The Phoenix Mercury have had many coaches and players tied to them, and those ties stem from anywhere. For example, Brian Agler was a part of the Mercury’s coaching staff in 2004, and before that, he coached the Minnesota Lynx.
Aug 21, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Storm coach Brian Agler gestures against the Minnesota Lynx during the third quarter at Key Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Lynx are one of the Mercury’s biggest rivals, and Agler coached them in their early years. Then, a few years later, he came to Phoenix, and he was a part of Carrie Graf’s staff.
In 2005, he became an assistant for the San Antonio Silver Stars, and he became a head coach once again, as he coached the Seattle Storm. Then, he was with the Los Angeles Sparks and the Dallas Wings.
Sep 26, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks head coach Brian Agler in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Agler wins a special award
Agler won two championships, and he did it with two different teams. He did it with the Storm in 2010, and he did it with the Sparks in 2016. Agler won Coach of the Year in 2010, and Anne Donovan and Julie Plank finished second and third, respectively.
Agler had some great years in the WNBA, and in between coaching Kansas State and starting his job with the Lynx, he was involved with another league. He coached the Columbus Quest of the American Basketball League (ABL). That league featured some talented players, and some of them made their way to the WNBA.
For example, Dawn Staley was there, and she played for the Charlotte Sting and the Houston Comets when she came to the WNBA. Yolanda Griffith was there, and she went on to win the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1999. She also became an All-Star and she won a championship. She played for the Sacramento Monarchs, and she spent a good portion of her career there. Then, players like Edna Campbell and Tonya Edwards were involved with the ABL.
May 26, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Seattle Storm coach Brian Agler (center) talks with forward Nakia Sanford (43) and forward Tianna Hawkins (21) during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Staples Center. The Sparks defeated the Storm 102-69. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Quest won two championships, and interestingly enough, when Agler joined the Lynx, Edwards became the team’s head coach. She was a player-coach, and when the league folded, she was drafted by the Lynx.
Edwards played well in her first season, and after that, she spent two seasons with the Mercury. She averaged 14.8 points in her rookie season, and in her first year with Phoenix, she averaged 10.6 points. Agler and Edwards are great examples of the connections people have to the Mercury, and they both contributed to the team’s success in different ways.
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