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The Phoenix Mercury made the playoffs early on, as they were one of four teams that made the postseason in 1997. They faced the New York Liberty that year, and the Liberty came out victorious. They beat the Mercury 59-41, and Rebecca Lobo was their leading scorer with 16 points.
The Mercury were led by Jennifer Gillom and Marlies Askamp. They both had nine points in a game where Phoenix struggled offensively. Regardless, it was a good year, and it was a glimpse of what that team was capable of accomplishing.
Phoenix made the playoffs three times in the first four years, and one of the key players during that time was Bridget Pettis. Pettis was the team’s first pick in a special draft, and she averaged 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals in her rookie season.
The Mercury guard also played well during Phoenix’s postseasons, and her best year was 1998. Pettis averaged 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals. That was a big year for the Mercury, as it was the first time they reached the WNBA Finals.
Pettis started that run with a solid performance. She had nine points, three assists and a rebound in Phoenix’s win over the Cleveland Rockers. The Mercury beat the Rockers 78-68 in that game, and Gillom was the star. She had 21 points, five rebounds and an assist.
Michele Timms was the second-leading scorer, and she had 16 points. She also had three assists and two rebounds. Then, Michelle Brogan had 10 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Cleveland won the next game, as the Rockers picked up a 67-66 win. Pettis had 15 points in that game, and she also had two rebounds and an assist. She was the team’s second-leading scorer, as Gillom had another impressive performance. She had 27 points and 10 rebounds. Then, Brogan had 11 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Then, in the final game of that series, Pettis had her best game of that playoff run. She had a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds. She also had five assists. The Mercury beat the Rockers 71-60, and they advanced to the WNBA Finals.
Pettis had some nice games in the Finals, and her best was the last game. She had 13 points, two rebounds and two assists. Phoenix’s guard was locked in during that run, and while the Mercury lost, players like Pettis gave it their all.
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