Phoenix Mercury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phoenix Mercury
Conference	Western
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	1997; 28 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 is a professional basketball team from Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Mercury was one of the first eight teams in the league. They started playing in the very first WNBA season in 1997.

The Mercury has made it to the WNBA Playoffs many times. They have reached the WNBA Finals five times. They won the championship in 2007, 2009, and 2014. Famous players like Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter, Candice Dupree, Brittney Griner, and Penny Taylor have played for the team.

In 2023, Mat Ishbia bought the Phoenix Mercury. He also owns the Phoenix Suns basketball team.

Team History

Early Years (1997–1998)

The Mercury quickly became a strong team. They had famous players like Nancy Lieberman and Jennifer Gillom. Michele Timms from Australia and Bridget Pettis were also key players. Their coach was Cheryl Miller.

In their first WNBA season, the Mercury won 16 games and made the playoffs. They lost to the New York Liberty. In 1998, they had an even better record. They reached the WNBA Finals for the first time. They played a tough series but lost to the Houston Comets.

Tough Times (1999–2003)

After their strong start, the Mercury had some difficult years. In 1999, they missed the playoffs. In 2000, they made the playoffs but lost quickly. After that, their coach left, and many original players moved on. The team struggled and was not a playoff contender for a few years.

Diana Taurasi Arrives (2004–2005)

In 2003, the Mercury had a very tough season. This meant they got the first pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft. They chose Diana Taurasi, a big star from UConn. Taurasi won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2004. The team's record improved, but they still missed the playoffs.

First Championship (2006–2007)

Before the 2006 season, Paul Westhead became the new coach. He brought a fast-paced style of play. The Mercury also drafted Cappie Pondexter, another great player. Their offense became known for scoring lots of points.

In 2006, the Mercury had a winning record again. They almost made the playoffs. In 2007, they were ready to win. They had their best record ever, winning 23 games. They were the top team in the Western Conference.

In the playoffs, they easily beat the Seattle Storm and the San Antonio Silver Stars. This sent them to the WNBA Finals. They faced the defending champions, the Detroit Shock. The series was very close. The Mercury won Game 5 on the road to claim their first championship! Cappie Pondexter was named the Finals MVP.

Ups and Downs (2008–2011)

In 2008, the Mercury had a disappointing season. They missed the playoffs after winning the championship. But they bounced back quickly!

In 2009, they were back on top. They won the Western Conference again. They beat the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Los Angeles Sparks in the playoffs. Then, they defeated the Indiana Fever to win their second WNBA title. Diana Taurasi was named the Finals MVP.

After this, Cappie Pondexter was traded. But Candice Dupree joined the team. In 2010, the Mercury made it to the Conference Finals. In 2011, they reached the Conference Finals again. They showed they were still a strong team.

Brittney Griner and More Wins (2013–Present)

Phoenix Mercury at the White House to honor 2014 Championship

After a tough 2012 season, the Mercury got the first pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft. They chose Brittney Griner, a talented player. They made the playoffs but lost to the Minnesota Lynx.

The next season, in 2014, Sandy Brondello became the new coach. The Mercury had an amazing year, setting a WNBA record with 29 wins. They went through the playoffs easily. They won their third WNBA Championship by sweeping the Chicago Sky.

In 2015, Diana Taurasi did not play in the WNBA season. She chose to play overseas for more money. The Mercury still made the playoffs in 2016, 2017, and 2018. They often won their early playoff games but lost in the semifinals.

In 2021, the Mercury made it to the WNBA Finals again. They played against the Chicago Sky but lost the series.

Team Sponsors

The Phoenix Mercury was one of the first teams in major North American sports to have a company logo on their jerseys. From 2009 to 2013, their jerseys had the LifeLock logo. Since 2014, their jerseys have been sponsored by Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.

Team Achievements

The Phoenix Mercury has won 3 WNBA Championships:

• 2007
• 2009
• 2014

They have also won 4 Western Conference Championships:

• 1998
• 2007
• 2009
• 2014

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

Many talented players have been part of the Phoenix Mercury over the years. Some of them include:

Retired Numbers

The Mercury has honored some of their greatest players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team can wear that number again.

Hall of Famers

Several people connected to the Phoenix Mercury are in the 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)

Michele Timms is also in the FIBA Hall of Fame (2016).

Coaches and Management

The current head coach of the Phoenix Mercury is Nate Tibbetts. The General Manager is Nick U'Ren. The team is owned by Mat Ishbia.

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

Media Coverage

You can watch Phoenix Mercury games on Arizona's Family TV stations in Phoenix. Some games are also shown nationally on channels like ESPN, ESPN2, Ion Television, CBS, CBS Sports Network, and ABC.

Images for kids

• 

  The official logo of the Phoenix Mercury.

See also

In Spanish: Phoenix Mercury para niños