On the day after suffering a demoralizing 31-point home loss to the Lynx in July, then Mercury coach Sandy Brondello knew she needed to take her players’ minds off basketball. So she invited them to her Phoenix-area home for a July 4th party. There, guests munched on catered Mexican food and swam in Brondello’s pool. She wanted them to enjoy one another’s company and flush away the numerous first-half issues that led to the Mercury’s disappointing 7–9 start.
Creating a culture in which players wanted to be around one another was instrumental to Phoenix’s success during Brondello’s tenure.