But while the defending champion Aces stood pat this season after having the second-best defense in the league last year, Phoenix has made many upgrades to fix its defensive woes.

The biggest move for the Mercury was hiring respected NBA assistant coach Nate Tibbetts to be their head coach. Tibbets has an excellent defensive reputation having coached for the Magic and Cavaliers. Tibbetts and his staff really stressed and emphasized defense during practice and preseason. 

The Mercury's backcourt defense is enhanced with the addition of Natasha Cloud, a two-time all-defensive team selection. 

It wouldn't be surprising if the Aces struggle offensively early in the season having had off-season distractions and playing just one exhibition game. That wasn't against a WNBA team either, but the Puerto Rican national team in South Carolina in a festive atmosphere welcoming A'ja Wilson back to her college.