History of Phoenix Mercury in Timeline

The Phoenix Mercury is a professional women's basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, competing in the WNBA's Western Conference. As one of the league's original eight franchises, the Mercury was established prior to the WNBA's inaugural 1997 season. The team's home games are played at PHX Arena, marking its presence in the Phoenix sports scene since the league's inception.

1980: NBA Championship

In 1980, Paul Westhead won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

1997: Franchise Founded

In 1997, the Phoenix Mercury were founded as one of the original eight franchises before the Women's National Basketball Association's inaugural season.

1998: WNBA Finals Appearance

In 1998, after a 19-11 regular season, the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Cleveland Rockers to reach the WNBA Finals. They ultimately lost to the Houston Comets 2-1 in the series.

1999: Missed Playoffs

In 1999, the Phoenix Mercury missed the playoffs, finishing with a 15–17 record.

2000: Last playoffs since 2007

In 2000, The Mercury made their last playoff appearance before making the playoffs in 2007.

2000: Playoff Sweep and Team Turmoil

In 2000, the Phoenix Mercury finished the season with a 20-12 record but were swept by the Los Angeles Sparks in the playoffs. Following the season, the team faced turmoil as key players retired or were traded, and the team ceased to be a playoff contender.

2000: Last Winning Record

In 2000, the Phoenix Mercury posted the last winning record before the 2006 season.

2001: Start of Lean Years

In 2001, the Phoenix Mercury began a period of poor performance, consistently ranking at the bottom of the WNBA standings.

2003: Poor Season

In 2003, the Mercury had a horrible season posting an 8-26 record.

2004: Continued struggles

In 2004, the Mercury were still at the bottom of the WNBA.

2004: Drafted Diana Taurasi

In 2004, the Phoenix Mercury drafted Diana Taurasi, and she won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. The team improved to a 17–17 record.

2005: Missed Playoffs Again

In 2005, the Phoenix Mercury posted a 16–18 record and missed the playoffs for another year.

2006: Champions of Detroit

In 2006, the Detroit Shock were the defending champions.

2006: Winning Record, Missed Playoffs

In 2006, the Phoenix Mercury achieved a winning record for the first time since 2000, finishing 18-16. However, they narrowly missed qualifying for the playoffs.

2006: Paul Westhead Hired

Prior to the 2006 season, Paul Westhead, a former NBA coach, became the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury, bringing his up-tempo style to the team.

November 7, 2007: Corey Gaines hired as Head Coach

On November 7, 2007, Corey Gaines was hired as head coach of The Mercury replacing the departing Paul Westhead.

2007: WNBA Championship

In 2007, the Phoenix Mercury won the WNBA Championship, defeating the Detroit Shock.

2008: Missed Playoffs After Championship

In 2008, the Phoenix Mercury finished with a 16–18 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs, becoming the first WNBA team to miss the playoffs the year after winning the WNBA Finals.

2008: Conference Champion

In 2008, the San Antonio Silver Stars were conference champions.

June 2009: LifeLock Jersey Sponsorship

In June 2009, the Phoenix Mercury and WNBA announced a sponsorship agreement with LifeLock, placing the company's logo on their jerseys through the 2013 season.

2009: WNBA Championship

In 2009, the Phoenix Mercury won the WNBA Championship, defeating the Indiana Fever.

2010: Playoff Loss to Seattle

In 2010, the Phoenix Mercury finished 15-19 and lost to the Seattle Storm in the conference finals.

2010: Offseason Changes

In the 2010 offseason, Cappie Pondexter was traded to the New York Liberty, and Candice Dupree joined the Mercury.

2011: Playoff Run Ends in Conference Finals

In 2011, the Phoenix Mercury made it to the conference finals, losing to the Minnesota Lynx in two games.

2012: Second Worst Record

In 2012, the Phoenix Mercury finished with the second worst record in the WNBA at 7-27.

2012: Last time missing playoffs

In 2012, was the last time The Mercury missed the playoffs before 2023.

April 2013: Drafted Brittney Griner

In April 2013, the Phoenix Mercury drafted Brittney Griner with the top overall pick in the WNBA draft.

2013: End of LifeLock sponsorship

In 2013, the sponsorship agreement with Lifelock ended.

2014: Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort Jersey Sponsorship

For the 2014 season, the Phoenix Mercury began wearing jerseys sponsored by Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.

2014: Taurasi's WNBA Salary

In 2014, Diana Taurasi made just under the league maximum of $107,000.

2014: WNBA Finals

In 2014, The Mercury made it to the WNBA Finals.

2014: Set All Time WNBA Record for Wins in a Season

In 2014, The Mercury under the guidance of new coach Sandy Brondello went on to set an all time WNBA record for wins in a season, with 29, and breezed through the 2014 playoffs to claim their 3rd WNBA Championship.

February 3, 2015: Diana Taurasi Sits Out Season

On February 3, 2015, Diana Taurasi announced she would sit out the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

2016: Playoff Run Ends in Semifinals

In 2016, after the WNBA switched to a single-elimination playoff format, the eighth-seeded Phoenix Mercury upset the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty to reach the Semifinals, where they lost to the Minnesota Lynx.

2017: Another Semifinals Loss

In 2017, the Phoenix Mercury won their first two playoff games against the Seattle Storm and Connecticut Sun but lost in the Semifinals to the Los Angeles Sparks.

2018: Playoff Run and Taurasi's First Elimination Game Loss

In 2018, the Phoenix Mercury won both single-elimination playoff games, extending Diana Taurasi's record in such games to 13-0. However, they lost to the Seattle Storm in the semifinals, marking Taurasi's first loss in a winner-take-all elimination game.

2019: First Round Elimination

In 2019, The Mercury made the playoffs as the number eight seed with a 15-19 record and were eliminated in the first-round elimination game 105-76 by the Chicago Sky.

2020: Bonner Trade and Playoff Loss

In 2020, the Mercury traded Bonner and acquired Skylar Diggins-Smith. Brittney Griner left during the season, and the team lost to the Lynx in the second round of the playoffs.

2021: Leading Scorer

In 2021, Tina Charles was the leading scorer before signing with The Mercury.

2021: WNBA Finals Appearance and Coaching Change

In 2021, the Phoenix Mercury finished with a 19–13 record and advanced to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2014, where they lost to the Chicago Sky. After the season, Brondello's contract was not renewed.

2021: WNBA Finals Appearance

In 2021, the Phoenix Mercury reached the WNBA Finals but lost to the Chicago Sky.

January 2022: Vanessa Nygaard Hired

In January 2022, Vanessa Nygaard was named the new head coach for the Phoenix Mercury.

February 2023: Acquisition by Mat Ishbia

In February 2023, Mat Ishbia completed the acquisition of the Phoenix Mercury from Robert Sarver, adding it to his portfolio of sports assets in Arizona.

2023: Poor Record and Coaching Change

In 2023, the Mercury started the season 2–10 and fired coach Nygaard. Nikki Blue became the interim head coach, but the Mercury finished last in the league with a 9–31 record.

2024: Diggins-Smith Leaves and Another Playoff Loss

Before the 2024 season, Diggins-Smith left in free agency, and the Mercury traded for Kahleah Copper. They finished with a 19–21 record and were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Lynx.

2024: Awarded third overall pick

In December, the Mercury were awarded the third overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft lottery.

2025: Taurasi Retirement and Key Acquisitions

Before the 2025 season, Taurasi announced her retirement, and Griner left in free agency. The Mercury acquired Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally in a four-team trade.