Kahleah Copper and the WNBA are back from the Olympic break and one thing is the same, she’s unstoppable. The Mercury steamrolled the Chicago Sky by a final score of 85-65 on Thursday night. This was Copper’s first game back in Chicago where she spent 7 years and was the Finals MVP in 2021. Two things were clear when she rolled into the arena wearing her old Chicago Sky jersey: this wasn’t an ordinary game and the Sky were in for a long night.
Copper shined immediately, hitting two threes and finishing the first quarter with 13 points in 7 minutes. Once she knocked down her first two 3-pointers, Sky defenders were at her will. They tried to apply ball pressure, but Copper was far too quick and athletic. She found herself getting to the rim with ease, finishing athletically with both hands. She and fellow Olympian, Brittney Griner looked a level above the rest. The Sky had no answer for them and the Mercury showed no sign of fatigue after having 3 players in the Olympics. While there wasn’t a lot to cheer for on the Chicago side, the offensive masterclass by Kahleah Copper was worth the price of admission.
Kahleah Copper is now averaging 23.4 points per game and is the 2nd highest score in the league behind A’ja Wilson. This is the best season of her career, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her athleticism and quick first are what separates her. Kahleah can blow by any defender and when she has the 3 ball falling, you are at her mercy.
The Mercury will travel straight from Chicago to take on the fever in Indiana. The Fever have already beaten the Mercury twice but this promises to be a high-scoring game. In her last matchup against the Fever, Kahleah had 36 points. The game is tonight at 7:30 PM EST.