Will Nick U'Ren Win Executive Of The Year?

The Phoenix Mercury are having a good year, and they will likely be involved in several award races like Coach of the Year and MVP. Will their Nick U'Ren be in the mix for Executive Of The Year?

New Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas poses with general manager Nick U'Ren at a news conference at the Phoenix Mercury's practice facility on Feb. 25, 2025. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury continue to impress, as they are one of the top teams in the WNBA this season. They are competing with the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty, who faced each other in the 2024 WNBA Finals.

The Mercury were a playoff team last year, despite being two games under .500. They finished the season with a record of 19-21. They reached the playoffs, but they lost to the Lynx in the first round.

Phoenix prepared for this season by adding some pieces. They had a busy offseason, and as the second half of the season is underway, their work has paid off.

During the offseason, the Mercury brought in players like Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas and Sami Whitcomb. They acquired Sabally and Thomas in a four-team trade, and Whitcomb they signed to a deal. Then, they found hidden gems in the players they signed to training camp deals. Players like Lexi Held, Monique Akoa Makani and Kathryn Westbeld fall into this category.

All of these moves have helped the Mercury get to this point. They established a new trio with Kahleah Copper, who the Mercury traded for before the start of last season, Sabally and Thomas. Then, the reserves around them make them an even better team. Now, Phoenix is chasing a championship.

When it comes to these moves, there is a name that comes to mind. These moves are the work of Mercury general manager Nick U'Ren.

U'Ren became the general manger in 2023. He is an Arizona native that spent time with the Golden State Warriors. U'Ren was the Warriors' executive director of basketball operations. He replaced Jim Pitman, who spent years as the team's general manager.

Pitman led the team to nine playoff appearances, two WNBA Finals and a championship. U'Ren was with the Warriors during their championship wins.

U'Ren has made the right decisions, and his second year with the Mercury reflects that. He could be in the running for Executive of the Year, and his team seems to agree.

In a social media post, the Mercury had a caption that highlighted the team's hot start and their chances of winning various awards.

"Top 3 in league standings. MVP Front Runner. Coach of the Year Candidate. Executive of the Year Candidate. Second half of the season starts now. This is Mercury basketball." The post said.

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The Mercury are in a good spot, and by the end of the season, U'Ren could take home an award as well.

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