How Nakia Sanford Made Her Way To Phoenix

Nakia Sanford went undrafted at the start of her career, but she joined the Phoenix Mercury years later.

Sep. 12, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Nakia Sanford (43) reacts on the court in the second half against the Connecticut Sun at US Airways Center. The Sun defeated the Mercury 100 - 78. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Nakia Sanford may have started her career as an undrafted player, but she eventually made her WNBA debut. She went undrafted in the 1999 draft, but she started her career with the Washington Mystics.

Jun. 20, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Nakia Sanford (left), forward Penny Taylor (13), guard Diana Taurasi (3) and forward Candice Dupree (4) sit on the bench during the game against the Washington Mystics during the second half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Sanford joined the Mystics in 2003, and in her first season, she averaged 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds. She played 17 games that season, and she came off the bench in all of them. She spent most of her career with the Mystics, and she had the best season of her career during that time. She averaged 11.0 points and 7.1 rebounds in a season where Washington finished 16-18.

Sanford comes to Phoenix

After spending extensive time with the Mystics, Sanford played for the Phoenix Mercury. She signed a deal with them, and in her first season, she averaged 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. Her best game of the season was a 14-point game against the Connecticut Sun.

Sep. 16, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Alexis Hornbuckle (14) reacts on the court with teammates center Lynetta Kizer (12) , forward Nakia Sanford (43) and forward Charde Houston (22) during the game against the Chicago Sky in the first half at the US Airways Center. The Sky defeated the Mercury 86-55. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Sanford played well in that game, and she also had 11 rebounds and an assist. The Mercury had three more players who scored in double figures, as Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor both had 26 points. Candice Dupree had 10 points, and she also had a strong game rebounding-wise. She had 11 rebounds and she also had six assists.

After a solid first season with the Mercury, Sanford had another decent year. She averaged 4.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 30 games. She started in 15 of those games, which was one less than she did the previous season.

Sep. 21, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson (32) handles the ball against the Phoenix Mercury forward Nakia Sanford (43) in the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

The talent big had another strong game against the Sun, as she had 10 points, seven rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block in her team's loss. DeWanna Bonner was the team's leading scorer, and she had 24 points. She also had 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Charde Houston had a nice performance in that game, as she had 13 points, two assists, two blocks and a rebound. Bonner, Houston and Sanford all played well, but their team could not get the win.

Sanford had a unique journey, and she played with one of the WNBA's most historic teams. Before that, she had some decent college years, and her best was her last. She averaged 9.8 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Kansas Jayhawks. Sanford is a part of Mercury history, and she played for the team during an interesting period.

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