Phoenix Mercury
Encyclopedia : P : PH : PHO : Phoenix Mercury
| Phoenix Mercury | |
 | |
| Conference | Western Conference |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Home court | US Airways Center |
| Colors | Orange and yellow |
| WNBA Championships | 0 |
| Conference Championships | 1 (1998) |
| Playoff Appearances | 3 (1997, 1998, 2000) |
| Head coach | Paul Westhead |
| General manager | Seth Sulka [link] |
| Owner | Jerry Colangelo |
| Mascot | Scorch [link] |
The Phoenix Mercury are a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury began in 1997 as one of the league's original eight teams and quickly established themselves as a major franchise. Led by early WNBA standouts Michele Timms and Jennifer Gillom and outspoken coach Cheryl Miller, they were one of the teams that participated in the first WNBA Playoffs.
While the Mercury experienced some internal turmoil after Miller's departure from the team, they made headlines again in 2004 with the drafting of Diana Taurasi, the most coveted pick in the history of the WNBA Draft.
Uniforms: Their uniform is white, yellow and orange at home with a logo of the planet Mercury in reddish orange, and the word "Mercury" in yellow; it is orange and yellow on the road.
Franchise History
With a cast that included hall-of-famer Nancy Lieberman, possible future hall-of-famers Michele Timms of Australia, and Jennifer Gillom, plus the energetic and hyper-active star Bridget Pettis, the Mercury reached the playoffs in 1997, 1998 and 2000, including a WNBA Finals appearance in 1998. Once the core group of players was broken up, via retirement or trades, the team stopped being a playoff contender.During the lean years, the franchise remained in the news as forward Lisa Harrison became a sex symbol. Playboy Magazine offered her money to pose in their magazine. She declined the offer.
In 2004, Phoenix selected former UConn star Diana Taurasi with the #1 overall WNBA Draft. Taurasi went on to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, but has been unable to guide the team into the playoffs in two seasons.
Former NBA coach Paul Westhead became the the Mercury's head coach prior to the 2006 season and brought his up-tempo style to Phoenix. Their roster was further bolstered by the addition of rookie Cappie Pondexter, the #2 overall selection in the 2006 WNBA Draft.
Season-by-Season Records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win-Loss % {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- bgcolor="#efefef" ! Season !! W !! L !! % !! Playoffs !! Results |- |Phoenix Mercury |- |1997 || 16 || 12 || .571 || Lost WNBA Semifinals || New York 59, Phoenix 41 |- |1998 || 19 || 11 || .633 || Won WNBA SemifinalsLost WNBA Finals || Phoenix 2, Cleveland 1
Houston 2, Phoenix 1 |- |1999 || 15 || 17 || .469 |- |2000 || 20 || 12 || .625 || Lost First Round || Los Angeles 2, Phoenix 0 |- |2001 || 13 || 19 || .406 |- |2002 || 11 || 21 || .344 |- |2003 || 8 || 26 || .235 |- |2004 || 17 || 17 || .500 |- |2005 || 16 || 18 || .471 |- |2006 || 9 || 11 || .450 |- |Totals || 144 || 164 || .468 |- |Playoffs || 3 || 6 || .333
Stats updated July 17, 2006
Players of note
Retired numbers
Hall of Famers
- Nancy Lieberman
- Cheryl Miller (coach)
Not to be forgotten
- Marlies Askamp
- Anna DeForge
- Jennifer Gillom
- Lisa Harrison
- Plenette Pierson
- Brandy Reed
- Maria Stepanova
- Adrian Williams
Current Roster
| Phoenix Mercury Current Roster
| ||||
| Head Coach: Paul Westhead | [Edit]
| |||
| Pos. | No. | Name | College
| |
| F | 20 | Kayte Christensen | UC Santa Barbara
| |
| G | 34 | Jennifer Derevjanik | George Mason
| |
| F | 25 | Sandora Irvin (IL) | Texas Christian
| |
| F | 21 | Jennifer Lacy | Pepperdine
| |
| G | 2 | Kelly Miller | Georgia
| |
| G | 23 | Cappie Pondexter | Rutgers
| |
| F | 52 | Kristen Rasmussen | Michigan State
| |
| G | 10 | Crystal Smith | Iowa
| |
| F | 12 | Belinda Snell | Australia
| |
| G-F | 43 | Ann Strother (IL) | Connecticut
| |
| G | 3 | Diana Taurasi | Connecticut
| |
| F | 13 | Penny Taylor | Australia
| |
| C-F | 9 | Kamila Vodichkova | Czech Republic
| |
| (IL) - Inactive List
| ||||
Coaches and others
Head Coaches:- Cheryl Miller (1997-2000)
- Cynthia Cooper (2001-2002)
- Linda Sharp (2002)
- John Shumate (2003)
- Carrie Graf (2004-2005)
- Paul Westhead (2006 - Present)
External links
| Women's National Basketball Association | |
| Eastern Conference | |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Sting | Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | Detroit Shock | |
| Indiana Fever | New York Liberty | Washington Mystics | |
| Western Conference | |
| Houston Comets | Los Angeles Sparks | Minnesota Lynx | Phoenix Mercury | |
| Sacramento Monarchs | San Antonio Silver Stars | Seattle Storm |
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