Bridget Pettis was one of the Phoenix Mercury’s first players, and she was selected during a special draft. She was their first pick, and Nancy Lieberman was their second. Both guards were talented, and they helped the Mercury succeed in their first season.
Mercury legend Bridget Pettis comes on the court during the Ring of Honor ceremony at the Footprint Center on Saturday, May 18, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Pettis averaged 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals. She was one of three players who averaged 10 or more points. Jennifer Gillom was the team’s leading scorer, and she averaged 15.7 points. Then, Michele Timms was behind Pettis, as she averaged 12.1.
The Mercury started the season with a game against the Charlotte Sting, and Pettis did something special. She scored the team’s first basket, and the Mercury picked up a 76-59 win. She had 17 points in that game, and Toni Foster had 14.
Phoenix finished that season with a record of 16-12, and that led to a playoff appearance. Pettis had a decent game in the Mercury’s game against the New York Liberty, and she had six rebounds. She also had four points, two assists and two steals.
Project Roots AZ co-founder Bridget Pettis plants lettuce on her incubator farm at Spaces of Opportunity near 12th Avenue and Vineyard on Oct. 17, 2022, in Phoenix.
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The Mercury guard played all 28 games that season, and the following year, she helped the team reach the WNBA Finals. Pettis played 30 games in 1998, and she started in 28 of them. She had another impressive season, as she averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a steal. Pettis remained active, and she had another perfect season.
In 1999, the Mercury missed the playoffs. They finished the season with a record of 15-17, and teams like the Houston Comets and the Los Angeles Sparks were ahead of them. Pettis averaged 5.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists, and had another perfect season.
After that season, Pettis spent two more seasons with the Mercury, and she played all 32 games both years. She was traded to the Indiana Fever, and she spent two seasons with them. One of those seasons was perfect, and in the other, she missed three games. Then, Pettis returned to the Mercury, and she played 11 games.
Oct 11, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A WNBA basketball sits on the floor in a game between the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks in game two of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 79-60. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
During her career, Pettis had six seasons in which she played every game. The 2003 season was 34 games, and she played 31. Then, in the 2006 season, she was preparing to retire.
Pettis is a Mercury legend, and she gave it her all every time she stepped on the court.
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