Five Players Leave Their Mark, Wear No. 31 For Phoenix

The Phoenix Mercury have had five players wear No. 31, and some of them achieved great things with the team.

Feb 10, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury general manager Jim Pitman (left) and Tina Charles hold up her jersey during Charles introductory press conference at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Breen-The Republic / Patrick Breen- The Republic

The Phoenix Mercury have had five players who wore No. 31 for them, and this number is one of the ones that appeared right away. Tara Williams wore it in 1997, and she played 12 games with the Mercury.

Oct 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A general view during the first half of game four of the 2025 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Williams was not drafted, but she still signed a deal with the Mercury. She averaged 3.1 points during that time, and while she played limited minutes, she had a notable performance. She had nine points against the Charlotte Sting, and that was Phoenix's first game of the season.

On top of her points, Williams had five assists, two rebounds and two steals. That was a good game for Williams and the Mercury, as they beat the Sting 76-59. Phoenix had two players who scored in double figures, as Bridget Pettis had 17 points, and Toni Foster had 14.

May 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Reebok shoes worn by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese against the LA Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While that was a nice performance from Williams, she had her career high in her season with the Portland Fire. She was selected by the Detroit Shock in an expansion draft, but she did not play for them. She missed the next two seasons, but she joined the Fire in 2000.

During her time with the Fire, she averaged 3.1 points, and she played 26 games. She had 15 points in a game against the Utah Starzz, and she had three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the process. She played well in her career, and that game against Utah was a glimpse of what she could do.

The next player to wear No. 31 for the Mercury was Jennifer Lacy. She went undrafted in 2006, but she joined the Mercury shortly after. She averaged 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds that season, and she had a 16-point game against the Sting. That was a good start, but she passed that number later in her career.

Lacy had a 25-point game in her time with the Connecticut Sun, and while she played well, Connecticut lost to the Atlanta Dream.

Former Phoenix Mercury players Mistie Bass, left, and Erin Phillips laugh during the 2014 Phoenix Mercury championship team reunion on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mercury add 2012 champion

A few years passed before another player wore No. 31 for the Mercury, but Erin Phillips did in 2014. That was her only season with the Mercury, and she averaged 5.8 points, 2.2 assists and 1.6 rebounds.

Phillips had a good year, and on top of tying her career high, she won her second championship. She had 21 points the Dream, and that was one of Phoenix's losses. They did not lose many games, as they finished the season with a record of 29-5.

After Phillips, Sancho Lyttle wore the number, and she played two seasons with the Mercury. She had some nice performances, but she had a career-high 31 points in her time with the Dream. Then, Phoenix had one last player who wore No. 31, as Tina Charles wore it in her 16 games with the team.

Charles has several accolades, and she came to Phoenix in hopes of winning a championship. However, things did not go as planned. That was a difficult year for the Mercury, and while they made the playoffs, the All-Star center was with another team by then.

The center had some strong performances with the Mercury, but her career high was with the New York Liberty. She had 36 points in a game against the Dallas Wings.

Phoenix has had some talented players wear this number, and eventually, someone will add their name to the list.

Please follow us on X to read more about the Mercury's past players, especially the ones who wore No. 31 when you click right here!

feed