The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year has had some exceptional defenders attached to it. For example, the last player to win it was Cameron Brink. Brink attended Stanford, and she won the award three times in a row.
Ashley Joens was a second-round pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, and she was drafted by the Dallas Wings. While she did play for the Wings, she also spent time with the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury.
The 2012 season was a difficult period for the Phoenix Mercury, as they finished with a record 7-27. They took a step backwards, and they also played without some of their key players.
The Connecticut Sun saw one of the most calamitous downfalls in WNBA history this past year, and certainly in franchise history. Finishing the regular season with an 11-33 overall record, the Sun came second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, with the Chicago Sky (10-34) claiming the last spot.
The Phoenix Mercury have been home to several players, and in some cases, those players do not start their careers with the team. There are many examples, and every now and then, some of the players won championships before playing with the Mercury.
The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2017 season with a record of 18-16, and they had another playoff appearance under their belt. They beat the Seattle Storm in the first round, as they beat them 79-69 in a single-elimination game.
The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2001 season with a record of 13-19, and they missed the playoffs. The Mercury made the playoffs the year before, and they finished that season with a record of 20-12.
Former Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan was once a top prospect coming into the league. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft out of Mississippi State was one of college basketball's most feared players and she came into the league hot as a member of the All-Rookie Team in her first season with the Indiana Fever.
DeWanna Bonner started her WNBA career in 2009, and she was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury . She was the fifth pick of that year's draft, and before that, she won SEC Player of the Year.
Angel Reese, who averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds in the 2025 WNBA season, opted not to join the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league for its second year. The Chicago Sky star missed 14 games in the past campaign due to a persistent back issue.
The Dallas Wings decided to move on from Chris Koclanes as the head coach in part because of his inability to get the most out of Paige Bueckers. Her role consistently changed throughout the year, and while she still turned in an incredible season, winning Rookie of the Year and making the All-WNBA Second Team, the team was bad.
The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2018 season with a record of 20-14. They were second in the Western Conference, as the Seattle Storm were first with a record of 26-8.
Many Indiana Fever fans surely had their Christmas wishes granted when they opened up a present and received a Caitlin Clark jersey. In April 2025, Fanatics revealed that Clark had the second-highest-selling jersey among all basketball players, including those from both the WNBA and NBA, from September 1 to November 3 of the previous year.
Diana Taurasi joined the Phoenix Mercury in 2004, and before that she helped UConn win championships. Taurasi and her team won three in a row, and the first was in 2002.
Kahleah Copper had a solid 2025 season, and she did it while dealing with injuries. Copper missed the start of the season because of a knee injury, and later on, she missed time due to a hamstring injury.
Alyssa Thomas is one of the Phoenix Mercury's new stars, and she had big season. She was a Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate, and she averaged 15.4 points, 9.2 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
The WNBA has had some talented players over the years, and a lot of them were great players in their college years. A lot of these players come from exceptional programs, and some of these schools have been tied to the WNBA since the beginning.
The Phoenix Mercury made the WNBA Finals in 2021, and they did it by beating the New York Liberty, the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces. Before that, they had some great games against teams like the Atlanta Dream and others.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese has done a great job dispelling any doubts about whether her success in college would translate to the WNBA. Through two seasons, Reese has proven that she's not only an elite rebounder but also a versatile scoring threat.
The Connecticut Sun lost a significant amount of credibility during their 2025 campaign. Finishing 11-33 overall, the Sun struggled to gain traction throughout the season.
Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark has already made a massive impact on the growth that women's basketball has experienced over the past few years.
New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart isn't particularly concerned about the emergence of Project B, a new professional women's basketball league set to launch in 2026.
It may be the offseason right now, but WNBA players have still been making headlines in the past couple of months. For Los Angeles Sparks wing Rickea Jackson, she was recently given the esteemed honor of having her high school jersey retired.
After the Connecticut Sun ended their 2025 season with one of the worst records in the league, it's easy to think that the franchise may have lost its credibility in the WNBA.