Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner hugs Neda Sharghi, the sister of Emad Sharghi, who is being held in Iran, after unveiling a mural outside of Footprint Center on Apr 27, 2023, that brings awareness to individuals still detained abroad. Briner held her first press conference since returning to the United States after she was arrested at a Russian airport where officials said they found cannabis oil in her luggage and was imprisoned in a Russian penal colony. Following a 10-month Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

How The Mercury Survived Eastern Conference Teams In 2023

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The 2023 season was a trying time for the Phoenix Mercury. They were 9-31 that season, and they missed the playoffs for the 10th time in franchise history.

The Mercury had work to do, and they responded with a big move. They added Kahleah Copper, and she helped them get back into the playoffs.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Until then, the Mercury struggled and they did not win a series against their Western Conference rivals. When it came to their series against Eastern Conference teams, things were slightly different.

Phoenix lost to some East teams, and one example is the Atlanta Dream. The Dream beat the Mercury 2-1, and they started the series with a win. Atlanta beat Phoenix 78-65, and Megan Gustafson was the Mercury's leading scorer. She had 19 points off the bench, and there were two more players who scored in double figures. Brittney Griner had 16 points and Sophie Cunningham had 11.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Taurasi makes history, helps Mercury avoid the sweep

The Mercury picked up a win in the second game, and they beat the Dream by 20. That was an important game for the Mercury, as Diana Taurasi had 42 points. She reached 10,000 career points, and by the end of her career, she had 10,646. She was on a mission in that game, and the Mercury came out victorious.

After that, the Dream beat the Mercury 94-76 and Sug Sutton was the leading scorer, and she had 20 points off the bench.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Phoenix lost to other teams, as the Chicago Sky beat them 2-1, the New York Liberty beat them 3-0 and the Washington Mystics beat them 3-1.

The Mercury did have a series go in their favor, as they beat the Connecticut Sun 2-1. Phoenix started the series with a win, as the team picked up a 72-66 win at home.

Cunningham was the top scorer, and she had 17 points. Phoenix won the second game, and while Cunningham and her teammates had a chance to sweep, Connecticut beat them 84-74 in the final game.

Phoenix had a win under its belt, and while the Mercury did not win another series, they managed to avoid a loss. They faced the Indiana Fever, and that series ended in a tie.

In the end, the Mercury were 1-4-1 in their series against Eastern Conference teams. The team still struggled, but compared to conference rivals, the Mercury did better against East teams.

Overall, it was a bad year, but the Mercury recovered soon after that.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Mercury On SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: