How Many Players Wore No. 8 For The Mercury?

This next installment will look at Phoenix Mercury players who wore No. 8 for the team. There is a current Mercury player wearing it, as Monique Akoa Makani is rocking the number.

Aug 1, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) dribbles against Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada (3) during the second half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had several players over the years. It all started with the 1997 season, and the team is still going strong. Since the Mercury have been around for so long, there have been players that worn the same number.

In the last installment, Michele Timms was in a league of her own, as she wore No. 7 and had her jersey retired. This time around, there have been a few players who wore No. 8.

The first player to wear this number was Maria Stepanova. Stepanova played with the Mercury from 1998 to 2001. She also spent time with them in 2005.

Jul 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) catches a pass in the second half against the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images / Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Stepanova was the Mercury's draft pick in 1998, as they drafted her with the eighth pick of that year's draft. She averaged 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in her first season. Stepanova's best season with the Mercury was in 2005, when she averaged 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals.

After Stepanova, the next player to wear No. 8 was Mistie Bass. Bass played with the Mercury from 2014 to 2016. However, the Mercury drafted her in 2006, but they traded her. Before suiting up for Phoenix, she played with the Houston Comets, the Chicago Sky and the Connecticut Sun. Bass won a championship with the Mercury in her first year with the team.

In her time with the Mercury, she mostly came off the bench. She did not start a game for them in 2014, and she averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds that season. She played in 33 games in the 2015 season, and started in seven of them. Then, in her final year, she played 33 games and started in one of them.

After Bass, Stephanie Talbot wore the number. Talbot was drafted by the Mercury in 2014, but she ended up playing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in Australia. She later played for Phoenix in 2017. She spent two seasons with the Mercury, and she averaged 4.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in her first year.

The number stayed vacant for some time before Moriah Jefferson wore it in 2023. She signed with Phoenix, and played in 39 games with them. She averaged 10.5 points, 3.6 assists, two rebounds and 1.1 steals in that time.

The future is now

Today, Mercury rookie Monique Akoa Makani wears No. 8, and she is doing the number justice. She is having a solid season, and she has been a reliable starter for Phoenix. She signed a training camp deal with the Mercury, and like their other rookies, Phoenix struck gold with Akoa Makani.

The rookie is establishing herself and is showing that she can be a valuable contributor for the team this season and beyond. Akoa Makani is making good use of her time, and when it comes to No. 8, she is the fifth player to wear the number.

Akoa Makani's future is bright, and there is a chance she holds onto the number for a while.

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