What Was The First Trade In Mercury History?

The Phoenix Mercury were one of the original teams in the 1997 WNBA season. They had a good year, and they made moves in that period.

Jul 18, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; WNBA all star team head coach Cheryl Miller walks the red carpet during the WNBA All Star weekend at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury were a part of the season that started it all. They were one of the original eight teams in the 1997 WNBA season, and they were one of the most successful that year. They finished the season with a record of 16-12, which made them the top team in the Western Conference.

Phoenix reached the playoffs that year, but they lost to the New York Liberty. The Liberty beat them 59-41. New York lost to the Houston Comets, who went on to win multiple championships.

The 1997 season was special, and it remains an important part of the league's history.

When it comes to that season, women's basketball legend Cheryl Miller led the way. She was the Mercury's head coach and general manager. The Mercury brought in players through drafts and, eventually, a trade.

On July 31, 1997, the Mercury completed their first trade. They sent future considerations to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Mikiko Hagiwara.

Team WNBA head coach Cheryl Miller walks the sidelines during the WNBA All-Star Game at Footprint Center in Phoenix on July 20, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Hagiwara was selected in the WNBA's Elite Draft. She was the 14th pick in the second round. She played 14 games with the Monarchs, and she started in two of them. She averaged 3.1 points in 12.4 minutes.

In the same year, the Mercury acquired her, and she played 12 games with them. She ended up starting in five of those games. Hagiwara averaged 2.8 points in 15.5 minutes.

Hagiwara played 10 games for the Mercury in 1998 before being released. She was released exactly a year after the Mercury acquired her. In her final game with Phoenix, she had two points and played almost eight minutes. The Mercury won that game, as they beat the Monarchs 88-67.

Trading places

Hagiwara may have been the Mercury's first trade, but like all teams, Phoenix eventually had several others. Over the years, they brought in players like Candice Dupree in a trade, and more recently, they brought in Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas in a trade. The year before, they brought in Kahleah Copper in a trade with the Chicago Sky.

Trades allow teams to get better, or at least put them in a position to improve over time. Some trades are "win now" based, and others are for the future and rebuilding. The move that brought in Sabally and Thomas showed that the Mercury want to win now, and with the way this season is going, the Phoenix has a good shot at winning.

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