Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury were without franchise player Diana Taurasi for much of the season, but their depth beyond DT was on display as most of the team’s regular rotation players had historic seasons for the franchise.
Three of the team’s regular starters set new franchise records this year:
- Briann January made five threes without a miss against the Aces on May 31, a new Mercury record.
- Dewanna Bonner had 226 defensive rebounds, beating Candice Dupree’s mark of 216 in 2014. Her 6.6 defensive rebounds per game is also a franchise record.
- Bonner also became the franchise’s all-time leader in defensive rebounds (1,588), passing Taurasi (1,512).
- Bonner now leads the Mercury in double-doubles all-time with 42, passing Taurasi (40).
- Brittney Griner led the league in scoring this season and set several Mercury records to get there: 269 made twos (8.7 per game) on 15.4 attempts per game are all new franchise highs in a season.
A slew of Mercury veterans reached new heights this season:
- Bonner scored her 4,500th point, grabbed her 2,000th rebound, and made her 1,500th field goal, moving up to 12th in made free throws (1,267).
- Griner played her 200th game, scored her 3,500th point, grabbed her 1,500th rebound, and recorded her 600th block, moving up to third all-time in blocks (636).
- Camille Little scored her 3,500th point.
- Sancho Lyttle moved up to 10th in rebounds (2,600).
- January played her 300th game, scored her 2,500th point, and made her 300th three-pointer.
- Essence Carson scored her 2,500th point and made her 200th three-pointer.
- Leilani Mitchell scored her 2,000th point, recorded her 1,000th assist, made her 400th three, and moved up to 17th in made threes (429).