Phoenix falls short in a thrilling battle with the Lynx

Phoenix Mercury suffered their first loss of the 2026 season Tuesday night, falling 88-84 to the Minnesota Lynx in a tightly contested matchup in Phoenix. The Mercury battled throughout the night and had chances late, but Minnesota’s defense and timely shooting helped seal the road victory.

Phoenix was led once again by Alyssa Thomas, who continued her strong start to the season with another near triple-double performance. Thomas finished with 19 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds while controlling much of the Mercury offense. Her all-around effort kept Phoenix within striking distance for most of the game.  

The Mercury showed resilience after opening the season with a dominant 99-66 win over the Las Vegas Aces over the weekend. Phoenix moved the ball well early and kept pace with one of the league’s top teams, but the Lynx pulled away during key stretches in the second half. Minnesota capitalized on defensive stops and limited Phoenix’s transition opportunities late in the fourth quarter.  

Despite the loss, there were positives for Phoenix. The Mercury continued to show strong chemistry offensively and remained competitive against a veteran Lynx squad expected to contend near the top of the Western Conference. Thomas’ leadership and playmaking have already become a major factor for Phoenix through the opening week of the season.  

The Mercury will now look to bounce back in their next game as they continue a challenging early-season schedule.