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.
In February 2023, Mat Ishbia, a former Michigan State college basketball player, completed the acquisition of Phoenix Mercury from Robert Sarver. The team was among Sarver's several sports assets located in Arizona purchased by Ishbia.[3][4]
History
Mercury heating up (1997–1998)
With a cast that included hall-of-famer Nancy Lieberman, and 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 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. During the lean years, the franchise remained in the news as forwardLisa Harrison would become a sex symbol. Playboy Magazine offered her money to pose in their magazine. She would decline the offer.[5]
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 (with Los Angeles Lakers in 1980). 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.[6] 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.[6]Penny Taylor scored a game high 30 points in Game 5, and went 18-for-18 from the line.[6] 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.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8] For the 2014 season and going forward, the Mercury will wear jerseys sponsored by Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.
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.[16][17]
2014: Tiffany Bias (17), Maggie Lucas (21), Stephanie Talbot (33)
2015: Isabelle Harrison (12), Alex Harden (18), Žofia Hruščáková (24), Promise Amukamara (36)
2016: Courtney Williams (8), Jullian Alleyne (20), Nirra Fields (32)
2017: Alexis Prince (29)
2018: Marie Gülich (12), Tyler Scaife (20), Raisa Musina (21), Imani Wright (26)
2019: Alanna Smith (8), Sophie Cunningham (13), Arica Carter (32)
2020: Jocelyn Willoughby (10), Te'a Cooper (18), Stella Johnson (29)
2021: Ciera Johnson (32)
2022: Maya Dodson (26), Macee Williams (32)
2023: Destiny Harden (27), Kadi Sissoko (29)
2024: Charisma Osborne (25), Jaz Shelley (29)
Trades
July 31, 1997: The Mercury acquired Mikiko Hagiwara from the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for future considerations.
July 6, 1998: The Mercury traded Pauline Jordan to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Tiffani Johnson.
October 27, 1999: The Mercury traded Marlies Askamp, Angela Aycock and Kristi Harrower to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Adia Barnes, Tonya Edwards and Trisha Fallon.
February 18, 2000: The Mercury acquired Brandy Reed from the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the fifth pick in the 2000 Draft.
April 25, 2000: The Mercury traded Shantia Owens to the Miami Sol in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2001 Draft.
May 27, 2001: The Mercury acquired Jaynetta Saunders from the Cleveland Rockers in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2002 Draft.
June 22, 2001: The Mercury traded Tonya Edwards to the Charlotte Sting in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2002 Draft.
March 4, 2002: The Mercury traded the eighth pick in the 2002 Draft to the Cleveland Rockers in exchange for Pollyana Johns-Kimborough.
March 4, 2002: The Mercury traded the 15th pick in the 2002 Draft to the Miami Sol in exchange for Tracy Reid and the 13th pick in the 2002 Draft.
March 4, 2002: The Mercury traded Bridget Pettis and the 13th pick in the 2002 Draft to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Gordana Grubin.
May 3, 2002: The Mercury traded a fourth-round pick in the 2003 Draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Claudia das Neves.
May 5, 2002: The Mercury traded Claudia das Neves to the Miami Sol in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2003 Draft.
April 28, 2003: The Mercury traded Petra Ujhelyi and Telisha Quarles to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Edwina Brown and Lenae Williams.
July 31, 2003: The Mercury traded Stacey Thomas to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Tamara Moore.
June 29, 2005: The Mercury traded Plenette Pierson to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Andrea Stinson and a second-round pick in the 2006 Draft.
February 21, 2007: The Mercury traded Sandora Irvin to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft.
April 2, 2007: The Mercury traded a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft to the New York Liberty in exchange for Kelly Schumacher.
April 4, 2007: The Mercury traded Lindsey Harding to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Tangela Smith.
May 7, 2008: The Mercury traded Leilani Mitchell to the New York Liberty in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft.
January 30, 2009: The Mercury traded Kelly Miller and LaToya Pringle to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Nicole Ohlde.
March 20, 2009: The Mercury traded Barbara Farris to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for A'Quonesia Franklin and Kim Smith.
March 26, 2009: The Mercury traded a first-round pick in the 2010 Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Temeka Johnson.
March 30, 2010: The Mercury traded Cappie Pondexter and Kelly Mazzante to the New York Liberty and received Candice Dupree from the Chicago Sky. Chicago received Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld from New York as part of this trade.
July 23, 2010: The Mercury traded Nicole Ohlde and a first-round pick in the 2011 Draft in exchange for Kara Braxton.
April 11, 2011: The Mercury traded Tahnee Robinson to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2012 Draft.
August 4, 2011: The Mercury traded Kara Braxton to the New York Liberty in exchange for Sidney Spencer.
January 12, 2012: The Mercury traded Temeka Johnson to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for Andrea Riley.
February 2, 2012: The Mercury traded a second-round pick in the 2013 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Alexis Hornbuckle.
February 28, 2012: The Mercury traded the 18th pick in the 2012 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Charde Houston and the 24th pick in the 2012 Draft.
March 11, 2014: The Mercury traded Lynetta Kizer to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Erin Phillips.
March 27, 2014: The Mercury traded Charde Houston to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Ewelina Kobryn.
May 12, 2014: The Mercury traded Maggie Lucas to the Indiana Fever in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2015 Draft.
May 9, 2016: The Mercury traded Monique Currie to the San Antonio Stars in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2017 Draft.
June 25, 2016: The Mercury traded Courtney Williams, Jillian Alleyne, and San Antonio's second-round pick to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Kelsey Bone.
June 25, 2016: The Mercury traded Noelle Quinn to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Angel Robinson.
January 31, 2017: The Mercury traded Isabelle Harrison and a 2017 first round draft pick to the San Antonio Stars in exchange for Danielle Robinson.
February 21, 2017: In a three-team trade, the Mercury traded Candice Dupree and a second round pick in the 2017 Draft to the Indiana Fever and acquired Camille Little and the draft rights to Jillian Alleyne from the Connecticut Sun.[21]
February 21, 2018: The Mercury traded Cayla George for the 21st pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft. In a separate trade, the Mercury traded Kelsey Bone for 26th pick in the 2018 WNBA draft and a third round pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft.
March 6, 2018: The Mercury traded the 8th pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft for Briann January. In a separate trade, the Mercury traded Danielle Robinson and a second round pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft for the 12th pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
May 21, 2019: The Mercury traded Stephanie Talbot to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota's second round pick in the 2020 Draft.
February 11, 2020: The Mercury traded DeWanna Bonner to Connecticut in exchange for the 7th and 10th pick in the 2020 Draft and Connecticut's first round pick in the 2021 Draft.
February 12, 2020: The Mercury traded the 5th and 7th pick in the 2020 Draft and Connecticut's first round pick in the 2021 Draft (acquired via Feb. 11 trade) to Dallas in exchange for Skylar Diggins-Smith.
February 19, 2020: The Mercury traded Briann January, the 17th pick in the 2020 Draft, and their second round pick in the 2021 Draft to Atlanta for Jessica Breland and Nia Coffey.
April 17, 2020: The Mercury traded the draft rights to Jocelyn Willoughby to New York in exchange for Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.
February 10, 2021: The Mercury traded the 6th overall pick in the 2021 Draft and a first round pick in the 2022 Draft to New York in exchange for Kia Nurse and Megan Walker.
February 13, 2021: The Mercury traded Yvonne Turner to Atlanta for the Dream's 2022 third round pick.
January 31, 2022: The Mercury traded Kia Vaugh to Atlanta for the Dream's 2023 third round pick.
February 3, 2022: The Mercury traded Bria Hartley, the 20th pick in the 2022 Draft and a second round pick in the 2023 Draft to Indiana and their 2023 First Round pick to Chicago in exchange for Diamond DeShields.
February 11, 2023: The Mercury traded Diamond DeShields and the right to swap 2025 first round picks with New York in exchange for Michaela Onyenwere, and Chicago's Third Round pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and Second Round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
February 3, 2024: The Mercury traded Moriah Jefferson to Connecticut in exchange for Rebecca Allen.
February 6, 2024: The Mercury traded Michaela Onyenwere, Brianna Turner, the third pick in the 2024 Draft, a second round pick in the 2025 Draft (originally Chicago's), their own 2026 first round pick, and the rights to swap second round 2026 picks with Chicago in exchange for Kahleah Copper, and the rights to Morgan Bertsch.
August 20, 2024: The Mercury traded Sug Sutton and their third round pick in the 2025 Draft to Washington in exchange for the rights to Klara Lundquist.
All-Stars
1997: No All-Star Game
1998: No All-Star Game
1999: Michelle Timms
2000: Brandy Reed
2001: None
2002: None
2003: Adrian Williams
2004: Anna DeForge, Diana Taurasi
2005: Diana Taurasi
2006: Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi
2007: Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor
