Phoenix Mercury

The Phoenix Mercury play in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Mercury is one of the original eight teams established in the 1997 inaugural season of the WNBA. Mercury was chosen as the team's name because the planet Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, a reference to the team's NBA counterpart. The team is owned by Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver.

The team established its self as a major franchise in its first few years in the WNBA. In the 1997 inaugural season, the Mercury reached the playoffs with an 16-12 record, losing to the New York Liberty in the first round. The team reached the WNBA Finals in 1998, but was defeated by the defending champion Houston Comets.

Following the successful 1998 season, the team struggled during the 1999 through 2003 seasons with a 67-95 record. The team made the playoffs only once in this five year span. In the 2000 season, the Mercury lost to the Los Angeles Sparks in the Western Conference semi-finals.

The 2004 season brought forth major changes in the Phoenix Mercury organization. With the number one overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft, the Mercury selected guard Diana Taurasi, who had led the University of Connecticut to three consecutive NCAA championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Taurasi would be named WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2004. The team also acquired Penny Taylor in the Cleveland Rocker's dispersal draft. Even with the additions of Taurasi and Taylor, the team still missed the playoffs in both 2004 and 2005.

In 2006, the Mercury made some key additions to their organization. Former NBA coach Paul Westhead was named the new head coach of the Phoenix Mercury. Westhead was the first WNBA coach to have previously won an NBA championship as he coached the Los Angeles Lakers during their 1980 championship season. With the number two pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft, the team selected Cappie Pondexter from Rutgers University. Although the team would post their first winning record since the 2000 season, the Mercury would fall short of a playoff berth in 2006.

During the 2007 season, the Mercury clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference while posting their best record in franchise history at 23-11. In their first playoffs since 2000, the team swept both the Seattle Storm in the first round and the San Antonio Silver Stars in the Western Conference Finals, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time in nine years. The Mercury became the first team to win a WNBA championship on the road as they defeated the defending champion Detroit Shock in game 5 at the Place of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

In November 2007, Corey Gaines was hired as head coach to replace the departing Paul Westhead. In 2008, the Mercury became the first team in WNBA history to fail to qualify for the playoffs after winning the WNBA championship in the previous season. In 2009, the team clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference and defeated the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Fever to win their second WNBA championship in three years. http://www.wnba.com/mercury/

In March 2010, the Mercury made headlines by trading all-star Cappie Pondexter to the New York Liberty and acquiring Candice Dupree from the Chicago Sky in a three team deal. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/mercury/articles/2010/03/30/20100330phoenix-mercury-trade-pondexter.html