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Phoenix Mercury End Skid; Rookie Brochant Posts 24-5

8/12/2026

37 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Phoenix Ends Skid

Phoenix Mercury beat the Los Angeles Sparks 94-87 on Tuesday, ending a three-game skid.
Rookie forward Noemie Brochant scored 24 points and five steals, becoming the first Mercury rookie with 20+ points and 5+ steals since Caitlin Clark on July 10, 2024.
The win moved Phoenix to 13-22, left Los Angeles at 12-20, and Alyssa Thomas added 16 points, nine in the fourth, with seven rebounds and nine assists.

Summary

Plum Traded

Plum was traded to Phoenix on Aug. 1, becoming the fourth All-Star ever dealt at the midseason deadline.
She averages 22.3 points, and left calf tightness that sidelined her on Aug. 11 raises doubts about her role in 2026 FIBA World Cup.
Team USA starts World Cup group play on Sept. 4 versus China, then Italy on Sept. 6 and Czechia on Sept. 7, while league pauses until Sept. 17 after gold-medal game on Sept. 13.

History

Historical Context

In 1997 the WNBA began with eight teams and the Houston Comets, guided by Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, won the inaugural championship. The Phoenix Mercury’s 2007 title, fueled by a record-setting 22,076-fan Game 5, demonstrated early league trades shaping rosters. Today, rookie Noemie Brochant’s strong debut echoes those historic patterns of growing competitive balance.

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Phoenix Ends Skid

Phoenix Mercury beat the Los Angeles Sparks 94-87 on Tuesday, ending a three-game skid.
Rookie forward Noemie Brochant scored 24 points and five steals, becoming the first Mercury rookie with 20+ points and 5+ steals since Caitlin Clark on July 10, 2024.
The win moved Phoenix to 13-22, left Los Angeles at 12-20, and Alyssa Thomas added 16 points, nine in the fourth, with seven rebounds and nine assists.

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