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The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2004 season with a record of 17-17. While they did not make the playoffs, they were headed in the right direction. The Mercury drafted Diana Taurasi before the start of that season, and she went on to win Rookie of the Year.
After a solid season, the Mercury were looking to inch closer to the playoffs. They played well in the 2005 season, and they finished the year with a record of 16-18.
The Mercury played three preseason games, and they were on the road for two of them. Their first game was against the Indiana Fever, and Indiana won in a blowout. The Fever beat them 84-59.
Taurasi was in action for that game, and she led the team in scoring. She had 12 points, and she also had four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. The Mercury had two more players who scored at least 10 points, as Belinda Snell and Plenette Pierson both had 11.
Snell had two rebounds and two assists, and Pierson had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Phoenix had a road game against the Sacramento Monarchs, and it was a close game. The Mercury beat the Monarchs 72-70, and Taurasi had 20 points. The Mercury star also had four assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block. She got going, and that game was a glimpse of how she would play in the upcoming season.
Anna DeForge was the second-leading scorer, and she had 19 points. She also had three rebounds and two assists.
After that, the Mercury faced the Fever once again, and Indiana picked up another win. They beat Phoenix 84-75, and DeForge had a big night. She finished the game with 34 points, and she also had four assists, three rebounds and two steals. She was the only Mercury player who scored in double figures.
The Mercury finished 1-2 in those games, and the regular season began with a game against the Monarchs.
Sacramento beat Phoenix 77-72 in that game, and after losing to Indiana in the second, the Mercury beat the Charlotte Sting. Phoenix was on the right path, and the following season, the team added Cappie Pondexter. The Mercury were finding the right pieces, and it was only a matter of time before they reached the playoffs.
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