Mercury Add Big Ten Tournament Standouts Over The Years

The Phoenix Mercury have had a few Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Players on their roster, and one of them won the award a few years back.

Oct 8, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA;Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) dribbles past Las Vegas Aces center Megan Gustafson (17) and guard Jewell Loyd (24) in the second half during game three of the 2025 WNBA Finals at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have ties to the Big Ten, and some of their standout players came from that conference. The Mercury drafted Samantha Prahalis in 2012, and she had a solid rookie season.

Jun 6, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) drives to the basket while defended by Minnesota Lynx forward Monica Wright (22) in the second quarter at the Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images / Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images

Prahalis attended Ohio State, and her impressive performances caught the eye of the Mercury. She joined the team, and she averaged 11.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals. After her successful year, she started the 2013 season with the Mercury, but ended up with the New York Liberty later on.

Big Ten stars take home special award

The Mercury guard saw success at both the collegiate and professional levels, and other players from the conference have gone on to have their share of success. Some of those players won the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, which is an award that dates back to 1995, and Missy Masley won it in Penn State's victory over Ohio State.

Since then, other players have won it, and the first one with Mercury ties was Shereka Wright.

UT Arlington Mavericks head coach Shereka Wright looks down court Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, during the NCAA women’s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wright attended Purdue, and she won the award in 2003 and 2004. She later started her WNBA journey, and while she was drafted by the Detroit Shock, Wright started her career with the Mercury. She played two seasons, and she averaged 3.8 points and two rebounds in her second season.

Years later, another player with ties to Phoenix won, as Megan Gustafson won in 2019. She attended Iowa, and her team picked up a big win over Maryland in the championship game.

Iowa center Megan Gustafson (10) smiles while Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, right, announced he was retiring her jersey during a celebration of the 2018-19 Hawkeyes women's basketball season, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. 190424 Wbb Elite 041 Jpg / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen

Gustafson had a big season, as she averaged 27.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 assists in her final year. She started her WNBA journey shortly after, and she played for the Dallas Wings. Eventually, she made her way to Phoenix, and she played with them in 2022 and 2023. She had the best season of her career so far, as she averaged 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in a year where the Mercury struggled. Now, she is with the Las Vegas Aces, and she has a championship with them.

In between Gustafson and Wright, another player with Mercury ties won, as Shatori Walker-Kimbrough won in 2016. She played for the Mercury in 2020, and she averaged 7.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals during that time.

These players represented the Big Ten, and in their time with the Mercury, they showcased their talents.

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