Sep 24, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Essence Carson (17) shoots the ball in the second half against the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Mercury Find Talented Players, Both Wear No. 17

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 8:00 AM ET

When it comes to No. 17, two Phoenix Mercury players have worn that number. This is one of the unique numbers, and it took a while before it made its appearance.

The first player to wear it was Sequoia Holmes, and she played for the Mercury in 2010. Holmes went undrafted in 2008, and she started her career with the Houston Comets. She played 17 games with them, and she started in three of them.

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Holmes averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds that year, and after missing the 2009 season, she came to Phoenix. In her season with the Mercury, Holmes played 15 games. She averaged 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds during that time. Then, she did not play in the WNBA from 2011 to 2016, but she played for the San Antonio Stars in 2017.

In her season with the Stars, Holmes averaged 3.3 points, and she played 27 games. Then, when the team became the Las Vegas Aces, she played three games with them.

Recently, Holmes announced her retirement, and the Aces took to social media to send her a special message. She had a good career, and she had a career-high 14 points in San Antonio's loss to the Chicago Sky. She also had a rebound, an assist, a steal and a block in that game, and she did all of that off the bench.

Mercury bring in a champion

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Time passed before another player wore that number, but Essence Carson did it in 2019. Carson started her career with the New York Liberty. She was drafted by them in 2008, and she spent several seasons with them before joining the Los Angeles Sparks. She won a championship with Los Angeles, and a few years later, she came to Phoenix.

In her season with the Mercury, Carson averaged 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The 2016 champion had her career high in her time with the Liberty, as she had 28 points against the Detroit Shock. New York lost that game, but her performance kept the team in it. That was the second season of her career, and while she had strong games after that, she did not score more than she did against the Shock.