Before diving into a Phoenix Mercury preview, it’s good to see where they left off. The 2020 Phoenix Mercury season ended by the slimmest of margins. In their first playoff game, against the defending 2019 WNBA Championship-winning Washington Mystics, they came back on the performance of guards Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Just two days later, they were on the receiving end of a comeback one-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
An assessment of how they performed in 2020 can go many directions. On one hand, they had the best winning percentage (.591) since their 2014 WNBA title-winning season of domination (.853); even though it was a shorter season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, they accomplished it without the full service of six-time all-star Brittney Griner. The center left the bubble with the most minutes played, per game, and the third-highest points per game for the Mercury. Even that doesn’t tell the whole story because Phoenix won seven and lost only three after she left. Compared to a 6-6 record when she was with the team.
Now, with 2021 promising a season that’s a little closer to normalcy, they have the opportunity to return to their perch of a top team in the league. Let’s jump into the 2021 Phoenix Mercury preview.
Players Returning
While every WNBA team has to deal with a salary cap and training camp roster cuts, Phoenix brings back players that are easy decisions until expansion hits the league. The guard duo of Diggins-Smith and the ageless Taurasi are back. Together, they wreaked havoc from beyond the arc. Taurasi led the league with 61 completed threes, while Diggins-Smith wasn’t far behind with 46.
In the paint, centers Griner, Kia Vaughn, and forward Brianna Turner are back with the team. Turner, in 2020, provided a rebounding spark for the Mercury. Her nine-rebound per game average tied her for the second-best in the league, behind then Sparks’ forward Candace Parker’s (9.7).
Phoenix would have wanted Griner’s offensive production in those final two playoff games as well. In their win against DC, the front-court duo of Turner and Vaughn scored just 16 points, less than Griner’s average alone. It improved to 23 combined points in the loss to Minnesota, but one-point losses cause a lot of questions about what could have gone differently, and the Baylor standout Griner could have given them the swing they needed to keep their lead and move on.
Free Agency and Trade
Phoenix made a big splash in a single offseason trade. New York sent guard Kia Nurse and forward Megan Walker for the Mercury’s 2021 and 2022 first-round WNBA draft picks. Walker played just one season with the Liberty, getting all of her minutes off the bench. The focal point of the trade is Nurse. Nurse is a 2019 all-star who started every game of 2019 and all but three in 2020. The addition brings depth behind Taurasi and Diggins-Smith.
An interesting addition to the team is Australian forward Sara Blicavs. The 28-year-old signed with Phoenix after winning the WNBL title, in Australia, with the Southside Flyers. The interest comes in a potential fill-in for Nia Coffey, who Phoenix waived before the 2021 training camp.
Coffey averaged 15 minutes a game for the Mercury and Blicavs could be that fill-in for forward depth. Normally, breaking into a WNBA team would be tough, but she has a distinct advantage. Phoenix’s head coach, Sandy Brondello, coaches her with the Australian National Team.
Also brought in at forward is Cierra Burdick. Burdick spent time with the Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, and the San Antonio Stars between 2015 and 2017. She didn’t play again professionally until a stint last year with the Las Vegas Aces. Burdick averaged 2.2 minutes in 13 games.
At guard, Phoenix brought in Tiana Mangakahia. Mangakahia is another Australian, who’s played with Syracuse since 2017. The fifth-year Syracuse guard missed the 2019/20 season due to breast cancer, receiving a waiver to play one more year past eligibility. The undrafted signing averaged 11.4 points per game.
2021 Draft
Phoenix had just one selection in the 2021 draft, due to past trades. In the third round, they selected 6’4 center Ciera Johnson, from Texas A&M. On April 27, they signed Johnson to a three-year contract. That doesn’t guarantee her a spot on the team, but it’s promising. In her final season at Texas, she averaged 7.6 rebounds a game and averaged 10.5 points per game.
The 2021 season looks promising for the Mercury. Taurasi didn’t play a European season in the months leading up to 2021, which she’s done in season’s past. A close to full roster returning bodes well for the Southwest team, and could challenge for their fourth WNBA title in franchise history.
Like the 2021 Phoenix Mercury preview? Check out other WNBA team previews below (in order of publishing):
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