Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) dribbles against the Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 30, 2025. Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mercury Draft Defensive Specialist And Others

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 10:00 AM ET

Over the years, the Phoenix Mercury have drafted players like Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter , DeWanna Bonner, Brittney Griner and others. Some of those players spent some years with the team, but in Courtney Williams' case, she played six games with the team before she was traded to the Connecticut Sun.

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Williams was Phoenix's first-round pick in 2016, and the following year, the Mercury did not pick until the third round. The Mercury had multiple picks in the 2018 draft, and when it came to their first-round pick, they selected Marie Gulich.

Gulich spent a season with the Mercury, and before that, she attended Oregon State. The center played 23 games with Phoenix, and she was a reserve in all of them. She averaged 1.5 points and a rebound.

Phoenix's center was traded to the Atlanta Dream in 2019, and after a year with them, she played for the Los Angeles Sparks. They acquired her in a trade, and the Sparks sent Kalani Brown to the Dream.

Mercury draft future Defensive Player of the Year

After drafting Gulich, the Mercury had another first-round pick in 2019. They drafted Alanna Smith, and she played three seasons with them. In her first season with the Mercury, she averaged 1.9 rebounds.

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Fast forward to today, Smith spent her last two seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, and she was the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2025.

When it comes to the 2020 draft, the Mercury had three picks. They drafted Jocelyn Willoughby in the first round, and while she did not play for Phoenix, she spent some time with the New York Liberty. She averaged 5.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in her first season.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

As far as the 2021 draft, the Mercury had a single pick, but it was later in the draft. In fact, the 2020 draft is the last time they had a first-round pick.

Phoenix has had some successful drafts, and in some cases, their late picks blossomed. However, they have found several players in the first round, and some of them helped the team make history. Players like Taurasi and Pondexter were there for the team's first championship, and Bonner and Griner were there for the later ones. In Bonner's case, she was there for the second and the third, while Griner won one.

The Mercury's first-round picks have all had different journeys, but in the end, they are all a part of the franchise's legacy.

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

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