WNBA Season Precap: Phoenix Mercury


Record: 10-14
Playoff Position: 7th seed
Games Remaining: 10

PRECAPS: San Antonio Stars | Connecticut SunDallas Wings | Washington Mystics | Seattle StormPhoenix Mercury | Chicago Sky | Indiana Fever | Atlanta Dream | New York LibertyMinnesota Lynx

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Pre-Break Recap

On paper, the Phoenix Mercury have one of the most talented rosters in the WNBA. Names like Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner and Penny Taylor should spell success, but championships aren’t won on paper and the 2016 season has been anything but easy for the Mercury.

The squad stumbled out of the gate, losing their first four games of the season. For a younger squad, this could have meant the end of the 2016 campaign before if ever really started, but the aforementioned veterans were able to take the rough start in stride and find a way to turn things around. This turnaround was far from a 180, though, as the Mercury have yet to win more than three consecutive games this season and entered the break with a sour taste in their mouths after a deflating two-point loss to the Sky.

Despite the slow start, Phoenix would be a playoff team if the postseason started tomorrow. Still, for such a decorated squad, they’ve underwhelmed so far in 2016.

Pre-Break Highlight
June 12: Diana Taurasi scorches the nets in 86-80 victory over EDD, Sky
Whenever two MVPs share the floor, there are bound to be highlights, and in early June Diana Taurasi vs. Elena Delle Donne didn’t disappoint. EDD may be the reigning Most Valuable Player, but Taurasi has established herself as one of the WNBA’s most timeless talents, and was its MVP in 2009. While fans in the desert were treated to a stellar 19-point performance from Delle Donne, it was Taurasi’s 31 points on 6-for-12 shooting from behind the arc that stole the show. At 34 years old, Taurasi continues to evade Father Time and on this night, defied it all together.

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3 Standouts

Diana Taurasi

You cannot discuss the Phoenix Mercury without first mentioning the iconic Lady Mamba. Taurasi was drafted by Phoenix in 2004 and has spent the entirety of her WNBA career there. Many worried that she might lose a step after skipping the 2015 season, but she hasn’t missed a beat in 2016. Her 18.9 points per game are tops on the team, and the sixth highest average in the W as a whole. Her 4.3 assists per game are also a team-high. Taurasi’s 7,156 career points are the third most of all-time, and that number continues to climb. It’s safe to say she isn’t close to done yet.

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DeWanna Bonner

DeWanna Bonner has continued to showcase her value to the Mercury in 2016. The 28-year-old was named to her first All-Star team last season and is in an equally exceptional place so far this season. Her 15.9 points per game are the second-highest mark on the Mercury and her 32.6 minutes of game action on a nightly basis are a team-high. Whether she’s starting or coming off the bench, Bonner is guaranteed to make an impact. If the Mercury string together a lengthy stretch of wins late in the year, she will likely be a major reason why.

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Brittney Griner

You know about the shot-blocking, but this season Griner has showcased an expanded offensive game. The 6’9″ 25-year-old has been more willing to step outside the paint and play with her body facing the rim instead of her back.

Griner has had an up-and-down year to date but is still averaging a respectable 13.5 points per game on a team-best 52.7% shooting from the field as she adjusts her offensive role. Of course, her 3.0 blocks per game lead the WNBA, so if it isn’t working for her scoring the basketball she will make sure the opponent endures the same struggle on their end.

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Pre-Break Photo Gallery

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Check out the top snapshots from the Mercury’s pre-break schedule

Post-Break Preview

It’s impossible to deny that the 2014 champions have the talent to make a deep playoff run come October, and the Olympic break couldn’t have come at a better time. Taurasi, Griner and Taylor will have the benefit of playing around the best women’s basketball talent on the planet in Rio, while the likes of Bonner and Candace Dupree will have time to re-center their focus for a stretch run.

Still, the Mercury are an aging roster whose championship window is quickly closing. Can Diana and Penny put together one more legitimate championship quest before Taylor hangs up her sneakers for good and Taurasi turns 35? It’s going to take some scratching and clawing, but the Mercury have the ability to do it.