May 19, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A game ball rests on the court during a timeout in the. Game between the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty at Entertainment & Sports Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Mercury's Moisés Pinto Has Impressive Game Against West Rival

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 10:00 AM ET

The Phoenix Mercury have had many players, and they all have had different journeys. Some players were stars in college, and they came to Phoenix and made an impact. Players like Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter , DeWanna Bonner and Brittney Griner come to mind in this instance.

Phoenix has also had international players, and some of them have had successful stints with the team. Penny Taylor comes to mind here, and she was one of Australia's best players. The Mercury have also had players like Adriana Moisés Pinto, and she played for Brazil in the 2000 Olympic Games, as well as other events such as the 2007 Pan American Games.

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Moisés Pinto comes to Phoenix

Moisés Pinto joined the Mercury in 2001, and in her first season, she averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds. She played seven games with Phoenix, and she came off the bench in all of them. Phoenix struggled that year, as the Mercury finished the season with a record of 13-19. That was the second time in franchise history that they missed the playoffs.

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The following year, Moisés Pinto played 32 games, and she started in four of them. She averaged six points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds. She had the best game of her WNBA career that season, and it was in a game against the Seattle Storm.

Moisés Pinto had 20 points, and she also had four assists, three rebounds and a steal. She was the team's second-leading scorer, and she did it off the bench.

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Jennifer Gillom was the leading scorer, and she had 25 points. She also had two rebounds, an assist and a steal. Lisa Harrison had a nice game, as she had 16 points, two rebounds, two assists and a block. Despite those performances, the Storm beat the Mercury 90-82.

The Mercury finished the 2002 season with a record of 11-21, and they missed the playoffs for the second time in a row. Moisés Pinto did not play in the WNBA for a few years after that, but she returned to the Mercury in 2007. She played four games with the Mercury, and she averaged 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds. She was waived by Phoenix after that, and the team went on to win a championship.

Brazil's guard did well in her time with the Mercury, and her performance against the Storm showed what she brought to the table.

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

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