The Phoenix Mercury walked off the court Wednesday night with a convincing 93-80 victory over the Dallas Wings but you wouldn’t know it from watching the WNBA’s official highlight reel the next morning.
In what has become a flashpoint on social media, the league’s highlight package from the nationally spotlighted matchup focused almost exclusively on Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft returned to action after missing nearly two weeks with a concussion and illness, and her stat line was undeniably impressive, recording 35 points on 13-for-19 shooting.
Phoenix took the lead with just over three minutes left in the second quarter and never gave it back. They cruised to a 13-point win to improve to 7-4 on the season. In contrast, the Wings fell to a league-worst 1-10. Yet not a single Phoenix highlight made it into the WNBA’s 2-minute, 24-second recap video.
Mercury clap back with their own highlights
Noticing the complete absence of their performance, the Mercury responded with a post of their own. Sharing a self-edited highlight package, the team captioned the video with thinly veiled sarcasm.
“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,” the caption read.
Their response quickly went viral, drawing support not just from fans but also from within their own locker room. Kahleah Copper, Phoenix‘s injured All-Star and team leader, quote-tweeted the WNBA’s post with a simple but direct message: “Do better @WNBA.”
Satou Sabally led the way for Phoenix with 20 points, while Natasha Cloud added 18 and Sophie Cunningham chipped in 17. The Mercury‘s collective effort and superior play ultimately sealed the win, yet none of their performances received league-wide recognition the following morning.
Bueckers‘ return is undeniably a headline-grabber. The former UConn phenom and NCAA national champion entered the WNBA with one of the largest fanbases in the sport, and her professional debut has generated national interest, similar to the Caitlin Clark effect.
But the disparity in coverage is drawing concern from those within the league about how team success and non-rookie stars are being treated in the media ecosystem.
The Mercury, even without Copper in the lineup due to a knee injury, have proven to be one of the league’s most competitive teams early in the 2025 season. With a 7-4 record, they currently sit second in the Western Conference and hold the fourth-best record in the entire league. That success has come while missing their best player, making their strong play even more notable.
Meanwhile, the Wings are spiraling. Despite Bueckers‘ efforts, Dallas has dropped 10 of their first 11 games and currently anchors the bottom of the standings.
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