Mercury Add International Talent During Difficult Season

Mercury try to stay afloat

That was a difficult year, and the Mercury had their share of losing streaks. They lost their first two games, but they snapped that streak with a win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. Then, they went on a five-game losing streak, losing to teams such as the Seattle Storm and the Charlotte Sting.

After that, the Mercury snapped that streak with a win over the Houston Comets. Then, they went on another losing streak before beating the Detroit Shock. It was a cycle, and in the end, they had the worst record in the league.

While that was a challenging time, there was one thing that stood out about that season. The Mercury continued to add international talent.

Iziane Castro Marques was playing for the Mercury, and she started her career with the Miami Sol. The Brazilian guard/forward joined the Mercury a year later, and she averaged 4.3 points. That was her only season with Phoenix, but she played for four more teams after that. One of them was the Atlanta Dream, and she had a big 32-point game with them.

Castro Marques did well in her time with the Mercury, and she helped them during a trying time.

Dalma Ivanyi played for Phoenix, and she played four games. She averaged 1.5 points and a rebound during that stretch. Ivanyi is Hungarian, and after playing college basketball at Florida International University, she was drafted by the Utah Starzz. She played with them in 1999 and 2000, and she joined the Mercury in 2003.

Michaela Pavlickova was on the roster, and after spending her college years at the University of Denver, she was drafted by the Starzz. She played eight games with the Mercury in 2003, but she played limited minutes. Pavlickova represented the Czech Republic in the European Championships, and the team won gold in 2005.

Gergana Slavtcheva was on the Mercury's 2003 roster, and she is from Bulgaria. She played two games with the team, and she joined other international players. Like Ivanyi, she attended Florida International University.

Then, there were two more international players, as Slobodanka Tuvic was still there, and Nevriye Yilmaz was there as well.

Phoenix had multiple international players that year, and regardless of how many games they played, they are still a part of Mercury history.

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