The Phoenix Mercury missed the playoffs for the second time in 2001, as they finished that season with a record of 13-19. That was their worst record up to that point, and the following year they regressed even more.
Phoenix finished the season with a record of 11-21, and they were towards the bottom of the Western Conference. There was only one team that had a worse record, and it was the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx finished that season with a record of 10-22.
Mercury legend Jennifer Gillom 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
The Mercury’s leading scorer was Jennifer Gillom, and she averaged 15.3 points. She also averaged 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists. The Mercury did not have another player who averaged 10 or more points, but there was a player who was close.
Gordana Grubin averaged 9.9 points, and she also averaged 3.3 assists, two rebounds and 1.1 steals. Grubin started her WNBA career in 1999, and she played for the Los Angeles Sparks. Then, after spending some time with the Indiana Fever, she joined the Mercury in 2002. Her best game during that season was a 23-point game against the Sparks.
The veteran player also had seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. That was her only season with the Mercury, and after that, she spent time with the Houston Comets, and she returned to the Sparks.
Sep 23, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of a game ball on the court in a game between the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx during game two of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
It was a rough year for the Mercury, and it started with a loss to the Comets. Houston beat Phoenix 61-56, and Grubin was the leading scorer. She had 17 points, three rebounds and three assists. Gillom had 12 points, and Lisa Harrison had 10. Then, the Mercury won their next four games. However, the season did not go as planned.
Gillom and her team missed the playoffs once again, and when it came to Phoenix’s other basketball team, they were back in the postseason.
The Phoenix Suns finished the season with a record of 44-38, and they were the eighth seed of the Western Conference. They added a talented rookie in Amar’e Stoudemire, and he entered the league straight out of high school. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and an assist that season.
Sep 24, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; A Wilson official WNBA basketball on the court during game one of the 2023 WNBA Semifinals between the Dallas Wings and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Stoudemire and the Suns were knocked out in the first round, as the San Antonio Spurs beat them 4-2. The Suns quickly bounced back from their 2001-02 season, but in the Mercury’s case, they were still out of the playoffs.
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