Since play resumed after the Olympic break, the Phoenix Mercury have been quite mediocre, posting a record of 3-4 across seven games.
After bursting out of the break with a rousing rout of the Chicago Sky in Kahleah Copper’s return to the Windy City, the Mercury, somewhat understandably, suffered from a flat first half on the second night of a back-to-back against the Indiana Fever. A visit from the Sky resulted in another win before Phoenix headed to the ATL, where they split a two-game set against the Atlanta Dream; Phoenix was lackluster in the first game, before responding with a more intentional effort in the second game. The Mercury then turned in less-than-competitive efforts against the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. And things aren’t getting any easier, with the Las Vegas Aces coming to the Valley on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Even as the Mercury have muddled through this mediocrity, they’ve benefited from wins on the margins of the roster, with their reserves—highlighted by recently-reacquired rookie Celeste Taylor—providing positive play.
A Taylor-made impact
It’s not uncommon for WNBA rookies to have odd inaugural seasons. They might be drafted by one team, spend training camp with another, sign a seven-day contract with yet another team and then, if…
