Phoenix Defends During Difficult Year

The 2023 season was not one of the Phoenix Mercury's best. They struggled throughout the season, and their playoff streak came to an end. Before that, Phoenix made the playoffs every year since 2013, which was the year that Brittney Griner made her debut. The Mercury drafted her with the first pick of that year's draft, and she became a star. Phoenix played the 2022 season without Griner, but in 2023, the All-Star center returned. That was a positive, and on top of that, the Mercury did well in certain areas. When it came to steals, the Mercury had a total of 228 steals, and some players flourished on the defensive end. Moriah Jefferson was the team's leader, and she had 43 steals during the season. She had five steals against the Los Angeles Sparks, and that was one of the Mercury's wins. They beat the Sparks 78-72, and that was their fourth win of the season. Jefferson was one of the Mercury's new players, and she signed a deal with them before the start of the season. She averaged 10.5 points, 3.6 assists