Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Charisma Osborne poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the number twenty-five overall pick to the Phoenix Mercury in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Looking At Phoenix's Early First-Round Picks

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The Phoenix Mercury's origins date back to 1997. The WNBA had eight teams during that time, and when it came to the Western Conference, the Mercury played alongside the Los Angeles Sparks, the Sacramento Monarchs and the Utah Starzz.

Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Phoenix received two players through allocation, as Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms joined the team. Then, players like Lisa Leslie and Cynthia Cooper were involved in that phase. Leslie went to the Sparks, and Cooper went to the Houston Comets.

After that phase, the WNBA held a special draft, and the Mercury brought in two players. They drafted Bridget Pettis in the first round, and they drafted Nancy Lieberman in the second.

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Once that draft was over, the WNBA had its first college draft. Tina Thompson was the first pick of that draft, and players like Pamela McGee, Jamila Wideman and Sue Wicks followed her.

Mercury select Iowa forward

The Mercury picked Toni Foster in the first round, and she averaged 8.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and an assist in her rookie season. Since then, the Mercury have had several first-round picks, and all of them will be explored in due time.

For now, Phoenix's early first-round picks will be explored, and after drafting Foster in 1997, they drafted a Russian center the following year. They drafted Maria Stepanova, and she averaged 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in her first season. Later on, she had some solid seasons, and in 2001, she was in the Most Improved Player race.

In 1999, the Mercury Edna Campbell, and she averaged 9.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. She spent one season with the Mercury, as she was a part of an expansion draft a year later. She was drafted by the Seattle Storm, and she had the best season of her career with them.

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The Mercury did not have a first-round pick in 2000, but they had one in 2001. They had five picks that year, and with their first pick, they drafted Kristen Veal. She played 29 games in her first season with the Mercury, and she started in 14 of them. She was a facilitator, as she averaged 4.3 assists. She averaged four points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals.

Phoenix found some talented players in their first few seasons, and as time passed, they found their stars.

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

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