The Phoenix Mercury have had many players, and while some of them started their journey elsewhere, they made their way to Phoenix.
In some cases, those players won championships with the team, and when it comes to Phoenix’s last title, Erin Phillips was on the roster.
Aug 16, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Australia shooting guard Erin Phillips (13) shoots over Serbia power forward Jelena Milovanovic (9) in a women’s quarterfinal basketball game at Carioca Arena 1 during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Phillips started her career with the Connecticut Sun. They drafted her in the 2005 WNBA Draft, and she did not play that year. She was on Australia’s National Team, and she participated in training camps.
After that season, Phillips made her debut, and she averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds. She played 34 games for the Sun, and she started in 13 of them. She played eight games for Connecticut the following year, and she averaged 5.1 points and 2.1 rebounds.
Sep 9, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Erin Phillips (31) reacts against the Chicago Sky during game two of the WNBA Finals at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
/ Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Phillips spent one more season with Connecticut, and after that, she played for the Indiana Fever. The Australian guard had her best season with Indiana, as she averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a steal.
Indiana accomplished something special the following year, as the Fever won their first championship. They beat the Minnesota Lynx 3-1, and before that, they beat the Atlanta Dream and the Sun.
Phillips had her first championship, and a few years later, she would win another. The Fever traded her to the Mercury, and in what was an incredible season, Phoenix won it all.
The Mercury finished that year with a record of 29-5, and their only losses were against the San Antonio Stars, the Tulsa Shock, the Sun, the Lynx and the Dream.
Former Phoenix Mercury players Mistie Bass, left, and Erin Phillips laugh during the 2014 Phoenix Mercury championship team reunion on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Phoenix had a great playoff run, as the team picked up wins over the Los Angeles Sparks and the Lynx in the first two rounds. Then, the Mercury swept the Chicago Sky and won it all.
The Mercury were on a mission, and Phillips contributed to their success. She averaged 5.8 points, 2.2 assists and 1.6 rebounds. Her best game was a 21-point outing against the Dream. She also had four assists and four rebounds in that game. Phillips was the leading scorer, and outside of her, Mistie Bass was the only player who scored in double figures.
Phillips had a successful WNBA career, and with her being on the 2014 Mercury team, she has a special place in franchise history.
Please follow us on X to read more about past Mercury players like Erin Phillips when you click right here!