The Phoenix Mercury missed the playoffs in 2008, which stopped them from repeating. The Mercury won their first championship in 2007, and they did it by beating the Detroit Shock. The Shock were going for a repeat of their own, as they beat the Sacramento Monarchs the year before. However, the Mercury foiled their plans, and they made history.
The Shock bounced back in 2008, as they won their third championship. They beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 3-0. As far as the Mercury, they finished the 2008 season with a record of 16-18. They were at the bottom of the Western Conference, and there were five teams who were .500 or better.
Jul 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; A Wilson official WNBA Evo NXT basketball approaches the net and rim at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Phoenix lost the first four games of the season, and after that, it took them a while to get going. They were under .500 until their 87-80 win over the Connecticut Sun.
It was an interesting year for the Mercury, and before the season started, they had their preseason games. Phoenix faced two Eastern Conference teams this time around. They faced the Sun and the Atlanta Dream in those games, and they finished 1-1.
The Mercury were on the road against the Sun, and Connecticut won in a blowout. They beat Phoenix 94-66, and they had multiple players who scored in double figures. For the Mercury, Willnett Crockett scored in double digits, as she had 12 points. She also had five rebounds.
Crockett had a brief stint with the Mercury, as she played five games with them. She averaged 2.2 rebounds during that time.
Jun 8, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Tangela Smith (50) goes up for a shot as Los Angeles Sparks guard Betty Lennox (22) defends at the Staples Center. The Sparks defeated the Mercury 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Phoenix was home for the next game, and it resulted in a 97-84 win. Kelly Mazzante was the leading scorer with 20 points, and she also had four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Tangela Smith had 13 points, two rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. Then, the Mercury had two other players who scored in double figures.
June 4, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker (3) loses the ball against defender Phoenix Mercury forward Nicole Ohlde during the first half in at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
The Mercury’s 2008 season was not their best, but they regrouped the following year. They added players like Temeka Johnson and Nicole Ohlde through trades. Then, they drafted DeWanna Bonner, who ended up winning Sixth Woman of the Year. The preseason games against the Sun and the Dream were a chance to warm up, and the Mercury took advantage.
Please follow us on X to read more about the Mercury and how they prepared for the 2008 season when you click right here!