The Phoenix Mercury have had many players over the years. Some of them were acquired in trades, some were drafted by the Mercury and others signed with the team.
Monique Currie was a player who signed with the Mercury back in 2015, after she spent some years with the Washington Mystics. Before that, she was with Charlotte Sting, who drafted her back in 2006, and the Chicago Sky, who selected her in a dispersal draft.
One interesting thing about Currie’s time with Phoenix is the ties to her draft class. In 2006, the Mercury drafted Cappie Pondexter with the second pick of that year’s draft. She played with them from 2006 to 2009, and she was involved in a trade that sent Candice Dupree to the Mercury. Dupree was the sixth pick of that year’s draft.
Sep 12, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Candice Dupree (4) celebrates with teammates including guard Diana Taurasi (3) after scoring a basket against the Chicago Sky during the second half in game three of the 2014 WNBA Finals at UIC Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images
Currie played alongside Dupree in Chicago, and years later, they played together in Phoenix. So, it is interesting to see how Phoenix is tied to the 2006 draft.
In her 2015 season, Currie averaged 8.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. She played 34 games and she was a starter in all of them.
Phoenix won a championship the year before, as they finished the season with a record of 29-5. They defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, the Minnesota Lynx and the Sky to win it all. The Mercury could have gone for a repeat in 2015, but that did not happen.
May 6, 2018; Des Moines, IA, USA; Washington Mystics forward Monique Currie (25) takes a shot over the Minnesota Lynx during their WNBA preseason game at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael Zamora/The Register via USA TODAY NETWORK / Michael Zamora-Imagn Images
The Mercury finished that season with a record of 20-14. So, while repeating was a possibility, they were knocked out by the Lynx in the Conference finals. Before that, Phoenix beat the Tulsa Shock 2-0. Currie played a role in the team’s success, and that included a 26-point game against the Shock during the regular season.
Tulsa won that game, as they beat Phoenix 91-87. Currie was the team’s leading scorer, and she also had five rebounds and two assists. Phoenix had three other players who scored in double figures, as Mistie Bass had 20 points, Cayla George had 14 and Noelle Quinn had 10.
Sep 23, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Mystics forward Monique Currie (25) has her shot blocked by Atlanta Dream forward Erika de Souza (14) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
After the 2015 season, the Mercury traded Currie to the San Antonio Stars. However, she returned the Mercury in 2017, after San Antonio moved her. Currie had successful seasons with the Mercury, and she is a part of the franchise’s history.
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