The Phoenix Mercury had just a handful of wins last season, going 9-31 on the year. With an aging star in Diana Taurasi and a 10-year vet in Brittney Griner, the Mercury appear to be a team embracing their legends, taking whatever wins that brings them.
Rebuild and rebirth
The Mercury may not be aiming for a title, but there’s still a lot of progress that can happen. Griner is still a force in this league, Taursai still has moments where she turns back the clock, and the Mercury has new additions like Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud and Rebecca Allen.
Copper, Cloud and Allen are great additions that can raise the floor of this roster. The Mercury also have some late-round draft picks in Charisma Osborne and Jaz Shelley, who could help steer Phoenix back in the right direction. If everything goes right and the combination of youth and veterans works perfectly, maybe Phoenix can flirt with a .500 record and reach the postseason.
A dark downside?
As a Chicago sports fan once told me, “It can always get worse.”
What if Taurasi takes an even bigger dip in production and becomes unplayable? What if Griner’s herculean efforts go in vain, and Phoenix is losing by 15-plus points regardless of her play? What if Copper stagnates with the Mercury and can’t take the next…
