Mercury's Carson Makes Name For Herself In College Years

Essence Carson spent some time with the Phoenix Mercury in 2019, and years before that, she had strong performances in college.

Oct 11, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Essence Carson (17) dribbles in the third quarter against the Minnesota Lynx in game two of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 79-60. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Essence Carson won a championship in her time in the WNBA, and she did it with the Los Angeles Sparks. That was her first season with the team, and she averaged 8.1 points, two rebounds, 1.5 assists and a steal.

Carson comes to Phoenix

Carson played for the New York Liberty before her time with the Sparks, and after her time in Los Angeles, she played for the Phoenix Mercury. She played with the Mercury in 2019, and she averaged 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Her best game during that time was a 20-point performance against the Las Vegas Aces. She was one of five players who scored in double figures, as Brittney Griner and Yvonne Turner had 18 points, Briann January had 16 and DeWanna Bonner had 1.

Oct 14, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Essence Carson (17) and guard Alana Beard (0) celebrate after a basket in the second half of game three of the WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx at Galen Center. Sparks won 92-75. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Before playing in the WNBA, Carson attended Rutgers. She played well in her college years, and she averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Her best performances were 25-point games against Marquette and George Washington. Both of those games were wins, and in the victory over Marquette, Carson had five rebounds, three blocks and an assist to go along with her points.

As far as the win over George Washington, Carson had seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. She had four games of 20-plus points in her college years, and she also did well in other areas.

On Dec. 29, 2004, Essence Carson, of Rutgers, calls a play. Rutgers vs. Tennessee during the second half. / Tariq Zehawi / The Record / USA TODAY NETWORK

Carson's best game rebounding-wise was against Tennessee. She had 13 rebounds in that game, and she had a double-double. She had 14 points, two assists, two steals and a block. She had 10 other games where she had at least 10 rebounds.

When it comes to facilitating, Carson had two games with eight assists. The first was in Rutgers' 80-55 win over Louisville, and the second was a win over Syracuse.

Carson showcased her skills throughout her college years, and she had a big game on the defensive end. She had seven steals in a game against Georgetown. She also had games where she had multiple blocks, and she had four blocks in three different games. She did it against Pittsburgh, Connecticut and South Florida.

Oct 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Essence Carson (17) celebrates a foul in the first quarter against the Minnesota Lynx in game five of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Overall, Carson had some strong performances in college, and throughout her WNBA career, she had a chance to showcase her abilities.

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