Mercury Guards Play Well, Finish Second In Award Races

The Phoenix Mercury found a new coach in 2006, as they hired Paul Westhead. He had championship experience, as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a championship in 1980. Westhead led the Mercury to their first championship, and it happened in his second season. In his first season, Phoenix missed the playoffs, but Westhead's team finished two games over .500. The Mercury were getting closer to the playoffs, and they had a new star who played a role in their success. Phoenix drafted Cappie Pondexter , and she was a star at Rutgers. She averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals in her college years. Pondexter had an excellent rookie season, and she averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals. With the way the Mercury played, it was no surprise that they were a part of award races. For starters, a Mercury star was a part of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race. Diana Taurasi finished second, and she earned 211 points. Lisa Leslie won the award, and she received 40 first-plac