The Phoenix Mercury have been home to several players, and in some cases, those players do not start their careers with the team. There are many examples, and every now and then, some of the players won championships before playing with the Mercury.
Olympic Scott comes to mind, as she won a championship in 2005. She was playing for the Sacramento Monarchs at the time, and they beat the Connecticut Sun. Then, she won a championship with the Mercury two seasons later.
Sep 29, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3), center Brittney Griner (42), guard DeWanna Bonner (24), guard Alexis Hornbuckle (14) and forward Candice Dupree (4) huddle up on the court in the game against the Minnesota Lynx in the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
Another player that comes to mind is Alexis Hornbuckle. Hornbuckle was the fourth pick of the 2008 WNBA Draft, and she was drafted by the Detroit Shock. She had a decent rookie season, as she averaged 5.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.1 assists.
Hornbuckle played 34 games that season, and she came off the bench in all of them. The Shock finished the season with a record of 22-12. They beat the Indiana Fever, the New York Liberty and the San Antonio Silver Stars to win it all. So, Hornbuckle’s season started off on a good note, as she won a title right away.
The following year, Hornbuckle had her best season, and she averaged 6.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals. Her role changed, as she was a starter in 21 games.
Jul 24, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Alexis Hornbuckle (14) looks to pass in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center. The Lynx defeated the Mercury 81-69. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images / Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images
In her third season, she played for the Tulsa Shock. Her team relocated, and in Tulsa’s first season, the team had a record of 6-28. Hornbuckle averaged 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals.
After that season, Tulsa traded her to the Minnesota Lynx. Hornbuckle spent two seasons with Minnesota, and she won another championship. She was a reserve that season, and the Lynx beat the Atlanta Dream to win it all.
After the win, the Lynx traded Hornbuckle to the Mercury. She played two seasons with them, and she averaged 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 steals. That was one of Phoenix’s worse seasons, as the team finished 7-27.
Jul 18, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Alexis Hornbuckle (14) is defended by Los Angeles Sparks guard Kristi Toliver (20) and forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Hornbuckle played 34 games that year, and she started in 25 of them. That was the most games she started in a season. The following year, she played 30 games, and she started in one of them.
The veteran guard had a nice career, and while she did not win a championship with the Mercury, she won two elsewhere.
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