The 2021 WNBA season was the 24th season for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season tipped off on May 14, 2021, at the Minnesota Lynx.[1]
| 2021 Phoenix Mercury season | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Sandy Brondello |
| Arena | Phoenix Suns Arena |
| Attendance | 5,849 per game |
| Results | |
| Record | 19–13 (.594) |
| Place | 4th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | 5th seed, Lost in WNBA Finals to Chicago Sky 1–3 |
| Team Leaders | |
| Points | Brittney Griner – 20.5 ppg |
| Rebounds | Brittney Griner – 9.5 rpg |
| Assists | Skylar Diggins-Smith – 5.3 apg |
The team returned to the newly renovated Phoenix Suns Arena this season. Originally the team had planned to be elsewhere for the 2021 season, but renovations were finished ahead of schedule.[2]
The start to the season was a mixed bag for the Mercury. They went 3–3 during the first month of the season. June was a streaky month for the team as they won the first two games, but then went on a four game losing streak. The streak was broken by two wins, but followed by a loss to finish the month 4–5. The Mercury lost the first game of July, won the middle two, and lost the last game before the Olympic break. They went into the Olympic break with a 9–10 overall record. The Mercury had a spectacular return from the Olympic break, winning all seven of their games in August. Of the seven games only three were against playoff teams, and two of those three were against the eventual eight seed, New York Liberty. The Mercury extended their winning streak into September, and won their first three games of the month. However, their last three games of the season were against the eventual first, second, and fourth seeded playoff teams, and the Mercury lost all three games to finish the month 3–3. They finished with an overall record of 19–13 and secured the fifth overall seed in the playoffs.
As the fifth seed in the playoffs, the Mercury did not receive a bye played in the First Round. They defeated eight seed New York 83–82 in a close game. As the higher remaining seed in the second round, they traveled to Seattle to face off against the fourth seeded Storm. The Mercury advanced in a thrilling overtime game, 85–80. As the highest seed to advance from the second round, the Mercury played the second seeded Las Vegas Aces in the Semifinals. In a back and forth series the Mercury won games two, three, and five to win the series 3–2 and advance to the Finals. In the Finals, the team faced the Chicago Sky. The Mercury had home court advantage, meaning the first two games were played in Phoenix. The Mercury split those games 1–1 and the series advanced to Chicago. The Sky won both the games at home, and the series 3–1.
Transactions
editWNBA draft
edit| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 32 | Ciera Johnson |  United States | Texas A&M |
Trades/Roster Changes
edit| Date | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| January 6, 2021 | Extended Qualifying Offers to G Marta Xargay, G Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, G Sonja Petrovic, G Shey Peddy, F Nia Coffey, and C Angel Robinson[3] | |
| January 12, 2021 | Re-Signed G Shey Peddy to a Training Camp Contract[4] | |
| January 23, 2021 | Re-Signed F Nia Coffey to a Training Camp Contract[5] | |
| February 1, 2021 | Re-Signed G Diana Taurasi[6] | |
| February 5, 2021 | Signed C Kia Vaughn[7] | |
| Rescinded Qualifying Offer to G Shatori Walker-Kimbrough[8] | ||
| February 10, 2021 | Traded the 6th Overall Pick in the 2021 WNBA draft and a 1st Round Pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft to New York in exchange for G Kia Nurse and F Megan Walker[9] | |
| Waived F Nia Coffey[10] | ||
| February 13, 2021 | Traded G Yvonne Turner to Atlanta for a 3rd Round Pick in 2022[11] | |
| March 22, 2021 | Signed F Sara Blicavs and G Marta Xargay[12] | |
| April 16, 2021 | Signed G Tiana Mangakahia, C Avery Warley-Talbert, and C Akela Maize to Training Camp Contracts[13] | |
| April 16, 2021 | Signed F Cierra Burdick to a Training Camp Contract[14] | |
| April 25, 2021 | Signed C Ciera Johnson to a Rookie Scale Contract[15] | |
| May 8, 2021 | Waived G Marta Xargay, C Akela Maize, and C Avery Warley-Talbert[16] | |
| May 10, 2021 | Waived F Cierra Burdick[17] | |
| May 12, 2021 | Waived G Tiana Mangakahia, F Sara Blicavs, and C Ciera Johnson[18] | |
| May 13, 2021 | Temporarily Suspend C Kia Vaughn due to Overseas Commitments[19] | |
| May 14, 2021 | Sign F Cierra Burdick to a Hardship Contract[20] | |
| May 26, 2021 | Activate C Kia Vaughn from Temporary Suspension List[21] | |
| Release F Cierra Burdick from Hardship Contract | ||
| May 27, 2021 | Signed G Haley Gorecki to a Hardship Contract[22] | |
| May 27, 2021 | Released G Haley Gorecki from the Hardship Contract[23] | |
Roster
edit| 2021 Phoenix Mercury roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Game log
editPreseason
edit| 2021 pre-season game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May: 0–2 (Home: 0–1; Road: 0–1)
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| 2021 pre-season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
editPlayoffs
edit| 2021 playoff game log Total: 6–5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round
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Second round
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Semifinals
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Finals
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| 2021 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Standings
edit| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Conf. | Home | Road | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Connecticut Sun | 26 | 6 | .813 | – | 12–3 | 15–1 | 11–5 | 9–1 |
| 2 | x – Las Vegas Aces | 24 | 8 | .750 | 2 | 11–4 | 13–3 | 11–5 | 6–4 |
| 3 | x – Minnesota Lynx | 22 | 10 | .688 | 4 | 10–5 | 13–3 | 9–7 | 7–3 |
| 4 | x – Seattle Storm | 21 | 11 | .656 | 5 | 9–6 | 11–5 | 10–6 | 8–2 |
| 5 | x – Phoenix Mercury | 19 | 13 | .594 | 7 | 6–9 | 7–9 | 12–4 | 5–5 |
| 6 | x – Chicago Sky | 16 | 16 | .500 | 10 | 10–5 | 6–10 | 10–6 | 6–4 |
| 7 | x – Dallas Wings | 14 | 18 | .438 | 12 | 7–8 | 7–9 | 7–9 | 3–7 |
| 8 | x – New York Liberty | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 6–9 | 7–9 | 5–11 | 5–5 |
| 9 | e – Washington Mystics | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 7–8 | 8–8 | 4–12 | 4–6 |
| 10 | e – Los Angeles Sparks | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 2–13 | 8–8 | 4–12 | 1–9 |
| 11 | e – Atlanta Dream | 8 | 24 | .250 | 18 | 6–9 | 4–12 | 4–12 | 4–6 |
| 12 | e – Indiana Fever | 6 | 26 | .188 | 20 | 4–11 | 4–12 | 2–14 | 2–8 |
Notes
- (#) – League Standing
- x – Clinched playoff berth
- e – Eliminated from playoff contention
- Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings
Playoffs
edit| First round Sept. 23 | Second round Sept. 26 | Semifinals Sept. 28 – Oct. 8 | WNBA Finals Oct. 10 – Oct. 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Las Vegas Aces | 96 | 91 | 60 | 93 | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Seattle Storm | 80 | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 90 | 117 | 87 | 76 | 87 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 83 | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 85OT | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 77 | 91OT | 50 | 74 | – | ||||||||||||||
| 8 | New York Liberty | 82 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 91 | 86 | 86 | 80 | – | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Connecticut Sun | 95 | 79 | 83 | 69 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Minnesota Lynx | 76 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 1012OT | 68 | 86 | 79 | – | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Chicago Sky | 81 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 89 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Dallas Wings | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
Statistics
edit| 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 | ||||
Source:[24]
Regular season
edit| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brittney Griner | 30 | 30 | 32.8 | 57.5 | 44.4 | 84.6 | 9.5 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 20.5 |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | 32 | 32 | 32.5 | 45.2 | 37.0 | 81.8 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 17.5 |
| Diana Taurasi | 16 | 16 | 28.4 | 36.5 | 33.9 | 86.1 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 15.2 |
| Kia Nurse | 32 | 32 | 26.1 | 35.9 | 35.3 | 79.0 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 9.5 |
| Brianna Turner | 32 | 32 | 31.1 | 55.4 | 0.0 | 71.7 | 9.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 7.8 |
| Sophie Cunningham | 30 | 4 | 17.5 | 43.7 | 41.0 | 70.4 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 5.6 |
| Shey Peddy | 32 | 5 | 17.5 | 41.2 | 33.3 | 92.0 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 5.4 |
| Kia Vaughn | 28 | 2 | 15.8 | 44.4 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 4.6 |
| Megan Walker | 29 | 7 | 14.7 | 31.1 | 62.7 | 63.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 4.5 |
| Bria Hartley | 6 | 0 | 8.5 | 56.3 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 3.7 |
| Alanna Smith | 18 | 0 | 6.5 | 23.5 | 19.0 | 25.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.2 |
Awards and Milestones
edit| Recipient | Award/Milestone | Date awarded | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brittney Griner | Western Conference Player of the Week | June 1 | [25] |
| Diana Taurasi | First WNBA player to reach 9,000 career points | June 27 vs. Los Angeles Sparks | [26] |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | WNBA All-Star Selection | June 30 | [27] |
| Brittney Griner | |||
| Diana Taurasi | |||
| Brittney Griner | Western Conference Player of the Week | July 12 | [28] |
| August 23 | [29] | ||
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | August 30 | [30] | |
| Brittney Griner | September 6 | [31] | |
| September 13 | [32] | ||
| Brianna Turner | WNBA All-Defensive First Team | September 26 | [33] |
| Brittney Griner | WNBA All-Defensive Second Team | ||
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | All-WNBA First Team | October 15 | [34] |
| Brittney Griner |
References
edit- ^ "2020 Phoenix Mercury Schedule". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "Mercury To Return To Newly-Renovated Phoenix Suns Arena". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 9, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. January 6, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "MERCURY RE-SIGN SHEY PEDDY". winsidr.com. Winsidr. January 12, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. January 23, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "MERCURY, TAURASI AGREE TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 1, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "PHOENIX MERCURY RE-SIGN FREE AGENT CENTER KIA VAUGHN". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 5, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. February 5, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "MERCURY ACQUIRES ALL-STAR WING KIA NURSE AND WING MEGAN WALKER". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 10, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. February 10, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Phoenix Mercury trade Yvonne Turner for 2022 third round draft pick". azcentral.com. AZ Central. February 13, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. April 16, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. April 17, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. April 25, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Mercury Waive Xargay, Maize and Warley-Talbert". oursportscentral.com. Our Sports Central. May 8, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Mercury Waive Cierra Burdick". oursportscentral.com. Our Sports Central. May 10, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Tiana Mangakahia waived by WNBA's Phoenix Mercury". syracuse.com. Syracuse. May 12, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. May 13, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Phoenix Mercury Announce Final Roster Ahead of 2021 Season". signalsaz.com. Signals. May 14, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Transactions". wnba.com. WNBA. May 26, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Rachel Galligan Tweet". twitter.com. Twitter. May 26, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Transactions – Player Movement". acrossthetimeline.com. Across The Timeline. June 28, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "Stats - Phoenix Mercury". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "Betnijah Laney And Brittney Griner Named Week 2 Players of the Week". wnba.com. WNBA. June 1, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Taurasi Tops 9,000 Career Points, Helps Mercury Beat Sparks". wnba.com. WNBA. June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ "Rosters Set for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2021 on July 14". wnba.com. WNBA. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Players of the Week: Brittney Griner and Jonquel Jones". wnba.com. WNBA. July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Players of the Week: Brittney Griner and Jonquel Jones". wnba.com. WNBA. August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Players of the Week: Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brionna Jones". wnba.com. WNBA. August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Week 11 Players of the Week: Jonquel Jones (Eastern) and Brittney Griner (Western)". wnba.com. WNBA. September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Player of the Week: Tina Charles & Brittney Griner". wnba.com. WNBA. September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Voepel, Mechelle (September 26, 2021). "Minnesota Lynx star Sylvia Fowles named WNBA Defensive Player of Year for 4th time in career". ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ "The 2021 All-WNBA First & Second Team Announced". wnba.com. WNBA. October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
External links
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