How Kahleah Copper returning impacts how the Phoenix Mercury play

With Copper back, the starting unit is finally at full strength, and the new “Big Three” that drew a lot of expectations during training camp can begin the quest to live up to the hype.

Like teammates Natasha Mack and Alyssa Thomas, who also sustained injuries that sidelined them for several games, Copper has played with a minutes restriction as she works her way back to 100%.

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Copper’s recovery also included sitting out the second leg of the Mercury’s recent back-to-back. After playing in the team’s win over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, she sat out the next day against the New York Liberty before returning on Saturday against the Chicago Sky.

Still, having Copper on the floor, even for a limited amount of time, has considerably changed the Mercury. They are 3-0 with her in uniform, part of a five-game win streak since June 11.

“We obviously have missed her, and [the other players] know she’s super excited to get going,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters at practice on June 14. “We’re super excited to get her back.”

Copper’s offensive fit

With Copper healthy enough to play, the Mercury get arguably their most dynamic player back on the floor. Her offensive play style is built around quick bursts of speed, precise cuts and movements, and unpredictability from her rapid change of pace.

All of these attributes factor into the Mercury’s offensive system, which relies on players getting downhill in the paint. From there, they can attack the defense head-on or pass the ball out to open 3-point shooters.

Copper can do both of those things. In her first three games of the season, she is averaging 13.3 points on 36.7% shooting overall and 38.5% from 3-point range. 

“She put a ton of time into her shooting this offseason,” Tibbetts said pregame in Las Vegas. “Her numbers really improved. And so I think we’re going to see Kah [attack] the rim — that’s who she is — but you’re also going to see her be more comfortable with her catch-and-shoot stuff.”

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While Copper may still be adjusting to being back on the floor, it’s clear that she remains one of the Mercury’s go-to players. While playing on a minutes restriction against Connecticut, Copper reentered the game with 3:21 left and the Mercury up by 7 points.

Despite not having made a shot from the field to that point, Copper came in and knocked down threes on back-to-back possessions to push the Mercury’s lead to 10 with just over two minutes to play. Phoenix went on to win 83-75.

Those two shots, along with a 7-for-8 night at the free-throw line, added up to a 13-point performance.

“I think Kah’s really trying to find her way,” Tibbetts said postgame. “She was 2-for-9 tonight. We talked about the free throws and how we need to do a better job of getting to the free-throw line. Just having Kah out there is going to help that.

“Her rhythm and timing and everything isn’t where she wants it to be. It’s not where we want it to be. But ultimately, she hits big shots, and she hit two of them. I thought those were the two biggest shots of the night.”

The Big Three

Copper’s return triggered the long-awaited debut of the Mercury’s new Big Three: Copper, Thomas and Satou Sabally. In Copper’s season debut, all four of her field goals were assisted by Thomas or Sabally. And her lone assist of the game was on a Sabally three. It was a glimpse of the potential the trio could have as the season plays out.

“I’m so excited,” Copper told reporters before making her debut about playing with Thomas and Sabally. “I’ve been on the bench, just so hyped, just watching them have so much success. And that’s what I wanted in the offseason, when I was bugging them about coming here. This is what I wanted. I wanted them to come here and have success and enjoy it with me.”

Playing alongside Thomas and Sabally creates more opportunities for Copper both in the paint and from three. With the attention Sabally and Thomas draw in the paint, Tibbetts expects Copper to see more open shot opportunities on the perimeter.

Additionally, with Sabally as a shooting threat and Thomas’ screening, the Mercury expect Copper to have more space to work with when she has the ball in her hands.

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Furthermore, the Mercury are looking to use Copper in screens as much as they’re looking to create space for her coming off them. Due to Thomas’ ability to handle the ball, she and Copper can play off each other in a variety of ways, and either player can be just as dangerous with or without the ball.

“I think you’re going to see Kahleah and AT getting into a bunch of [dribble handoffs],” Tibbetts said pregame in Las Vegas. “Kah has such force turning the corner with those [dribble handoffs]. I know they’re both excited to get into some of those situations.

“I think one of Kah’s best strengths last year was setting screens and rolling. And so I’m looking forward to second-side pick-and-roll, where Kah is setting a step-up [screen] for AT and Kah rolls. A lot of our guards right now like to pop, and Kah fell into situations last year where she would get people in to step up and roll down and create the advantage that way.” 

Substitutions and rotations

The caliber of play from the Mercury’s first-year players and the production from the bench have been two of the biggest surprises around the WNBA this season.

Unfortunately for Tibbetts, that will only make his job harder when it comes to figuring out rotations once everyone can play without minutes restrictions.

Through three games, Copper is averaging 21.0 minutes per game, well below her nightly average last season of 32.4. Additionally, her usage rate has lessened slightly from a league-high 31.1% last season to 29.0%, which still ranks fifth.

“I think you’ll see [Copper’s usage] evolve,” Tibbetts said. “I don’t know what her usage is going to look like. I know that we … want her with the ball. I don’t know how much that means. We’ve got a lot to figure out in the next 30 games.”

In Copper’s absence, along with the five games Thomas missed due to a calf injury, Sabally carried most of the load. In the first 10 games, she had a usage rate of 33.0%. Since Thomas’ return and Mack’s season debut on June 11, Sabally’s usage rate is down to 28.2%.

Eight Mercury players are averaging at least 20 minutes per game (minimum two games played). Four of those players are rookies, and three of them are primarily bench players. Four players off the bench are averaging more than 5.0 points per game.

All this to say, several players have far outplayed their expectations. Rookie Kathryn Westbeld remains the team’s starting center despite Mack being available — albeit on a minutes restriction for the last five games.

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Copper’s return has thrown an even bigger wrench in Tibbetts’ lineup combinations and substitution patterns. Her being healthy is an overall positive, but it’s still a testament to the talent the Mercury have on the roster that figuring out rotations going forward has challenged Tibbetts.

He may find it a bit easier depending on the severity of the chest injury that rookie guard Lexi Held suffered against New York on Thursday.

A healthy Copper is the cherry on top of the sundae for the Mercury, who hold the league’s longest active winning streak. She’s been a clear asset, and the Mercury’s ceiling only gets higher as she gets healthier.