After a historic career in the WNBA and on the international stage with Australia, Phoenix Mercury legend Michele Timms has received a monumental honor.
Regarded as one of the best Australians to ever play basketball, Timms will forever be remembered as she is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
For her national team, Timms and Australia took home the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and silver in the 2000 Sydney games.
With the creation of the Mercury in 1997, her arrival in the Valley came via the initial player allocation. The 5-foot-7 guard was fifth in WNBA MVP voting and second in the Defensive Player of the Year race that year.
The now 58-year-old played 116 games (112 starts) through five seasons (1997-2001) in Phoenix. Timms averaged 7.5 points, 4.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. In 1999, the Melbourne, Australia native was a WNBA All-Star.
Following the final game of the 2001 season, Timms announced her retirement from the league. She ended her career as the Mercury’s leader in assists.
Then on August 7, 2002, her No. 7 was the first number to ever be retired in Mercury franchise history.
Timms would be elected into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Tennessee in 2008.
She began a coaching career in Australia and has also been an assistant for China’s national team.
Now, she will be heading to the Basketball Hall of Fame along with many legends of the sport.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame – Class of 2024
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