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Phoenix Mercury to bring Epoupa and Blicavs to training camp

By Kim Doss

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 04: Olivia Epoupa #0 of the Capitals celebrates winning game two of the WNBL Grand Final series between the University of Canberra Capitals and Southside Flyers at AIS Arena on March 04, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 04: Olivia Epoupa #0 of the Capitals celebrates winning game two of the WNBL Grand Final series between the University of Canberra Capitals and Southside Flyers at AIS Arena on March 04, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) /
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The Mercury preparing for camp…whenever that is.

The 2020 WNBA Draft will take place on April 17, but the Phoenix Mercury are filling out their training camp roster while they wait to welcome their rookies. On Thursday, the team announced that they had added international players Olivia Epoupa and Sara Blicavs to their camp roster.

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Both players spent 2019-20 in Australia’s WNBL with Epoupa representing the UC Capitals and Blicavs suiting up for the Southside Flyers.

Epoupa had an especially memorable campaign with the Capitals, ending the season with a championship and the title of Grand Final MVP. The 5-foot-5 guard appeared in 26 games. She was good for 9.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and a team-high 6.7 assists per contest.

She was one of only two players in the WNBL to rank in the top 10 in steals, assists and rebounds. Her 3.0 steals per game were tops in the league, while the 6.7 assists were second and the 7.7 rebounds were 10th.

Epoupa also plays alongside Mercury guard Bria Hartley for the French national team, who she helped qualify for next year’s Olympics in Tokyo. In previous appearances for France, she has walked away from the 2015, 2017 and 2019 Women’s EuroBasket tournaments with silver medals.

Blicavs also has experience with a current member of the Mercury organization. She played under head coach Sandy Brondello for the Opals in 2015, 2017 and 2019. In 2015, she was a member of Australia’s gold-medal squad at the FIBA Oceania Championship. A silver was the reward in 2017 when they played at the FIBA Asia Cup.

Her season in the WNBL ended just one step behind Epoupa’s. The Flyers were runners-up to the Capitals in the league’s Finals. Blicavs contributed 13.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 25 appearances for the team over the season.

The beginning of training camp is still uncertain as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic. The draft will be held, as scheduled, on April 17.

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