Aug 16, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) dribbles downcourt during the game against the Seattle Storm at KeyArena. Seattle defeated Phoenix 72-58. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Past Mercury Players Win Special College Award

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Dec 20, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Big Ten Player of the Year is awarded every year, and the first player to win it was Laura Coenen. She won it in 1983, and she attended Minnesota. Then, Anucha Browne won it the next two seasons, and she was playing well for Northwestern.

Tracey Hall won the next two seasons, and she attended Ohio State. More players began to win the award, and in 1993, Toni Foster won it.

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A few years after winning the award, Foster would join the Phoenix Mercury. She was the eighth pick of the 1997 WNBA Draft, and in a draft where the Mercury had picks in each round, she was their first.

Foster averaged 8.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and an assist in her first season with the Mercury, and she played with them for two more seasons. The forward attended Iowa before coming to Phoenix.

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Future WNBA champions win Player of the Year

Another player with Mercury ties won it a few years later, as Tangela Smith won in 1998. She also played for Iowa, and she averaged 19.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists that season. Smith was later drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs, and years later, she helped Phoenix win its first championship.

Kelly Mazzante won the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. She had some great years at Penn State, and in her years with the team, she averaged 21.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.8 rebounds.

Mazzante started her career with the Charlotte Sting, but when they folded, she was a part of a dispersal draft. She was picked up by the Mercury, and she played with them for three seasons. She joined the team at a good time, as she came during the first championship.

Years later, another future Mercury player won the award. Samantha Prahalis had some strong seasons with Ohio State, and in her rookie season with Phoenix, she averaged 11.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals. She was a member of the 2012 All-Rookie Team, and she was joined by Nneka Ogwumike, Glory Johnson, Tiffany Hayes and Riquna Williams.

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Another player with Mercury ties won it in 2018 and 2019. Megan Gustafson won, and after playing for the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics, she played for the Mercury.

There have been some talented players who have won Big Ten Player of the Year, and some of them had nice stints with the Mercury.

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

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