In the past, the Phoenix Mercury have had talented players who had short stints with the team. The Mercury have signed players who played with them for a brief period, and there have been a few that the team drafted.
One player that comes to mind is Samantha Prahalis. Prahalis was the Mercury’s first-round pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft. The Mercury had the sixth pick that year, and they drafted the guard out of Ohio State.
Jun 6, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) drives to the basket while defended by Minnesota Lynx forward Monica Wright (22) in the second quarter at the Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images / Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images
In her time with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Prahalis’ best season was her final season. She averaged 19.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
The Mercury’s new guard had a solid season, as she averaged 11.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Her nice season led to her making the All-Rookie Team, and she joined players like Tiffany Hayes and Nneka Ogwumike.
Sep. 21, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard DeWanna Bonner (24) and guard Samantha Prahalis (99) react on the court during the game against the Minnesota Lynx in the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
Prahalis had some notable performances during her rookie season, and her best was against the Los Angeles Sparks. In that game, the rookie had 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block.
Phoenix’s rookie was the team’s second-leading scorer, as DeWanna Bonner led the way with 24 points. Bonner also had six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Charde Houston also had a good showing, as she had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Mercury played well, but they came up short in that game, as the Sparks beat them 93-84.
Aug 16, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Phoenix Mercury head coach Corey Gaines shows Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) a play during the 1st half against the Seattle Storm at KeyArena. Seattle defeated Phoenix 72-58. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Prahalis had three more games of 20 or more points in the season, and her next one happened right after her performance against Los Angeles. She had 20 points, four rebounds and three assists against the Minnesota Lynx. Bonner was the team’s leading scorer once again, as she had 23 points. The veteran also had seven rebounds in that game. Despite strong performances from multiple players, the Mercury lost that game, as the Lynx beat them 96-80.
The Mercury rookie had another 20-point game shortly after. Phoenix faced the Washington Mystics, and on top of her 20 points, Prahalis also had five rebounds and four assists. Then, the rookie had 21 points against the Atlanta Dream, and she also had five assists and four rebounds.
Prahalis had a good season, and while she was waived the following year, her time with the team was memorable.
Please follow us on X to read more about past Mercury players like Samantha Prahalis when you click right here!