Phoenix Mercury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phoenix Mercury
Conference	Western
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	1997; 27 years ago (1997)
History	Phoenix Mercury 1997–present
Arena	Footprint Center
Location	Phoenix, Arizona
Team colors	Purple, orange, light grey, black
Main sponsor	Fry’s Food and Drug
General manager	Nick U'Ren
Head coach	Nate Tibbetts
Assistant(s)	Charli Turner Thorne Taja Edwards Tully Bevilaqua
Ownership	Mat Ishbia
Championships	3 (2007, 2009, 2014)
Conference titles	4 (1998, 2007, 2009, 2014)
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The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). One of eight original franchises, it was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began.

The Mercury have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in fifteen of its twenty-four years in Phoenix. In 1998, 2007, 2009, 2014, and 2021 the Mercury went to the WNBA Finals; they lost to Houston in 1998, but won the title in 2007, 2009, and 2014 over Detroit, Indiana, and Chicago respectively.

The franchise has been home to players such as former UConn Diana Taurasi, Rutgers grad Cappie Pondexter, former Temple power forward Candice Dupree, former Baylor center Brittney Griner, and Australian guard Penny Taylor.

In February 2023, Mat Ishbia completed the acquisition of Phoenix Mercury. The team was among Robert Sarver's sports assets located in Arizona sold to the former college basketball player for the Michigan State Spartans during their championship in 2000.

Franchise history

Mercury heating up (1997–1998)

With a cast that included hall-of-famer Nancy Lieberman, and possible future hall-of-famers Michele Timms of Australia, and Jennifer Gillom, hyper-active star Bridget Pettis, and outspoken coach Cheryl Miller, the Mercury quickly established itself as a major franchise. In the very first WNBA season, the Mercury posted a 16–12 record and reached the first WNBA playoffs. The Mercury lost to the New York Liberty, though, in those playoffs.

In 1998, the Mercury again qualified for the playoffs, posting a 19–11 record. The Mercury defeated the Cleveland Rockers to reach the WNBA Finals for the first time. In a hard-fought series, the Mercury fell 2 games to 1 to the defending champion Houston Comets.

Mercury in retrograde (1999–2003)

In 1999, the Mercury missed the playoffs, posting a 15–17 record. In 2000, the Mercury finished 20–12, but got swept by the Los Angeles Sparks. The team descended into turmoil after the season, as coach Miller left and the original core group of players broke up, via retirement or trades, and the team stopped being a playoff contender.

From 2001 to 2004, the Mercury were at the bottom of the WNBA. Fielding miserable teams, the Mercury were never competitive. The Mercury went through coach after coach, and nothing worked.

Diana Taurasi joins the WNBA (2004–2005)

After a horrible 2003 season, in which the Mercury posted an 8–26 record, the Mercury won the #1 overall choice in the 2004 WNBA Draft, and select coveted former UConn star Diana Taurasi. Taurasi went on to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in the 2004 season, as the Mercury posted a better 17–17 record. The Mercury posted a 16–18 record in 2005, missing the playoffs again.

Bringing back "Paul Ball" (2006–2007)

Former NBA coach Paul Westhead became the Mercury's head coach prior to the 2006 season and brought his up-tempo style to Phoenix. Westhead was the first WNBA coach to have won a previous NBA championship (1980 LA Lakers). The Mercury also drafted Cappie Pondexter with the #2 overall selection in the 2006 WNBA Draft. The addition provided Taurasi with a solid #2 player. Westhead's run and gun offense quickly became The Mercury's trademark and the franchise would soon set new league records for points scored.

The 2006 season was a positive one for the Mercury, as they posted a winning record for the first time since 2000, at 18–16. The Mercury competed for the playoffs all year, but fell just short of a postseason berth.

As the 2007 season came, the Mercury were poised and hungry for a deep playoff run. The Mercury would run away with the Western Conference, posting their best record in franchise history at 23–11, as well as clinching the #1 seed. The Mercury set a record by averaging 89.0 points in a season during 2007. In their first playoffs since 2000, the Mercury made quick work of the Seattle Storm in the first round, blowing them out in two games (Game 1: 101–84, Game 2: 95–89). In the Western Finals, the Mercury swept the San Antonio Silver Stars in a closer series (Game 1: 102–100, Game 2: 98–92), advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time in nine years. In the Finals, the Mercury faced the defending 2006 champions Detroit Shock. The two teams split the first two games in Detroit. Coming back home, the Mercury suffered a letdown in game 3, losing 88–83. Down 2–1, the Mercury had to win game 4 or lose. Game 4 came down to the final seconds, but the Mercury edged out the Shock 77–76, with Cappie Pondexter scoring 26 points, and forced a Game 5 in Detroit. In Game 5, Phoenix won by a score of 108–92. Penny Taylor scored a game high 30 points in Game 5, and went 18-for-18 from the line. The Mercury won the series and their first championship with a 108–92 Game 5 victory, becoming the first WNBA team to win a championship on the road. Cappie Pondexter was named the WNBA Finals MVP, and averaged 22.0 points and 5.6 assists in the series. On November 7, 2007, The Mercury announced the hiring of Corey Gaines as head coach to replace the departing Paul Westhead.

Mercury fall, Mercury rise (2008–2011)

In 2008, the Mercury started slowly and never really found a groove, finishing the season with a disappointing record of 16–18, well out of the playoff picture in a tough Western Conference. The Mercury became the first team in WNBA history with the dubious honor of failing to qualify for the playoffs after winning the WNBA Finals the year before.

However, a year later, the Mercury were back to what they were two years before. The Mercury clinched the top spot in the playoffs along with the number one seed in the Western Conference. The Mercury defeated the 2008 conference champion San Antonio Silver Stars in the first round, winning the very exciting series 2–1 after losing the first game on the road. The Mercury then defeated the Los Angeles Sparks in the conference finals, winning 2–1 in a series that ended Lisa Leslie's career. The Mercury then went on to beat the Indiana Fever 3–2 in the best of 5 series to capture the second title in their franchise history. Diana Taurasi captured the WNBA Finals MVP Award. All-star guard Cappie Pondexter was traded to the New York Liberty amid some controversy in the offseason; All-Star Candice Dupree joined the duo of Taurasi and Penny Taylor as the Mercury looked to repeat in 2010.

It was not easy, however, as the Mercury faced a few bad losing streaks throughout the 2010 season. The team managed to finish 15–19, good for second place in the Western Conference. Phoenix swept San Antonio in the first round of the Playoffs, but lost to the eventual champion Seattle Storm in the conference finals.

After a hectic offseason for Diana Taurasi, most of the Mercury team was rested and ready to play. The team started the 2011 season with a surprising 0–3 record, but flew back into playoff contention, entering the All-Star break with a 10–5 record. Ultimately, they recovered to gain the third seed in the 2011 WNBA Playoffs, and upset the Seattle Storm in the opening round, closing an 18-point deficit to win on Seattle's home floor, allowing the Mercury to reach its third straight conference finals. Unfortunately, for the team, they came up short against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, losing in two games.

Brittney Griner arrives (2013–present)

Phoenix Mercury at the White House to honor 2014 Championship

Coming off the 2012 WNBA season in which the Phoenix Mercury franchise finished with the second worst record in the WNBA, a 7–27 mark, Phoenix received the 2013 WNBA draft lottery and secured the top overall pick. Once the 2013 WNBA draft arrived in April 2013, the Mercury used the top overall pick on two time Women's College Basketball Wooden award winner Brittney Griner. However, the Mercury lost to the Lynx in the Conference round of the playoffs. The following season the Mercury under the guidance of new coach Sandy Brondello went on to set an all time WNBA record for wins in a season, with 29, and breezed through the 2014 playoffs to claim their 3rd WNBA Championship.

On February 3, 2015, Diana Taurasi announced that she would sit out the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg. The team offered Taurasi to pay her more than her WNBA salary to skip the 2015 WNBA season. For the 2014 WNBA season, Taurasi made just under the league maximum of $107,000. But she makes 15 times that - approximately $1.5 million - playing overseas.

In 2016, the WNBA switched to a playoff format involving single elimination games in the first two rounds. The eighth-seeded Mercury upset the Indiana Fever in the First Round and New York Liberty in the Second Round to reach the Semifinals. However, they lost the Semifinals to the Minnesota Lynx.

In 2017, the Mercury once again sailed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, winning their games against the Seattle Storm and Connecticut Sun. Again, they lost in the Semifinals, this time to the Los Angeles Sparks.

2018 saw the Mercury win both single-elimination playoff games for the third year in a row with victories against the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Sun, giving Diana Taurasi a 13–0 record in winner-take-all elimination games in her career. In the semifinals, the Mercury came up short against the Seattle Storm in the decisive fifth game, giving Taurasi her first ever loss in a winner-take-all elimination game.

Uniform sponsor

In June 2009 the Mercury and WNBA announced a sponsorship agreement with identity theft protection service LifeLock to place that company's logo on their jerseys through the 2013 season, making the Mercury among the first non-soccer franchises in the major leagues of North America to place a company logo on their uniforms. For the 2014 season and going forward, the Mercury will wear jerseys sponsored by Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.

Season-by-season records

Players

Current roster

Phoenix Mercury roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs F 51 Breland, Jessica 6' 2" (1.88m) 166 lb (75kg) 02-23-1988 North Carolina 8 F 10 Coffey, Nia 6' 1" (1.85m) 182 lb (83kg) 06-11-1995 Northwestern 3 G 9 Cunningham, Sophie 6' 1" (1.85m) 170 lb (77kg) 08-16-1996 Missouri 1 G 4 Diggins-Smith, Skylar 5' 9" (1.75m) 145 lb (66kg) 08-16-1996 Notre Dame 6 C 42 Griner, Brittney 6' 9" (2.06m) 205 lb (93kg) 10-18-1990 Baylor 7 G 14 Hartley, Bria 5' 8" (1.73m) 148 lb (67kg) 09-30-1992 Connecticut 6 F 12 Jenkins, Alisia 6' 1" (1.85m) 02-21-1994 South Florida R G 5 Peddy, Shey 5' 7" (1.7m) 147 lb (67kg) 10-28-1988 Temple 1 F 11 Smith, Alanna 6' 4" (1.93m) 180 lb (82kg) 09-10-1996 Stanford 1 G/F 3 Taurasi, Diana 6' 0" (1.83m) 163 lb (74kg) 06-11-1982 Connecticut 15 F 21 Turner, Brianna 6' 3" (1.91m) 170 lb (77kg) 07-05-1996 Notre Dame 1 C 1 Vaughn, Kia 6' 4" (1.93m) 205 lb (93kg) 01-24-1987 Rutgers 10 G 2 Walker-Kimbrough, Shatori 5' 9" (1.75m) 140 lb (64kg) 05-18-1995 Maryland 3	Head coach Sandy Brondello (Western Sydney*) Assistant coaches Julie Hairgrove (Arizona) Chasity Melvin (North Carolina State) Athletic trainer Hannah Breck (Boston University) Strength and conditioning coach Derrick Nillissen (Iowa Wesleyan*) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured   WNBA roster page
East ATL CHI CON IND NY WAS West DAL LV LA MIN PHO SEA

Former players

Retired numbers

Hall of Famers

(from Women's Basketball Hall of Fame)

• Ann Meyers-Drysdale, enshrined 1999
• Jennifer Gillom, enshrined 2009
• Nancy Lieberman, enshrined 1996
• Cheryl Miller, enshrined 1995
• Linda Sharp, enshrined 2001
• Michele Timms, enshrined 2008
• Penny Taylor, enshrined 2022

FIBA Hall of Famers

Coaches and staff

Owners

• Jerry Colangelo, owner of the Phoenix Suns (1997–2003)
• Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns (2004–2023)
• Mat Ishbia, owner of the Phoenix Suns (2023–present)

Head coaches

Coaches Julie Hairgrove, Todd Troxel (left to right) and head coach Sandy Brondello (seated) in a timeout during the 2016 WNBA semifinals.

General managers

• Cheryl Miller (1997–2000)
• Seth Sulka (2001–2006)
• Ann Meyers-Drysdale (2007–2011)
• Corey Gaines (2012–2013)
• Amber Cox (2013)
• Jim Pitman (2013–2023)
• Nick U'Ren (2023–present)

Assistant coaches

Statistics

Media coverage

Currently, Mercury games are broadcast on Arizona's Family, a group of Phoenix television stations (KPHO-TV, KTVK and KPHE-LD) owned by Gray Television. KTVK will carry at least 13 Mercury games per season, with the remaining games on KPHE.

Some Mercury games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, Ion Television, CBS, CBS Sports Network and ABC.

See also

In Spanish: Phoenix Mercury para niños