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Rebecca Allen, Kahleah Copper can’t wait to embrace Mercury’s electric fanbase

Originally posted on Burn City Sports | By Alec Cipollini | Last updated 5/16/24

The Phoenix Mercury are preparing for their home opener on Saturday against the Atlanta Dream, and the new players on the squad will step into an electric environment that the fanbase creates game in, game out.

X-Factor Makes Their Mark

Known as the “X-Factor,” passionate Mercury fans let their voices heard and try to make their opponents as uncomfortable as they can so Phoenix can have a dominant home-court advantage. Thousands of people roaring, screaming, yelling, heckling and booing, the power of the X-Factor can throw any player or team off of their game every, single time.

While some can block out the noise or get accustomed to what they are up against, the walls of Footprint Center shake because of how load the fans can get.

Admitting that the X-Factor impacted how her former teams and herself would play in the environment, forward Rebecca Allen is ecstatic that the wild Mercury fans are on her side now.

“Oh my gosh, I am just so glad to be on the other side rather than being on the team against the X-Factor because it’s true, your fan base gives out a whole other energy,” Allen said during Mercury Media Day last week. “For me, it’s going to be fun being out there with that. We have the best crowds here by far and that is always something you talk about as the opposition, they get loud out there. I am really happy to be on the good side this time.”

Hostility Switching to Positivity

Another familiar face to the Mercury faithful is guard Kahleah Copper who practically became a villain based on the crowd’s angry reaction in the 2021 WNBA Finals. Copper was the Finals MVP as she helped the Chicago Sky beat Phoenix and claim their first-ever championship.

Up against the Mercury, the X-Factor could be heard booing Copper after the skirmish below between herself and Sophie Cunningham. The fans let their presence be felt almost every time Copper touched the ball or came off the bench throughout the series from there on out.

Copper and Cunningham would go back and forth all series long, clearly not happy with what transpired.

Since they have become teammates, however, the two players have formed a friendship quickly, respect each other and have pushed the incident behind them since they understand playoff basketball brings out some of the strongest emotions out of somebody.

“I am super excited that Kah is here,” Cunningham said. “I have actually gotten really close with her, and we are just going to keep on getting closer. At the end of the day, it is a new era. I would like to point out that it is competitive, our league is super competitive. Whatever happens on the court is fun, it’s all about trying to help your team win.”

When Copper was asked about how the environment switch was in her first game in Phoenix, she remembered what the crowd’s rattled-up reaction was before as an opponent but believes they will embrace her now that she is on their team.

“It was definitely good to be on the other side of it because y’all fans used to be giving me a real hard time, but I am glad to be on this side of it,” Copper said after the 98-85 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. “The building was electric for it to be a preseason game, so shoutout to the X-Factor. It was great, just glad to be here.”

Not Going Down Without a Fight

Trying to energize the fanbase, Phoenix will look to rebound after a disappointing 9-31 season last year. The additions of Copper, Allen, Natasha Cloud and Morgan Bertsch in the offseason were all made to upgrade the Mercury’s lineup and help Valley legends Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner achieve even more history.

Phoenix did lose their first regular season game 89-80 to the back-to-back WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, but there is plenty of promise with how resilient they were given that Griner is out indefinitely with a toe fracture. The team fought back from being outscored 29-14 in the first quarter to being within one possession of tying or taking the lead late.

No matter the circumstances, the X-Factor will be loud and proud throughout the season and the players want the fans to know that they are excited to play for them and the city. If the fans can get as invested in the team as the team can get invested in rebuilding a winning culture, the pair can formulate a recipe for success for years to come.

The Mercury will host the Dream inside Footprint Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT. There will be a Ring of Honor celebration at halftime, honoring some of the greatest players/staff in franchise history.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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