Looking Back At The Mercury's 2023 Season

The Phoenix Mercury have had great seasons, but they have also had some rough ones. Their 2023 season is a prime example.

Aug 5, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) dribbles against Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd (24) during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Things are looking up for the Phoenix Mercury. They are currently one of the best teams in the WNBA, and they have a legitimate shot at winning it all.

The Mercury are in a good place, and they continue to rise. Teams go through ups and downs, and two years ago, Phoenix was in a tough space. When it comes to professional sports, even some of the best teams have their low moments, and that year was one of the Mercury's moments. It is time to look back at that season to show how far they have come since then.

In 2023, the Mercury finished the season with a record of 9-31. They had the worst record in the league, and they finished the season on a sour note. They lost their last 11 games. That was a challenging season, and it was the first time the Mercury missed the playoffs since 2012.

The 2023 season was the return of Brittney Griner, who missed the 2022 season due to an unfortunate situation overseas. Phoenix finished the 2022 season with a record of 15-21 in her absence. Griner returned to the United States, and the Mercury signed her to a new deal during the offseason.

The Mercury started the 2023 season with losses to the Los Angeles Sparks and the Chicago Sky. They picked up a win over the Minnesota Lynx, but lost their next three. The Mercury beat the Indiana Fever to end the losing streak, but that was short-lived. They lost the next six games.

Phoenix struggled and decided to go in a different direction coaching wise. They fired Vanessa Nygaard and Nikki Blue became interim head coach. After that, the Mercury brought in Nate Tibbetts before the 2024 season.

Griner was the Mercury's leading scorer that year, as she averaged 17.5 points. Diana Taurasi was not too far behind, as she averaged 16.0 points. The Mercury played were missing another star, as Skylar Diggins was on maternity leave.

It was a tough year for the Mercury, and they made some changes before the start of 2024. Phoenix acquired Kahleah Copper, who averaged 21.1 points in her first year with them. Now, Copper is a part of the Mercury's new trio.

The 2023 season was not pretty, but things have changed since that time.

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