Mercury's Bonner And Others Impact Team During Poor Season

The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2012 season with a record of 7-27, and despite their struggles, some of their players were involved in award races.

Jul 8, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (24) moves towards the basket while being guarded by Seattle Storm guard Tanisha Wright (30) during the 1st half at KeyArena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury struggled in 2012, and by the end of the season, they had seven wins. That season remains their worst, and after, the Mercury found themselves back in the playoffs.

Phoenix drafted Brittney Griner in the 2013 WNBA Draft, and she helped the team finish that season with a record of 19-15.

Despite struggling in 2012, the Mercury had some positives. They were involved in different award races, and that included the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Tina Charles won the award, and she received 25 first-place votes. She finished the race with a total of 345 points, and the most a player could have was 390. Charles was playing for the Connecticut Sun at that time, and she would play for the Mercury years later.

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

Candace Parker finished second, and she earned 253 points. Tamika Catchings was third, and she had 210 points. Then, players like Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter received nods. Pondexter was playing for the New York Liberty, and she averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals.

Mercury reserve changes roles

DeWanna Bonner was a part of the race, and she received a point. The 2012 season was significant for her, as her role began to change. Bonner was a reserve in her first three seasons, and during that time, she would occasionally enter the starting lineup. In 2012, she played 32 games and she started in all of them.

Sep. 12, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard DeWanna Bonner (24) calls a play during the first half against the Connecticut Sun at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Bonner averaged a career-high 20.6 points, and she was one of the bright spots of a poor season. She was recognized for her efforts, and this was only one of the awards she received votes for that year.

Aug. 25, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Indiana Fever guard Briann January (20) drives the ball against the Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) in the second half at US Airways Center. The Fever defeated the Mercury 85-72. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Phoenix had a player in the Rookie of the Year race, as Samantha Prahalis finished third. She was the sixth pick of that year's draft, and she averaged 11.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in her first season. Prahalis did not win Rookie of the Year, but she made the All-Rookie Team. She was joined by Nneka Ogwumike, who won the award after getting 38 points, Glory Johnson, Tiffany Hayes and Riquna Williams.

The Mercury had a player in the Sixth Woman of the Year race, as Avery Warley-Talbert received a point. She started her career with the Mercury after she went undrafted in that year's draft.

Warley-Talbert played 28 games with the Mercury, and she started in three of them. She averaged 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 points. She did well as one of the team's reserves, and she brought that energy to teams like the Liberty, the Chicago Sky and others later on.

Phoenix was involved in two more races, as Bonner received points for Most Improved Player and for the Sportsmanship Award. Kristi Toliver ended up winning Most Improved Player, and Kara Lawson won the Sportsmanship Award.

The Mercury had a bad year, but players like Bonner and Prahalis helped them get some wins.

Please follow us on X to read more about the Mercury's worst season when you click right here!

feed