In the past, Phoenix Mercury players and their jersey numbers have been the topic of discussions. Some of the Mercury’s top players have been mentioned, as current stars like Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner wear No. 2 and No. 14 respectively.
Then, past Mercury stars like Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor wore No. 3 and No. 13. Their years with Phoenix were so special, that they are a part of the team’s Ring of Honor. The Ring of Honor features past Mercury players, and Cheryl Miller, who was the team’s first head coach.
Fans cheer as the Phoenix Mercury play against the New York Liberty at PHX Arena, Aug. 30, 2025, in Phoenix. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Taylor and others in the Ring of Honor had their jersey retired, and while Taurasi is not in there yet, she will be come next year.
Phoenix has had many players over the years, and as a result, multiple players have worn the same number. In the last edition of this series, there was an exception. Megan McConnell wore No. 16 for the Mercury. She played for the team earlier this season, but she was waived after suffering a knee injury.
McConnell is the only player to wear that number for the Mercury, and with No. 17, very few players have wore the number.
May 11, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) battles for a rebound against Phoenix Mercury guard Megan McConnell (16) during a preseason game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
This number’s history does not date back to the Mercury’s early seasons, and the first player to wear No. 17 wore it in 2010.
Sequoia Holmes had a brief stint with the Mercury that year. She played in 15 games for Phoenix, but she was eventually waived. Holmes played for the Houston Comets two years prior, and the Mercury drafted her in the 2009 dispersal draft.
Holmes played for the San Antonio Stars in 2017, and she played a few games with the Las Vegas Aces the following year.
Aug 20, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Sequoia Holmes (17) drives the ball against Seattle Storm forward Jana Vesela (7) and forward Svetlana Abrosimova during the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
After Holmes, No. 17 stayed vacant for quite some time. The next player to wear it was Essence Carson. Carson wore the number in 2019, and she appeared in 23 games with the Mercury. Before that, she played for the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks, where she won a championship.
Carson battled a calf injury in her time in Phoenix, but she averaged 5.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in her time.
Since then, no one else has worn this number, it does not have the history that some of numbers have, but Holmes and Carson are still a part of Mercury history.
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