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The Phoenix Mercury have had some legendary players in their time. They have had players like Diana Taurasi, who went on to become the WNBA’s all-time scoring leader. She had 10,646 points in her career.
Interestingly enough, the Mercury also have ties to legends who were involved with the team in other ways. One suited up for the team, but her time was short-lived. Then, the other two took on different roles, but they still had an impact on the team.
Cheryl Miller was the Mercury’s first head coach, and she coached them from 1997 to 2000. She was an excellent player in her college years, and in 1983 and 1984, she led her team to championships. Miller suffered a knee injury a few years later, which impacted her career beyond college. She went into coaching, and that is how she ended up leading the Mercury.
Nancy Lieberman was another college star, and she helped Ole Miss have some successful seasons. Then, she played in the Women’s Pro Basketball League and the Women’s American Basketball Association. She played in those leagues from around 1980 to 1984.
Years later, she was drafted by the Mercury in the elite draft. She was their second pick behind Bridget Pettis. She averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds.
Another name tied to the Mercury is Ann Meyers Drysdale. She was a star with UCLA, and she attended the school from 1974-1978. Years later, she would end up being their general manager, and she held the position from 2007 to 2011. She is also a vice president of the team and she does commentary for their broadcast.
All three of these players are legends, and beyond their ties to the Mercury, they all have something else in common. The three of them have awards named after them.
The Cheryl Miller Award is given to the best small forward in Division I women’s basketball. A current Mercury star, Satou Sabally, won the award in 2020, which was the year she averaged 16.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal in her final year with Oregon. Then, she went on to get drafted by the Dallas Wings.
The Nancy Lieberman Award is given to players who have qualities reminiscent of Lieberman, such as leadership and playmaking. Diana Taurasi, Temeka Johnson and others won this award in their college years.
Lastly, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is given to the best shooting guard in Division I. The last player to win this award was Juju Watkins.
Phoenix has so many ties to legends, and although these three players have different paths, they are all a part of Mercury history.
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