The Phoenix Mercury are in the WNBA Playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, and for the first time in seven years, they are headed to the WNBA Finals. Led by their Big 3 of Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, and Skylar Diggins-Smith, the Mercury finished fourth in the Western Conference.
The Mercury’s Big 3 led the team to a 19-13 record. Griner had another dominant season, earning her seventh All-Star selection, as she averaged 20.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. Griner has been a staple for Phoenix, making the playoffs every season of her career. Diggins-Smith had a productive year in her second season in Phoenix, averaging 17.7 PPG and 5.3 APG. The two veterans have been a huge reason for the Mercury’s Finals appearance this season, but the 39-year-old Taurasi has also been another staple for the team’s success.
Taurasi, dubbed by many as the greatest WNBA player of all time, saw her numbers dip this year, but the guard had a solid season, averaging 15.2 PPG and just under five APG. She had a vintage performance in Game 2 of the Semifinals while trailing 1-0 against the Las Vegas Aces, scoring 37 points on 10-of-13 shooting and 8-of-11 from behind the arc. The masterful shooting by Taurasi tied the series at one, and the Mercury were able to close out the series in five.
After facing elimination twice this playoffs (First Round versus the New York Liberty and Game 5 versus the Aces), the Mercury will be looking to start off the Finals on the right note on Sunday afternoon against Chicago.
The Chicago Sky only went 16-16 on the season, but still finished second in the Eastern Conference. A very balanced lineup with five players averaging double-digit points, the Sky won two straight single-elimination games before defeating a 26-6 Connecticut team in the Semifinals.
Led by 35-year-old star Candace Parker (13.3 PPG), sharpshooter Allie Quigley (45% 3PT), and floor general Courtney Vandersloot (8.6 APG), the Sky got hot at the right time in an improbable Finals appearance. After 13 seasons with Sparks, Parker, the two-time MVP, has led the Sky to the Finals in her first season with the team. This is Chicago’s second Finals appearance in their franchise’s history. The Sky went 15-19 in 2014 and got swept by the 29-5 Mercury in the Finals.
In 2016, the WNBA changed their playoff format, and for the first time, both teams who advanced to the Finals played in single-elimination games. Phoenix is 3-0 against Chicago this season with wins by one, three, and 20 points.
Playing against both Griner and Taurasi will always be tough for opposing defenses, however, Diggins-Smith has been the biggest problem for the Sky in these team’s three matchups. In their three games this season, she scored 24, 28, and 20 points, the latter of which was almost a triple-double. Vandersloot, who will likely be WNBA first-team with Diggins-Smith, will be tasked with guarding the score-first player.
The Mercury frontcourt of Griner and Brianna Turner (7.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG) will be a tough matchup for Parker and the 6’6” Azura Stevens. Chicago will need toughness, grit, and hard-nosed defense to pair with their exceptional three-point shooting to win this series. They are 12-1 when hitting 38%+ from three this season.
Even though Phoenix won all three regular-season matchups this season, Chicago has gotten hot at the right time en route to their Finals appearance. This series will likely not be a sweep due to how the Sky has been playing recently, and many would not be surprised to see a five-game series.
Game One tips off on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Footprint Arena in Phoenix.
