The WNBA 2024 is a blockbuster with innumerable records. Whether it was A’ja Wilson registering her name in a list of firsts, or Angel Reese breaking Candace Parker’s double-double record. The WNBA has seen it all. On Wednesday however, during the game between the Phoenix Mercury and Dallas Wings at College Park Center, it happened again. Notably, the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper and the Wings’ Natasha Howard reached a milestone. And the Mercury’s head coach Nate Tibbetts revealed what it was like to be a witness to Copper’s and Howard’s rampage.

Tibbetts was present in a post-match press conference after the Mercury beat the Wings by a 104-96 margin. And he was asked about the most important aspect of the game which was a showdown between Howard and Copper. 

Nate Tibbetts is all praises for Kahleah Copper for matching up to Natasha Howard

Tibbetts was asked about the feeling he got while watching the game between Howard and Copper. He reflected on points scored by Copper and how the team gave a collective effort. 

“You know they, they, they’ve got uh, a tough matchup with Howard at the four. She shot 17 free throws. That…that always helps. Um, and then you know, K getting another 30 points, I think she leads the league. And that which is, which is awesome. Credit to her. Um, I thought she had some pop again tonight, and she was attacking getting downhill. But a big-time pass from DT to make one more to get Kyle wide open three in that corner, and kind of knock it down,” Tibbetts stated in the postgame conference. 

Notably, there was a neck-to-neck competition between the two teams, especially between Copper and Howard. While Howard scored 36 points, Copper added 34. Therefore, the duo became the first in the WNBA since 2019 to score more than 30 points each with 70% or better field goals. Howard scored 73.3% field goals whereas Copper scored 70% in the same stat.

Meanwhile, Copper is in third place on the list of leading scorers with an average of 21.8 points per game. The two teams for the record had a cutthroat battle, with Mercury winning the first two quarters whereas Dallas made a comeback in the third. The last quarter once again went to Mercury who sealed the game with an emphatic performance. Meanwhile, this wasn’t the first time that two teams had a tough game this season.

Phoenix Mercury’s tough competition with Dallas Wings

The Mercury had clashed with the Wings in early June when they emerged triumphant by a narrow margin of 97-90 in Texas. The game was so close that it extended into two overtimes. The Mercury scored 7 points in the first OT same as what the Wings had scored. In the next OT, however, the Mercury scored 12, and the Wings scored only 5. The Wings thus came out victorious in the end. 

The Wings had last defeated the Mercury in late May and since then the two teams have been having on and off days against each other. Hopefully, the best team will win when they next clash on Wednesday next week. 

Much like how Tibbetts recounted his experience, even fans too would have taken social media by storm upon seeing an offensive spree. Hence, it will be interesting to see who comes forward in the next game to uplift their squad. 

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.