The Phoenix Mercury made their debut in 1997, and they played well during that time. They finished the season with a record of 16-12, and they made the playoffs. They faced the New York Liberty, and the Liberty beat them 59-41.
Las Vegas Aces play the Phoenix Mercury in Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Oct. 10, 2025, in Phoenix. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Phoenix’s second season was even better, as the team finished the season with a record of 19-11. The Mercury reached the WNBA Finals for the first time, and they did it by beating the Cleveland Rockers in the first round. Then, they faced the Houston Comets, and Houston won its second championship.
The Mercury missed the playoffs for the first time in 1999, and they finished that season with a record of 15-17. That was the first time that the Mercury had a record under .500, and it would not be the last. The second time would be a few years later.
Phoenix started the season with two losses. The Mercury faced the Sacramento Monarchs in those first two games, and the Monarchs beat them 96-85 in the first, and 74-64 in the second. The Mercury picked up their first win, as they beat the Cleveland Rockers 76-67.
Aug 9, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom during the game against the Indiana Fever at the Staples Center. The Fever defeated the Sparks 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Edna Campbell was the leading scorer for Phoenix, and she had 21 points. She also had three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Marlies Askamp had 17 points, 15 rebounds, five steals, an assist and a block. Then Jennifer Gillom had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.
After that win, the Mercury won two more games. The rest of their games that month were losses. They beat the Washington Mystics and the Detroit Shock, but they lost to the Orlando Shock, the Charlotte Sting and the Rockers.
The loss to the Rockers was the start of a losing streak, as they lost six in a row. A win over the Utah Starzz snapped that streak, and the Mercury had a record of 4-10. They beat the Starzz 80-66, and Askamp was the star. She had 23 points, six rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal.
June 4, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom reacts alongside the bench during the second half in at US Airways Center. The Mercury defeated the Sparks 90-89. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images
Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil had 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench. The Mercury had some work to do, and they did not become .500 until they beat the Monarchs towards the end of the season. After that they lost two games, and finished 15-17.
The 1999 season was a challenging time, but the following year, the Mercury turned things around.
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