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History of Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)

By AnayahBogle

  • Start of the season

    Start of the season
    1. Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team. The team is based on phoenix, Arizona and plays in the western conference for the WNBA. The team was founded before there 1997 season.

  • 2. Mercury heating up

    2. Mercury heating up
    (1997-1998) in the first season of the WNBA, Phoenix Mercury posted a record at 16-12 (W-L) and reached he first WNBA playoffs. In the playoffs they lost to New York liberty. In 1998 they qualified for the playoffs again and defeated Cleveland Rockers to advance in the finals.

  • 3. Mercury falling

    3. Mercury falling
    (1999-2003) from 1999-2003 the team didn’t qualify for the playoffs or finals. The team descended into turmoil when coach miller left and the original core of the group players broke up. From 2001-2004, Mercury was at the bottom of the WNBA.

  • 4. Diana Taurasi joins

    4. Diana Taurasi joins
    (2004-2005) after a horrible 2003 season, in which Mercury posted 8-26 record. The Mercury won the #1 choice in the 2004 WNBA draft, Diana Taurasi. Then in 2004 they posted a better 17-17 record.

  • 5. Bringing back “Paul Ball”

    5. 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. 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 rising and falling

    The rising and falling
    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.

  • brittney Griner arrives

    brittney Griner arrives
    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