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The Phoenix Mercury found two stars in 2004, and they finished that season with a record of 17-17. The following year, the Mercury finished with a record of 16-18, and they were fifth in the Western Conference.
Despite missing the playoffs, the Mercury were starting to get attention. Their new stars were playing well, and one of them was a part of an award race. That player was Diana Taurasi, and she was ninth in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race.
Taurasi received 17 points in this race, and she was tied with Chamique Holdsclaw. The Mercury guard had a good year, as she averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals. These numbers were close to her rookie season, and by the end of her first year, she won Rookie of the Year, and she was a member of the All-WNBA First Team.
Phoenix’s star would continue to shine, and years later, she won the MVP award. Until then, she was a part of the race but many of the WNBA’s veterans were ahead of her.
Sheryl Swoopes won MVP that year, and she received 16 first-place votes. She earned 327 points, and the maximum was 500. This race was close, as Lauren Jackson had 325. Then, players like Tamika Catchings, Yolanda Griffith and Lisa Leslie were ahead of Taurasi.
The Mercury were not involved in a lot of races, but they were tied to two more. Kamila Vodichkova was involved in the Most Improved Player race, and she received two points. She averaged 10.9 points, seven rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal that season. That was the second time that she was a part of the Most Improved Player race, as she received nods back in 2002. Nicole Powell won that award in 2005, and she earned 20 points.
Carrie Graf, who coached the Mercury for two seasons, was involved in the Coach of the Year race, and she received a point. John Whisenant won the award, and he had 25 points. Mike Thibault was second, and he earned 19 points.
The Mercury were trying to figure things out, and Taurasi’s play was a good sign. She got off to a nice start, and with a few more pieces, the Mercury would find themselves in the playoffs.
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