The Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner (42) signs autographs after a game between the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury, on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

How The Mercury's Stars Navigated A Difficult Season

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Feb 7, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The Phoenix Mercury struggled in 2023, and it was the first time they missed the playoffs since 2012. The Mercury finished the 2012 season with a record of 7-27, and after that, they received the first pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft.

Phoenix finished the 2023 season with a record of 9-31, and that led to the franchise making some changes. They added another star during the offseason, and they hired Nate Tibbetts.

Mercury's All-Star center returns

That season was a challenge, but there were a few positives. For starters, Brittney Griner returned, and she had a nice season. She missed the 2022 season due to a matter overseas. The Mercury finished that period with a record of 15-21, and they reached the playoffs. However, they were eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces.

Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Griner was back in action, and during that time, she scored 544 points. She averaged 17.5 points, and her best game was a 29-point game against the Indiana Fever. She had a strong season, and her return was one of the bright spots of a tough period.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Diana Taurasi scored 415 points, and her top performance was against the Atlanta Dream. She had 42 points, and that was the game where she reached 10,000 points. Taurasi was still playing at a high level, and she helped her team pick up a few wins.

Moriah Jefferson was right behind Taurasi, as she scored 409 points. Her best performance was a 32-point game against the Minnesota Lynx.

Michaela Onyenwere was fourth in scoring, and she finished the season with 355 points. Onyenwere's season high was 24 points, and she had it against the Lynx.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham was fifth in scoring, and she scored 350 points. She scored 27 points against the New York Liberty.

The Mercury scored 3064 points, and while that is a decent number, Phoenix was last in this category. The Aces were first in points, and they scored 3,713 points that season. The Liberty were second, and they scored 3,569 points. Then, teams like the Dallas Wings, the Connecticut Sun and the Fever were in the top 10.

The Seattle Storm were right ahead of the Mercury, and they scored 3,153 points. They finished the season with a record of 11-29.

Phoenix had a difficult year, but performances from players like Griner and Taurasi made things better.

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

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