Why Phoenix Was Not Involved In Award Races In 2023

The Phoenix Mercury struggled in 2023, and by the end of the season, they had a record of 9-31. They started the season with a loss, as the Los Angeles Sparks beat them 94-71.

That matchup was a Commissioner’s Cup game, and despite the loss, there were some solid performances in that game. Brittney Griner had 18 points, six rebounds, four blocks and two steals.

Moriah Jefferson had 16 points, four assists, four rebounds and a block. Diana Taurasi had 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Sug Sutton had 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal off the bench.

Phoenix struggled all year, as it was hard for the team to get rhythm. The Mercury were the worst team in the league, and changes had to be more as they looked to get back on track.

With the way Phoenix’s season went, the Mercury were not involved in many award races. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award was given to Breanna Stewart, as she averaged a career-high 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals. That was her first season with the New York Liberty, and she led them to the WNBA Finals.

Stewart earned 446 points, while future Mercury player, Alyssa Thomas earned 439 points. Another future Mercury player finished fifth in the race, as Satou Sabally was fifth. She earned 35 points.

Aliyah Boston was the unanimous Rookie of the year, and no one else was a part of the race.

A’ja Wilson won Defensive Player of the Year, and she earned 32 points. The most points a player could earn in that race was 60. Thomas was also in the running for the award, and she received 24 points.

The Sixth Woman of the Year race did not have Mercury players, but there were a few future players in the mix. Alysha Clark won the award, and she earned 35 points. Kalani Brown and Sami Whitcomb were tied for fourth in this race, and they were joined Marine Johannes. They all received a point.

Sabally won Most Improved Player, and she did it after averaging a career-high 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals. There were other players involved in the race, but Sabally won convincingly.

There was only one award race that featured a Mercury player. The Sportsmanship award was won by Elizabeth Williams, but Megan Gustafson, who was playing for Phoenix at the time, received a vote. There were future Phoenix players involved, as Whitcomb was tied for fourth and Rebecca Allen, who played with the Mercury in 2024, was tied for eighth.

Phoenix had a difficult year, but as time went on, things started to get better.

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