Phoenix Just Demolished the Defending Champs 99-66, and Golden State Has No Idea What's Coming Sunday

The Phoenix Mercury walked into the Las Vegas Aces' house on Opening Night and absolutely torched them. After knocking off the defending WNBA champions 99-66 on their home court, Phoenix is heading to San Francisco Sunday night for round two against the Golden State Valkyries in a season-opening road back-to-back that has some serious stakes attached.

Here's the thing: the Valkyries opened their season Friday night with a 91-80 win over Seattle, but they're dealing with a health situation that would make any coach lose sleep. Starting guard Tiffany Hayes is out with a dislocated pinkie finger. Key reserve Cecilia Zandalasini is dealing with a concussion. Top pick Juste Jocyte is still wrapping up commitments to her Spanish League team. And one of last year's top players, Iliana Rupert, is pregnant. All four are ruled out for Sunday. Even worse, the squad was so disjointed during preseason that coach Natalie Nakase, last season's Coach of the Year, scheduled just one preseason game to get her players reacquainted with each other.

The Mercury's New Secret Weapon Is Already Making Waves

Phoenix didn't just beat Las Vegas. They did it with a newcomer who absolutely set the tone. Jovana Nogic, the Serbian forward who had been playing in Russia, dropped 19 points, all in the first half. Alyssa Thomas led the Mercury with 20 points in the clinic against the defending champs. Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts credits the league's new higher-paying collective bargaining agreement for bringing elite international talent to the WNBA this season. "This is a player that hasn't come over, because maybe it wasn't worth it, right?" Tibbetts told the media. "She had an awesome start; I'm really happy for her."

Golden State's Defense Is Already a Problem

Nakase knows her Valkyries got torched defensively in their season opener, allowing 24 and 27 point quarters to Seattle. "My expectations are high for us defensively," she said after the win. "We just have to be smarter. There's a lot of corrections that we can make." The coach does have one thing working in her favor though: she believes the team hasn't even gelled yet because some players have only been to three or four practices. Sunday night will be the real test of whether that execution gap tightens before the Mercury roll into town.

Game time is Sunday night. The Mercury are rolling. Golden State is still trying to find itself. This could get ugly fast.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.