Phoenix Takes the Win, but Paige Bueckers Steals the Spotlight
The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Dallas Wings 93-80 on Wednesday night, but if you only watched the WNBA’s official highlight video, you’d have no clue they won. Instead, the league’s 2:24 clip focused solely on Paige Bueckers, who scored an impressive 35 points in her return from injury.
No Mercury plays were shown, not one.
Mercury Responds with Sharp Rebuttal
Mercury Phoenix wasn’t about to stay silent. The team’s X (formerly Twitter) account reposted the WNBA’s highlight video with a biting caption and their own reel of game footage:
“When we won the game but don’t have a single highlight in the 2:24 recap video from the WNBA. So we put together some Mercury highlights from last night’s game in case you watched the other video and didn’t see a single one … because there wasn’t a single one.”
While Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, undeniably put on a show, shooting 13-for-19 with 35 points, the Mercury held the lead for most of the game and currently sit second in the Western Conference with a 7-4 record. The Wings? They’re 1-10.
Kahleah Copper Joins the Backlash
Injured Mercury Phoenix star Kahleah Copper, a four-time All-Star, also weighed in. “Do better @WNBA,” she posted on X. While joining fans and analysts who saw the snub as part of a growing pattern of media favoritism.
Yes, Bueckers is off to a stellar rookie campaign. But the focus on individual hype over team success rubbed many the wrong way, especially in Phoenix.
It’s one thing to highlight a breakout star like Paige Bueckers. But when a league video ignores the actual winning team completely, expect pushback. For the Mercury Phoenix, currently one of the top squads in the WNBA, respect was clearly earned on the court, even if it was left on the cutting room floor.
Read More: 10 Reasons Paige Bueckers Will Be a Greater WNBA Star Than Caitlin Clark
