Aug 16, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Australia point guard Leilani Mitchell (5) drives around Serbia shooting guard Dajana Butulija (10) in a women's quarterfinal basketball game at Carioca Arena 1 during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Mercury's Mitchell Has Career High, Wins Special Award

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Leilani Mitchell started her WNBA career in 2008. She spent her college years at Idaho and Utah, and after that, she was drafted by one of the WNBA's best teams. She was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, who had just won a championship the year before. The Mercury drafted her in the second round, but she did not play for Phoenix at that time.

The Mercury traded her to the New York Liberty, and they received a draft pick in return. She played with New York for six seasons, and in that time, she won Most Improved Player. She took home the award after averaging 9.3 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Mitchell played for the Mercury in 2015, and she averaged 6.7 points, 2.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds and a steal. She spent time with the Washington Mystics the following year, but she came back to the Mercury in 2017.

Mitchell makes history

In that stint with the Mercury, she made history, as she won another Most Improved Player. She became the first player to win it twice, and this time, she had an even better season than her first win.

Mitchell averaged 12.8 points, four assists and three rebounds. She played 32 games that year, and she started in 27 of them. It was a good year for Mitchell, and her best game at that time was against her old team.

Patrick Breen/The Republic

The Mercury took on the Liberty, and they beat them 95-82. The Most Improved Player helped them win, as she was one of two players who scored 29 points in that game. Mitchell also had three rebounds and two assists on top of her big scoring night. Then, DeWanna Bonner had a double-double of 29 points and 14 rebounds. She also had three blocks and two steals.

Phoenix had another player who scored in double figures, as Brianna Turner had 10. She also had four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Mitchell was a talented player, and after a strong season, it was no surprise that she won Most Improved Player once again.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Mercury guard helped the team succeed that season, and she scored a total of 410 points. She was on a roll, and as a result, she had the best year of her career. Mitchell may have played for the Liberty and the Mystics in her career, but her connection with the Mercury runs deep.

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

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