How Russ Pennell Helped Phoenix Reach The Playoffs

The Phoenix Mercury have had some great coaches over the years. Cheryl Miller was their first coach, as she coached them from 1997 to 2000. Then, once she resigned, her former teammate, Cynthia Cooper took over. Phoenix had a few coaches after Cooper, as Linda Sharp was interim head coach after Cooper resigned during the 2002 season. Then, the Mercury had John Shumate and Carrie Graf before hiring Paul Westhead. Westhead had NBA experience, and in his second season with the Mercury, he helped them make history. The Mercury won their first championship, as they beat the Detroit Shock 3-2. Westhead left after the championship, and Corey Gaines took over. He coached them to another championship, and a few years later the Mercury parted ways with him. Gaines' firing came after a challenging 2012 season, where Phoenix finished with a record of 7-27. Then, after the following year got off to a rocky start, the Mercury went in a different direction. Russ Pennell was named their interim head coach, and in the games