The Phoenix Mercury are back in the gym and ready to turn heartbreak into fuel. Just five months after a tough four-game sweep by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2025 WNBA Finals, the team gathered for their 2026 media day on May 6 at Mortgage Matchup Center—and the message was clear: they remember every second of that loss.

Kahleah Copper, the 11-year veteran who knows both the thrill of a championship (she was Finals MVP in 2021 with Chicago) and the sting of defeat, didn’t mince words when asked about her motivation this offseason. "I just got swept, right? We just got swept," she said bluntly. "You would have some motivation, too, right?"

Copper described playing in Phoenix as "paradise," but she’s not here for a vacation. After the Finals defeat, she pulled her teammates into a huddle on their home court—the very same floor where she once lifted a trophy against the Mercury. That moment of agony, she says, is exactly what will drive them forward.

Head coach Nate Tibbetts, entering his third season with the Mercury, isn’t shying away from big goals. Despite ESPN ranking the team at a modest No. 7 in their preseason power rankings, Tibbetts made it clear: a return to the Finals is the only acceptable outcome.

With a roster that blends veteran grit and hungry newcomers, the Mercury are embracing the underdog label—and using every bit of perceived disrespect as motivation. From Copper’s fiery leadership to Tibbetts’ championship-or-bust mindset, Phoenix is reloading, not rebuilding. The 2026 season can’t start soon enough.