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The Phoenix Mercury drafted one of their biggest players in 2013, and then the year before, they drafted a member of that season’s All-Rookie Team. Brittney Griner helped them win a championship in 2014, which was a year after they drafted her. Before that, they found Samantha Prahalis out of Ohio State, who ended up having a nice rookie season.
The Mercury have found a mixture of stars and hidden gems throughout their time, and like all teams, some picks do not work out. Oftentimes, it is not because of the player’s talents, but it may be the wrong fit or the wrong time.
Phoenix has encountered that, especially in the years where they draft late. The 2011 WNBA Draft was one of those instances, as they had two draft picks, but they were in the second and third rounds. The Mercury had the 19th pick, then much later, they had the 31st pick.
With the 19th pick of that year’s draft, the Mercury selected Brittany Spears. Spears spent her college years with Colorado, and she had some good seasons with them. Her best year was her final year, where she averaged 19.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks. She made the All-Big 12 First Team that season, and in her first year, she made the All-Freshman Team. She went on to play overseas in places like Spain and Poland.
As far as the Mercury’s pick in the third round, they used it to draft Tahnee Robinson. Robinson spent her college years with Nevada. In that time, she received honors such as WAC Freshman of the Year, and she was featured on the All-WAC First Team in 2010 and 2011.
The Mercury have drafted many players over the years, and they all have had different paths. Drafting is a process, and that is especially true when drafting in later rounds.
Spears and Robinson may not have suited up for the Mercury, but being drafted ties them to the franchise. They had respectable college careers that caught the eye of Phoenix, and their names were called. Both of them played overseas, and later on, and Robinson even became the Director of Player Development for Nevada. So, all in all, things worked out for them.
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