The last edition of this series was one of those rare moments. It was a scenario where only one player had worn a specific number for the Phoenix Mercury. In the previous article, Lindsay Taylor was discussed, as she is the only player who has worn No.44 for Phoenix up to this point. That can change down the line, but for now, she is in a class of her own.
Taylor played with the Mercury in 2004, and after that, she played overseas. So, that number has been vacant since then.
In this edition, No. 45 will be announced, and there have been four players who represented the Mercury in this number. The first player to do it played with the team in 2003. Michaela Pavlickova wore it, and she joined the Mercury after starting her career with the Utah Starzz.
Utah drafted her back in 2001 during the second round of that year’s draft. She played 10 games with them, and she was later waived. Phoenix picked her up in 2003, and she played eight games.
August 28, 2010; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Mercury players (from left) Temeka Johnson and Tangela Smith and Diana Taurasi and Kara Braxton and Penny Taylor wait for the start of the second quarter against the San Antonio Silver Stars during the first half at the AT&T Center. Phoenix beat San Antonio 92-73. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-Imagn Images / Brendan Maloney-Imagn Images
After Pavlickova, the next player to wear No. 45 was Kara Braxton. She wore it in 2010 and 2011, after the Mercury received her in a trade with the Tulsa Shock.
Braxton started her career with the Detroit Shock, and she played with them from 2005 to 2009. When the team relocated to Tulsa, she played 22 games with them, then she finished the season in Phoenix. She averaged 11.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in those 13 games with the Mercury.
The following year, Braxton played 18 games for the Mercury before they traded her to the New York Liberty. In those games with Phoenix, she averaged 10.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. After that, she played with New York for multiple seasons.
Aug 20, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Kara Braxton (left) drives the ball against Seattle Storm forward Le’coe Willingham during the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
No. 45 was vacant for a few years before Noelle Quinn wore it. She wore it in 2015 and 2016. Then, the last player to wear it was Kelsey Bone, who wore it in 2016. The Mercury acquired Bone in a deal with the Connecticut Sun.
Sep 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn stands on the sideline during the second quarter at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
As time passes, there may be other players who wear this number, but for now, these four players are the only Mercury players to do so.
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