The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2024 season 19-21 and were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Lynx.
Phoenix entered this season with high expectations after acquiring Natasha Cloud and Kahleah Copper in the offseason. Despite the star-studded roster, the Mercury didn’t finish the season with a bang. The team was bounced in the first round for the first time since 2022.
Phoenix has three championships and the organization wanted to add another since this was possibly Diana Taurasi’s final season. She hasn’t made a decision yet, more on that later, but the fairy tale ending wasn’t to be.
Needless to say, the Mercury will have their hands full this offseason. With the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft on Dec. 6 and free agency opening up shortly after, Phoenix will have tough decisions to make.
Here are three players who might not return to Phoenix next season.
Monique Billings is a name that teams need to have on their radar after this season. During the 2024 season, she was waived by the Los Angeles Sparks (May 13), and Dallas Wings (Aug 14).
Nonetheless, the 28-year-old veteran stayed professional and ready to contribute to any team. She finished the rest of the season with Phoenix and was a beacon of energy for the team.
Billings finished the season averaging 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. These numbers may not stand out to everyone, but her ability to impact the game in multiple facets despite not being called a primary scoring option, was important.
The UCLA product can impact a rebuilding team or contribute to a contending team. Golden State, the Connecticut Sun, or the Las Vegas Aces could be teams that try to recruit her.
Billings is in great shape and she is a glue piece that can fit in any lineup and she always puts the team first. This would be a great piece for a new head coach or a current coach trying to build or develop their roster.
The Mercury may have to say goodbye to another legend this summer — Britney Griner.
She has been the anchor on both sides of the ball for Phoenix since being drafted in 2013 out of Baylor. Griner has been one of the focal points in the desert, but she was overshadowed by Taurasi (understandably so). Now that DT could be moving on the franchise may start over from scratch.
Any franchise would be crazy not to try and add the 6-foot-9 center. This season she averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 57.9 percent from the floor. Needless to say, she has worked herself back into shape and is still producing while other numbers are called to score.
In the past, Griner has expressed her frustration with the franchise and their lack of productivity. The organization was solid while advocating for her while she was wrongly detained and then released but it hasn’t always been a smooth relationship between player and franchise.
Griner needs a fresh start and a change of scenery. The possible retirement of Taurasi may be enough for BG to explore her options.
Taurasi went on her farewell tour, but it may be one that she didn’t request. As soon as the final buzzer went off between the Mercury and Lynx, the question of whether it was her last game began to resurface.
Taurasi will not return to Phoenix next year because she captured another gold medal and her team may have reached the ceiling.
First-year head coach Nate Tibbetts seemed to play a tight lineup but struggled with late-game expectations. The additions of Cloud and Copper combined with their current core didn’t mesh well.
Taurasi paced herself throughout the season, but she has already accomplished so much. She is a three-time WNBA champion, and two-time finals MVP, she is the leading WNBA scorer and she has six gold medals.
If the leading WNBA all-time scorer (10,646 points) comes back for another season it will hurt Phoenix from being able to move on. Not to mention, it will be another aspect the franchise will have to build around.
With Golden State entering the W this year and Toronto starting in 2026, and the rest of the league growing, where will that place the Mercury?
