"I'm still chasing a championship"- 5x WNBA All-Star makes feelings known on teaming up with Satou Sabally & Kahleah Copper

The 2025 off-season looks to have changed the WNBA landscape. Big free agency deals and trades included moves for perennial All-Stars Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Plum, Jewell Loyd, Satou Sabally and Brittney Griner.

While reigning champions New York Liberty are still the bookmaker's favorite to retain their crown, one of the teams that saw a big jump in their WNBA championship odds was the Phoenix Mercury.

After a disappointing first-round exit to the Minnesota Lynx in 2024, Phoenix made some big moves in the off-season, acquiring the services of Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally for the 2025 season that tips off in May. The move for Alyssa Thomas has been seen as a major indication of the team's ambition to win a championship.

"We all come from different winning backgrounds," Thomas said about her teammates Satou Sabally & Kahleah Copper. "Now we get a chance to be together and accomplish something. It's time to get back to the playoffs. I'm still chasing a championship."

Thomas, who was twice a WNBA finalist with the Sun, is yet to win a championship despite consistently being one of the most productive players in the league. New teammate Sabally is also likely to share the same motivation as Thomas, with Copper being the only one amongst the Mercury's new big three to have tasted championship success in the past.

With the league's talent pool seemingly at an all-time high, championship contention would be no easy task, but with the collective experience of their new big three, the Mercury top-brass would be hoping to ring back their glory days.

WNBA oddsmakers have Liberty, Aces, Fever, and Lynx above Mercury

Despite their big moves, the Phoenix Mercury still remains behind the pack in the quest chase for WNBA glory, according to the oddsmakers. After all, they weren't the only team that made eye-catching moves in what has been one of the most eventful WNBA off-seasons ever.

Currently, Bet 365 has New York Liberty leading the way with +225 odds to win the 2025 WNBA title. Las Vegas Aces comes in second at +280 and the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx follow these two teams at +450. Phoenix Mercury is currently listed in fifth place at +1000.

Diana Taurasi in action for the Mercury in the 2024 Playoffs - Source: Getty

The new big three have made their intentions of winning a championship together, clear. While some believed that the big three could join Diana Taurasi in Phoenix and get her another championship before her retirement, the hopes of a fairytale were put to rest when Taurasi announced her retirement from basketball on Tuesday.