How Mercury's Taurasi And Others Won The Wade Trophy

Lieberman was Phoenix's second pick in the elite draft, and she averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds. By that time, Lieberman, who was known as "Lady Magic," had an illustrious career. She won a championship in the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA) and she also won Most Valuable Player (MVP).

After Lieberman, the next player to win was Lynette Woodard. She played for the Cleveland Rockers and the Detroit Shock in the WNBA's early years. Then, a few more players won, and another person with Mercury ties brought it home.

Cheryl Miller won in 1985, and while she did not play for the Mercury, she was the team's first coach. She coached the Mercury for four seasons, and in that time, she had a record of 70-52.

Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil won the Wade Trophy in 1989, and she spent a season with the Mercury. She was one of their draft picks in 1999. She averaged 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists during that time.

Taurasi wins, has big year

Another Mercury player won it in 2003, as Diana Taurasi took home the award. She had a big year, as she averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 blocks. She helped UConn win a championship that year, and she helped the Huskies win their third the following year.

Brittney Griner won the award, and she did it in 2012 and 2013. Griner led Baylor to a championship in 2012, and she averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 1.6 assists. Then, she averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 blocks and 2.4 assists in her senior year. After that, she became the No. 1 pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft.

Some great names have been tied to the Wade Trophy, and soon, more players will add their names to the list.

• Mercury's Turner Has Big Game Against Eastern Conference Team
• Mercury's Taurasi Shows Off Her Defense Against West Rival
• Phoenix's 1999 Draft Picks Establish Themselves
• How Mercury's Mack And More Defended The Big 12