Examining Phoenix's Ties To The 1999 Hall Of Fame Class

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame has so many great names, and some of them are tied to the Phoenix Mercury.

Aug 17, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Power head coach Nancy Lieberman before the game at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame features some of the biggest names in women's basketball. Whether it was a player, a coach or anyone else, they have brought something special and meaningful to the game. The Hall of Fame is a chance to honor those people, and every year, a new group gets inducted.

This year's class will feature Elena Delle Donne, Candace Parker, Cheryl Reeve, Doris Burke and others. The 2025 class featured Alana Beard, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, Cappie Pondexter and others.

Friends and family gather to celebrate The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame 2025 inductees, Alana Beard, Sue Bird, Mark Campbell, Danielle Donehew, Sylvia Fowles, Lucille Kyvallos, and Cappie Pondexter during a media event held at the WBHOF June 13, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (Shawn Millsaps/ Special to News Sentinel) / Shawn Millsaps/Special to the News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pondexter was one of the Phoenix Mercury's stars in her years with the team, and when it comes to the Hall of Fame, she joined a few others with Mercury ties.

Players like Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms received the honor, and they were inducted back to back. Timms was a part of the 2008 class, and Gillom was inducted in 2009. Then, there have been Mercury players before and after them.

The 1999 class was the first one to be inducted, and that group had Mercury ties. Nancy Lieberman was involved, and she played for the Mercury in their first season.

Sep 1, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Power coach Nancy Lieberman talks with Los Angeles Lakers guard LeBron James (23) at the BIG3 championship game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Lieberman played in the Women's Pro Basketball League (WBL) and the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA) years before playing in the WNBA. She won a championship during that time, and she was named the WABA Most Valuable Player (MVP).

The legendary guard came to Phoenix after that drafted her in the elite draft. The Mercury selected Bridget Pettis in the first round, and they picked Lieberman later. In her season with the Mercury, she averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds.

Outside of Lieberman, there were two other names tied to the Mercury in that year's Hall of Fame class. Ann Meyers-Drysdale was inducted, and she was Phoenix's general manager. She had that role from 2007 to 2011.

Seth Sulka was the general manager before her, and before he took on the role, another legendary player had it.

Cheryl Miller was the general manager, and she was also the Mercury's head coach. She had an excellent college career, and once her playing days were over, she moved to coaching. She coached USC before coming to Phoenix.

July 19, 2024; Phoenix, Ariz., U.S.; WNBA All-Star coach Cheryl Miller talks to Fever guard Caitlin Clark during WNBA All-Star practice on Media Day at the Footprint Center. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Miller leads the Mercury, gets them to the playoffs

Miller helped the Mercury make the playoffs in the first season, and they did it two more times. Then, she resigned from the position after the 2000 season.

The 1999 class had some special names, and when it comes to Miller and the others, they are a part of Mercury history.

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