Phoenix Mercury History: Owners, Championships, Stars, Drafts and the Greatest Moments The Phoenix Mercury are one of the original franchises of the WNBA and one of the league’s most successful teams. Founded in 1997, the Mercury have built their identity around fast-paced basketball, outstanding guards and some of the greatest players in WNBA history. Phoenix has won three WNBA championships — 2007, 2009 and 2014 — and has been home to players such as Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Penny Taylor, Cappie Pondexter, DeWanna Bonner and Michele Timms. The Beginning of the Phoenix Mercury The Mercury were one of the WNBA’s original eight franchises in 1997. The team was closely connected to the Phoenix Suns organization and was originally owned by Jerry Colangelo, who was also a central figure in bringing the WNBA to Phoenix. The Mercury’s first head coach and general manager was basketball legend Cheryl Miller. The original team featured Australian star Michele Timms, Jennifer Gillom and Bridget Pettis. Pettis became the franchise’s first draft selection. The decision to place a WNBA franchise in Phoenix was strongly supported by Colangelo. The Mercury’s own historical account describes him as the team’s president and owner during the league’s formation. Phoenix Mercury Owners The Mercury have had three principal ownership eras. Jerry Colangelo — 1997–2003 Jerry Colangelo was the original owner and one of the most important figures in establishing the Mercury. He helped make Phoenix one of the WNBA’s original franchises. Robert Sarver — 2004–2022 Robert Sarver became owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury in 2004. His ownership lasted through the Mercury’s 2007, 2009 and 2014 championship eras. Mat Ishbia — 2023–present Mat Ishbia became owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury in 2023. The Mercury’s current WNBA team page lists Ishbia as the franchise owner. Phoenix Mercury Home Arenas The Mercury have essentially had one home building throughout their existence, although the building has gone through numerous names. America West Arena 1997–2006 This was the Mercury’s original home. US Airways Center 2006–2015 The building changed its name from America West Arena to US Airways Center in 2006. Talking Stick Resort Arena 2015–2020 The arena received another naming-rights change in 2015. Phoenix Suns Arena 2020–2021 The building briefly carried the Phoenix Suns Arena name. Footprint Center 2021–2025 The arena became Footprint Center in 2021. PHX Arena / Mortgage Matchup Center era 2025–present The building has undergone another naming change, but it remains the Mercury’s home in downtown Phoenix. The franchise’s current WNBA page lists the arena as its home venue. Thus, although the name on the building has changed several times, the Mercury have remained in the same downtown Phoenix arena since the franchise began. The Three Mercury Championships 2007 — The First Championship The 2007 season changed the Mercury’s place in WNBA history. Led by Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor, Phoenix finished the regular season 23–11 and reached the Finals against the Detroit Shock. The Mercury lost the first game of the Finals but recovered to win the series 3–2. The deciding Game 5 was played in Detroit. Phoenix won 108–92, becoming the first WNBA team to win a championship-clinching game on the road. Cappie Pondexter was the 2007 Finals MVP, averaging 22.0 points and 5.6 assists during the series. 2007 Championship stars Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter, Penny Taylor, Tangela Smith, and Kelly Miller 2009 — The Second Championship The 2009 Mercury were one of the most explosive offensive teams in WNBA history. Phoenix finished 23–11 and faced the Indiana Fever in the Finals. The opening game was extraordinary: Phoenix defeated Indiana 120–116 in overtime, at the time the highest-scoring game in WNBA history. Indiana subsequently took a 2–1 series lead, but Phoenix won Game 4 on the road and returned home for Game 5. The Mercury won the deciding game 94–86, capturing their second championship. Diana Taurasi won both the WNBA MVP and Finals MVP awards in 2009. She averaged 20.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in the Finals. 2014 — The Third Championship The 2014 Mercury produced one of the greatest regular seasons in franchise history. Phoenix finished 29–5, then went through the playoffs and defeated the Chicago Sky 3–0 in the Finals. The championship was particularly notable because Phoenix had Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner at the center of its lineup. Griner won the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year award, while head coach Sandy Brondello was named Coach of the Year. Taurasi was the Finals MVP. Phoenix swept Chicago in the Finals, winning the franchise’s third championship. Mercury Award Winners Phoenix has produced an unusually large collection of major WNBA individual award winners. WNBA Most Valuable Player Diana Taurasi — 2009 Taurasi became the first and, to date, only Mercury player to win the regular-season WNBA MVP award while playing for Phoenix. She also won Finals MVP in 2009. WNBA Finals MVPs Cappie Pondexter — 2007 Pondexter led Phoenix to its first championship and averaged 22.0 points per game in the Finals. Diana Taurasi — 2009 Taurasi won Finals MVP while also winning the regular-season MVP. Diana Taurasi — 2014 Taurasi won her second Finals MVP after leading Phoenix to the championship. Rookie of the Year Diana Taurasi — 2004 Phoenix selected Taurasi first overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft. She immediately became one of the league’s leading players and was named Rookie of the Year. Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner — 2014 Brittney Griner — 2015 Griner won Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. Her combination of size, mobility and shot-blocking transformed the Mercury defense. She eventually became the franchise’s all-time leader in blocked shots. Coach of the Year Sandy Brondello — 2014 Brondello led Phoenix to a remarkable 29–5 regular season and the WNBA championship. She was named Coach of the Year. Sixth Woman of the Year DeWanna Bonner — 2009 DeWanna Bonner — 2010 DeWanna Bonner — 2011 Bonner was an unusual and extremely valuable player because she could provide major scoring production coming off the bench. She… Continue reading Phoenix Mercury History: WNBA
Tag: Cheryl Miller
HISTORY OF the WOMENS NCAA MARCH BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
[adrotate group=”1″] SELECTION SUNDAY FIRST GAME [wpcdt-countdown id=”15530″] [wpcdt-countdown id=”15537″] (People ask me why I don’t write about the Women’s March Madness. TIME ! I have 4 TVs going watching the men. Then posting the results, no time.) I did ask a friend if he would be willing to help with the womens tournament. He said yes. BUT I remebered his telling me about his Dad taking him to a PACERS game. He told me the Pacers were playing the Jets, and he thought Reggie Miller was a good quarterback. I decided to pass on his help. Thanks anyway. (No not looking for a volunteer outside my circle). SELECTION SUNDAY WILL TELECAST ON ESPN The NCAA women’s basketball tournament is an annual event that determines the national champion of Division I women’s college basketball in the United States. It began in 1982, following the dissolution of the AIAW, which had organized the women’s championship since 1972. The NCAA tournament has grown in popularity and prestige over the years, attracting millions of fans and producing some of the most memorable moments in women’s sports history. The tournament follows a similar format and selection process as the men’s tournament, with 68 teams competing in a single-elimination bracket. The teams are divided into four regions and seeded from 1 to 16, with the four lowest-seeded teams playing in the First Four games to advance to the first round. The regional winners then advance to the Women’s Final Four, where the national semifinals and final are held. The Women’s Final Four is usually scheduled on the same weekend as the men’s Final Four, but in a different host city. The most successful team in the history of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament is Connecticut, which has won 11 titles, including four consecutive championships from 2013 to 2016. The Huskies are coached by Geno Auriemma, who holds the record for the most wins in the tournament with 127. Other notable coaches who have led their teams to multiple titles include Pat Summitt of Tennessee, Tara VanDerveer of Stanford, Kim Mulkey of Baylor, and Muffet McGraw of Notre Dame. The tournament has also featured some of the greatest players in women’s basketball history, such as Cheryl Miller, Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu. Some of the most memorable games in the tournament include the 1991 final between Tennessee and Virginia, which went to overtime and was decided by a buzzer-beater by Dena Head; the 1994 final between North Carolina and Louisiana Tech, which was also decided by a buzzer-beater by Charlotte Smith; the 2006 final between Maryland and Duke, which went to an extra period and was won by a layup by Kristi Toliver; and the 2018 semifinal between Notre Dame and Connecticut, which was won by a last-second shot by Arike Ogunbowale. The most recent champion of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament is LSU, which defeated Iowa 102-85 in the 2023 final in Dallas, Texas. It was the first title for the Tigers and their coach Kim Mulkey, who had previously won three titles with Baylor. The 2023 tournament was also notable for the historic performance of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark*, who averaged 34.2 points per game and became the first player to score 100 points in the first two round, *Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has already, (this season), set a new women’s scoring record, scoring now sits at 3,569 career points, with 15 games to go. (At this writing). [adrotate group=”1″] Views: 136
