. It’s disappointing. I think AT and Kah are all-stars. I know that this fan base believes in them as some of the best players in our league.”

When looking at the kind of numbers that both Thomas and Copper are putting up, the Phoenix players and fans do have the right to feel a little disappointed by this omission.

Alyssa Thomas is leading the league in assists per game, at 8.4. This highlights how well she is enabling others around her to get on board as well. She is also averaging 14.2 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Mercury.

Kahleah Copper is 5th in the league in scoring. She is averaging 20.8 points per game, while also contributing with 3.8 rebounds. Her three-point percentage has been poor this season, but even without that, she is putting up great numbers for the Mercury.

Individual numbers from both these players have, however, not resulted in the Mercury having a lot of success. They sit 12th in the league with an 8-14 record. The onus in the locker room now should be to put all the off-court distractions aside and make a push for the playoffs, as there are still 22 games to be played in the regular season.

The Phoenix Have The Team And Experience For A Playoff Run

Phoenix made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last year. However, they look like a shadow of the team that was on display last year.

When facing the defending champions, the New York Liberty, in the first round, they showed a lot of resilience in pulling off a 2-1 series win.

Then they upset the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx and overcame multiple double-digit deficits to win that series.

Monique Makani and Natasha Mack are proving themselves as dependable role players this season. Thomas and Copper know how to mount a deep run into the season. Granted, they have lost Jovana Nogic for personal reasons, but they still have the squad depth to mount a stiff challenge.