2019 Phoenix Mercury season

The 2019 WNBA season was the 23rd season for the Phoenix Mercury franchise of the WNBA. The season tipped off on May 25, 2019 versus the Seattle Storm.[1]

2019 Phoenix Mercury season
CoachSandy Brondello
ArenaTalking Stick Resort Arena
Attendance10,193 per game
Results
Record15–19 (.441)
Place5th (Western)
Playoff finish8th seed; Lost in 1st Round to Chicago
Team Leaders
PointsBrittney Griner – 20.7 ppg
ReboundsDeWanna Bonner – 6.5 rpg
AssistsDiana Taurasi – 5.3 apg
Media
TelevisionFox Sports Arizona (FS-A)

The Mercury's season started with the news that star Diana Taurasi would miss a significant part of the season due to a back procedure.[2] The team started out the season 5–5 by the end of June. This record included a three game losing streak immediately followed by a three game winning streak. July proved more of the same as the team posted a 5–4 record. A two game losing streak split five wins. In August, the team went 5–6, but did secure a playoff spot. Taurasi returned for six games during the season. However, the team finished on a four game losing streak to end the season 15–19. This record earned them the eighth seed in the playoffs.

As the eight seed, the Mercury traveled to the Chicago Sky in the first round. The Mercury are the only eighth seed to win since the WNBA switched to its current playoff format in 2016. However, they could not repeat the feat this season when they lost by 29 points.

The Mercury did well at the end of season awards with Brittney Griner leading the WNBA in scoring, Brianna Turner making the WNBA All-Rookie Team, and Leilani Mitchell winning the WNBA Most Improved Player Award.

Transactions

WNBA Draft
Round Pick Player Nationality School/Team/Country
1 8 Alanna Smith  Australia Stanford
2 13 Sophie Cunningham  United States Missouri
3 32 Arica Carter  United States Louisville

Trades/Roster Changes
Date Details
February 1, 2019 Re-Signed G Briann January[3][4]
Re-Signed G Yvonne Turner[5][6]
February 6, 2019 Signed G/F Essence Carson[7][4]
March 21, 2019 Re-Signed F Sancho Lyttle[8]
March 22, 2019 Re-Signed G/F DeWanna Bonner[9]
April 10, 2019 Traded C Marie Gülich to Atlanta for F Brianna Turner[10]
May 21, 2019 Traded G Stephanie Talbot to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota's second round pick in the 2020 WNBA draft[11]

Current roster
Phoenix Mercury roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
F 24 Bonner, DeWanna 6' 4" (1.93m) 143 lb (65kg) 08-21-1987 Auburn 9
G 17 Carson, Essence 6' 0" (1.83m) 163 lb (74kg) 07-28-1986 Rutgers 11
G 9 Cunningham, Sophie 6' 1" (1.85m) 170 lb (77kg) 08-16-1996 Missouri R
C 42 Griner, Brittney 6' 9" (2.06m) 205 lb (93kg) 10-18-1990 Baylor 6
G 12 January, Briann 5' 8" (1.73m) 144 lb (65kg) 01-11-1987 Arizona State 10
F 20 Little, Camille 6' 2" (1.88m) 180 lb (82kg) 01-18-1985 North Carolina 12
F 31 Lyttle, Sancho 6' 5" (1.96m) 175 lb (79kg) 09-20-1983 Houston 14
G 5 Mitchell, Leilani 5' 5" (1.65m) 138 lb (63kg) 06-15-1985 Utah 11
F 11 Smith, Alanna 6' 4" (1.93m) 180 lb (82kg) 11-10-1996 Stanford R
G/F 3 Taurasi, Diana  6' 0" (1.83m) 163 lb (74kg) 06-11-1982 Connecticut 14
F 21 Turner, Brianna 6' 3" (1.91m) 170 lb (77kg) 07-05-1996 Notre Dame R
G 6 Turner, Yvonne 5' 10" (1.78m) 131 lb (59kg) 10-13-1987 Nebraska 2



East: ATL • CHI • CON • IND • NY • WAS | West: DAL • LV • LA • MIN • PHO • SEA
Head coach
Sandy Brondello (Western Sydney)
Assistant coaches
Julie Hairgrove (Arizona)
Penny Taylor
Athletic trainer

Alicia Yamamoto Indiana

Strength and conditioning coach
Jonathan Mak (Illinois State)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

WNBA roster page

Game Log

Pre-Season
2019 pre-season game log
May: 2–0 (Home: 1–0; Road: 1–0)
2019 pre-season schedule

Regular Season
2019 game log
Total: 15–19 (Home: 9–8; Road: 6–11)
May: 1–2 (Home: 1–1; Road: 0–1)
June : 4–3 (Home: 2–0; Road: 2–3)
July : 5–4 (Home: 3–1; Road: 2–3)
August : 5–6 (Home: 3–3; Road: 2–3)
September : 0–4 (Home: 0–3; Road: 0–1)
2019 season schedule

Playoffs
2019 playoff game log
Total: 0–1 (Home: 0–0; Road: 0–1)
First Round: 0–1 (Home: 0–0; Road: 0–1)
2019 playoff schedule

Standings
# Western Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
1 Los Angeles Sparks (3)2212.647–15–27–1010–6
2 Las Vegas Aces (4)2113.618113–48–911–5
3 Seattle Storm (6)1816.529411–67–1010–6
4 Minnesota Lynx (7)1816.529411–67–107–9
5 Phoenix Mercury (8)1519.44179–86–115–11
6 e – Dallas Wings1024.294128–92–155–11

Playoffs
 
First round:
Single elimination
(Sept. 11)		Second round:
Single elimination
(Sept. 15)		Semifinals:
Best-of-five
(Sept. 17 – Sept. 24)		WNBA Finals:
Best-of-five
(Sept. 29 – Oct. 10)
 
              
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
Washington Mystics		 3
 
 
4
Las Vegas Aces 		1
 
 
 
 
 
4
Las Vegas Aces		 93
 
 
 
5
Chicago Sky		 92
 
5
Chicago Sky		 105
 
 
 
8
Phoenix Mercury		 76
 
1
Washington Mystics 		3
 
 
 
2
Connecticut Sun 		2
 
6
Seattle Storm		 84
 
 
 
7
Minnesota Lynx		 74
 
3
Los Angeles Sparks		 92
 
 
6
Seattle Storm		 69
 
 
 
 
 
2
Connecticut Sun		 3
 
 
3
Los Angeles Sparks		 0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.

Semifinals
Team1234
1
Washington Mystics		971037594
4
Las Vegas Aces		95919290
Team123
2
Connecticut Sun		849478
3
Los Angeles Sparks		756856
WNBA Finals
Team12345
1
Washington Mystics		9587948689
2
Connecticut Sun		8699819078

Statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage  TO  Turnovers per game
 PF  Fouls per game Team leader League leader

Regular season
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Brittney Griner 31 31 32.8 46.4 33.3 80.8 7.2 2.4 0.7 2.0 20.7
DeWanna Bonner 34 34 32.9 37.7 27.2 91.6 7.6 2.7 1.3 0.6 17.2
Leilani Mitchell 32 27 30.3 44.1 43.0 82.9 3.0 4.0 0.9 0.3 12.8
Briann January 32 26 26.6 39.0 37.8 83.7 1.3 3.3 0.8 0.1 6.5
Yvonne Turner 29 14 20.5 34.3 32.9 87.8 2.8 2.3 0.6 0.1 6.4
Essence Carson 23 13 18.5 35.2 34.1 78.4 2.2 1.5 0.5 0.3 5.8
Diana Taurasi 6 6 21.5 10.3 4.2 94.4 3.2 5.3 0.3 0.2 4.3
Brianna Turner 29 12 15.9 53.8 0 73.1 4.1 0.5 0.2 0.7 4.0
Camille Little 29 0 14.7 43.5 33.3 80.6 2.4 0.8 0.4 0.3 3.9
Sophie Cunningham 32 5 12.2 35.4 30.4 88.2 1.4 0.8 0.3 0.1 3.1
Sancho Lyttle 20 2 12.5 41.9 25.0 62.5 2.9 0.3 0.6 0.3 2.9
Alanna Smith 18 0 7.4 19.5 11.1 50.0 1.9 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.1

Awards and honors
Recipient Award Date awarded Ref.
DeWanna Bonner WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week June 10, 2019 [12]
Briann January WNBA Community Assist Award - May June 27, 2019 [13]
Brittney Griner WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week July 8, 2019 [14]
DeWanna Bonner WNBA All-Star Selection July 15, 2019 [15]
Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week September 3, 2019 [16]
WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month - August September 4, 2019 [17]
Peak Performer: Points September 9, 2019 [18]
Brianna Turner WNBA All-Rookie Team September 16, 2019 [19]
Leilani Mitchell Most Improved Player Award September 18, 2019 [20]

References
  1. "2019 Phoenix Mercury Schedule". mercury.wnba.com. Women's National Basketball Association. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  2. Doss, Kim (April 25, 2019). "Diana Taurasi out for 10-12 weeks after undergoing back procedure". highposthoops.com. Fansided. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  3. "Mercury Re-Signs Briann January to Multi-Year Contract". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 1, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  4. Metcalfe, Jeff (February 15, 2019). "Briann January: On re-signing with Mercury, addition of Essence Carson, 2018 shoulder injury". azcentral.com. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  5. "Mercury Re-Signs Guard Yvonne Turner". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 1, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  6. Metcalfe, Jeff (February 1, 2019). "Phoenix Mercury sign Odyssey Sims to offer sheet, re-sign Briann January, Yvonne Turner". azcentral.com. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  7. "Mercury Signs Free Agent Wing Essence Carson". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  8. Doss, Kim (March 21, 2019). "Sancho Lyttle re-signs with the Phoenix Mercury". highposthoops.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  9. "Mercury Re-Signs Two-Time WNBA Champion Dewanna Bonner". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  10. Russo, Kelsey (April 10, 2019). "Atlanta Dream draft, trade Brianna Turner". ajc.com. Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  11. "Mercury Acquire 2020 Second-Round Pick From Minnesota". wnba.com. WNBA. May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  12. "Jonquel Jones, DeWanna Bonner Player Of The Week Highlights". wnba.com. WNBA. June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  13. "Briann January Receives May Community Assist Award". wnba.com. WNBA. June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  14. "Tina Charles, Brittney Griner Earn Players Of The Week". wnba.com. WNBA. July 8, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  15. "Seven-Time Selection Charles, Dupree, Highlight Reserves For All-Star". wnba.com. WNBA. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  16. "Connecticut's Williams, Phoenix's Griner Win Players of the Week". wnba.com. WNBA. September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  17. "Delle Donne, Griner Named Players Of The Month". wnba.com. WNBA. September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  18. "Phoenix's Griner, Connecticut's Jones and Chicago's Vandersloot Earn 2019 WNBA Peak Performer Awards". wnba.com. WNBA. September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  19. "Rookie of the Year Collier Headlines 2019 All-Rookie Team". wnba.com. WNBA. September 16, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  20. "Leilani Mitchell Named 2019 WNBA Most Improved Player". wnba.com. WNBA. September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.