Early Mercury Legend And More Add To Team's Legacy

The Phoenix Mercury have had four players wear No. 22, and the first one has a special place in franchise history.

Jul 24, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Charde Houston (22) shoots over Minnesota Score forward Maya Moore (23) in the third quarter at Target Center. The Lynx defeated the Mercury 81-69. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images / Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury had four players who wore No. 22 over the years, and that number made its debut right away.

The Mercury made their debut in 1997, and they received two players during the allocation phase. They received Michele Timms and Jennifer Gillom, and Gillom became the first player to wear No. 22.

Aug 9, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom during the game against the Indiana Fever at the Staples Center. The Fever defeated the Sparks 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mercury find a star in their first season

In her first season, the Mercury forward averaged 15.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. She got off to a great start, and her second season was even better. She averaged a career-high 20.8 points, and she had a huge game against the Cleveland Rockers. She had 38 points, and the Mercury won by two.

Gillom had a great career, and she spent most of it with the Mercury. She played with them until 2002, and she spent a year with the Los Angeles Sparks after that.

The Mercury forward became an All-Star, and she is one of the few players who have had their jersey retired by the franchise. That happened later on, and three more players wore the number after her.

Aug 17, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Charde Houston (22) drives to the basket under pressure from San Antonio Silver Stars forward Shameka Christon (behind) during the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The next player to do it was Charde Houston, and she started her career with the Minnesota Lynx. She played for the Mercury later on, and she averaged 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals.

Houston tied her career high in her first season with the Mercury, as she had 26 points against the Washington Mystics. Phoenix lost that game, as Washington won by 13.

In the past, Houston had 26 points against the San Antonio Silver Stars, and the Lynx picked up an 83-76 victory. The following year, she had 26 points against the Mercury, and Phoenix won that game. Houston had a nice career, and she won a championship in her time with the Lynx.

Aug 9, 2024; Paris, France; Australia forward Cayla George (15) blocks United States power forward Alyssa Thomas (14) in a women's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Years later, Cayla George wore it, and she wore two numbers during her time with the team. This number was her first, and in her first season with the Mercury, she had a career-high 14 points. She tied that number the following year, as Phoenix defeated the Chicago Sky. Then, Yvonne Turner became the last player to wear it, and she had a different number in her previous stint with the team. She had her career high during that first stint, as she had 22 points against the Mystics.

The Mercury have had some talented players wear this number, and the most notable is a legend.

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