The Last of Her Kind: Mercury Legend in No. 32 Stands Alone

The Phoenix Mercury have had some great players, and some of them had shared jerseys. However, when it comes to No. 32, there is only one person who wore it.

Jul 18, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks coach Carol Ross (right) and assistant coach Bridget Pettis react during the game against the Phoenix Mercury at the Staples Center. The Mercury defeated the Sparks 90-84. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had multiple players who have shared jersey numbers. The franchise has had multple players wear No. 31, and Tina Charles was the last one to do it.

Apr 21, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Tina Charles shares a laugh with her teammates at Verizon 5G Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Cheryl Evans/The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK / The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Charles played with the Mercury in 2022, as she signed with them before the start of the season. However, her time with the team was brief, as she received a buyout and signed with the Seattle Storm shortly after.

Another player may wear No. 31 down the line, but for the time being, the number remains open.

When it comes to the next number, there is a special history tied to it. There is only one player that wore it in her time with the team, and she was there from the beginning.

Mercury legend Bridget Pettis comes on the court during the Ring of Honor ceremony at the Footprint Center on Saturday, May 18, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bridget Pettis was one of Phoenix's first players, and they picked her up in the elite draft. They selected her in the first round, and they selected Nancy Lieberman in the second.

Before that, the Mercury added Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms. Phoenix continued to build their roster, and once everything was complete, they were off to the races.

Pettis and the Mercury kick things off

The Mercury started their first season with a win over the Charlotte Sting. They beat the Sting 76-59, and Pettis was the team's leading scorer with 17 points. She also was the first player to score a basket for them.

Pettis had some great moments in that first season, and she averaged 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals. In her second year, she averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a steal.

Project Roots AZ co-founder Bridget Pettis plants lettuce on her incubator farm at Spaces of Opportunity near 12th Avenue and Vineyard on Oct. 17, 2022, in Phoenix. News Dionne Washington Photos For Prop 207 Justice Reinvestment Fund Story / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Mercury guard played with the team from 1997 to 2001. She played with the Indiana Fever after her time with Phoenix, as the Mercury moved her in a historic deal. Pettis played with Indiana for a few years, and eventually, she got into coaching.

Pettis is one of the few players who had their jersey retired by the Mercury. Her teammates Gillom and Timms did, then Phoenix also retired Penny Taylor's jersey. Diana Taurasi will join these players, as the franchise will retire her jersey next year.

Players like Pettis are an important part of the Mercury's history, and as the team continues to strive for success, those players are still honored.

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