Sep 19, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker (3) guards Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) in the second half of game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals at Staples Center. Phoenix won 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

How The Phoenix Mercury Have Ties To Tennessee

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Dec 24, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Phoenix Mercury have been around since 1997, and they have had several players. They drafted some of those players, and others they acquired in a trade, or they signed them during free agency.

Some of Phoenix's players have come from exceptional programs, and one of the first programs that comes to mind is Tennessee. Tennessee has had 47 players make the WNBA, and the first players to do so were Tiffany Woosley, Dena Head, Bridgette Gordon and Daedra Charles.

Woosley went undrafted, but she signed a deal with the Houston Comets. Head was the first pick of the elite draft, and she went to the Utah Starzz. Gordon was a part of the allocation period, and she went to the Sacramento Monarchs. Charles was also a part of the elite draft, and she went to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Another Tennessee player entered the WNBA in 1998, as Nikki McCray went to the Washington Mystics. The Mystics was one of two teams making their debut, and Washington received McCray through allocation.

McCray played with the Mystics for four seasons before heading to the Indiana Fever. Then, she signed a deal with the Mercury in 2004.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Another Tennessee player played for Phoenix during that time, as Lisa Harrison played with them from 1999 to 2005. Her best season with the team was in 2002, and she averaged 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and a steal. She spent her entire career with the Mercury, and she made the playoffs once during that time.

Tonya Edwards is another player who attended Tennessee, and she was a part of the same draft as Harrison. She was the seventh pick of that year's draft, and the Minnesota Lynx picked her. She spent a year with them, and she averaged 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

After that season, Edwards played with the Mercury for two seasons, and later, she was traded to the Charlotte Sting.

Mercury drafted Tennessee center

Ashley Robinson was drafted in 2004, and she was drafted by Phoenix. She played two seasons with the Mercury, and in 2006, she was a part of an expansion draft. The Chicago Sky were entering the WNBA, and she was one of their draft picks. However, she spent a season with them before spending significant time with the Seattle Storm.

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As years passed, more Tennessee players entered the WNBA, and some were tied to the Mercury. Isabelle Harrison was one of their draft picks in 2015, Diamond DeShields played with them in 2022, and Te'a Cooper was one of their draft picks in 2020.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker remain the biggest names out of Tennessee, there have been some great players who came before and after them.

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

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