Over the years, the WNBA has changed. The league started in 1997, and there were eight teams at that time. The league started to expand, and in some cases, teams started to fold. The Miami Sol were introduced in 2000, but they folded after the 2002 season.
Then, original teams like the Charlotte Sting and the Houston Comets also began to disappear. Now, there are teams like the Golden State Valkyries, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo who have either appeared in the WNBA or are set to make their debut. The Fire were a team back in 2000, but they have returned as they will play next season.
Throughout the WNBA’s history, there have been dispersal drafts, where players of a team that folded find a new home and continue their career. The Phoenix Mercury are familiar with this scenario, as they acquired Penny Taylor in a dispersal draft. She played for the Cleveland Rockers at the start of her career, and once they folded, Phoenix selected her. Then, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
Sep 21, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Penny Taylor (13) is defended by the Los Angeles Sparks guard Marissa Coleman (25) in the first half during Game 2 of a WNBA basketball Western Conference semifinal series at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
Phoenix missed out on the 2010 dispersal draft, which was the last time one of them occurred. That was the time when the Sacramento Monarchs folded. There were four teams that did not have a selection that year, as the Los Angeles Sparks, the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever joined the Mercury.
Las Vegas Aces play the Phoenix Mercury in Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Oct. 10, 2025, in Phoenix. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Despite not being involved in the 2010 one, the Mercury selected a player in the 2009 dispersal draft. There were teams that did not have selections, and they were the Sparks, the New York Liberty, the Connecticut Sun, the Detroit Shock, the Seattle Storm and the San Antonio Silver Stars.
The Mercury had the fifth pick of the draft, and they selected Sequoia Holmes. Holmes started her career in 2008, as she played for the Comets. She was undrafted that season, but Houston gave her a shot, and she played 17 games with them. She averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds.
Sep 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A detailed view as the Phoenix Mercury huddle at mid-court after a loss in overtime to the New York Liberty during game one of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs round one at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images / Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Her next stop was Phoenix, and she averaged 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 15 games. The 2010 season was the year after the Mercury won their second championship, and they did not repeat as they finished the season with a record of 15-19. They made the playoffs, but they lost to the Seattle Storm.
Holmes spent one year with the Mercury, and it was years before she played for another WNBA team. She played for San Antonio and she spent a year with the Las Vegas Aces when the Stars relocated. While her time with the Mercury was short, her being one of the team’s picks in a dispersal draft, she is a part of their history.
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