Rewind: Mercury Struggle In 2023 Commissioner's Cup

When it comes to the Commissioner's Cup, the Phoenix Mercury have had solid showing. However, they struggled in 2023.

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

The WNBA introduced the Commissioner's Cup back in 2021, and since then, it has been a successful tournament.

In the inaugural event, the Seattle Storm won as they beat the Connecticut Sun 79-57. Since then, teams like the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty have won, and the most recent champion was the Indiana Fever.

Commissioner's Cup

The 2024 and 2025 Commissioner's Cups were discussed in previous articles, and this time around, the 2023 festivities are the topic of discussion.

When it comes to the 2023 Commissioner's Cup, the Mercury had a rough time. They finished with a record of 1-9, which made them not only the worst team in the Western Conference but also in the Commissioner's Cup in general.

The Mercury started their journey with a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks beat them 94-71. Their first Commissioner's Cup game was also their first game of the regular season. So, the season did not start off on the right foot.

Griner's Game

Despite the loss, the Mercury had a balanced effort. Brittney Griner led the team with 18 points, Moriah Jefferson had 16 points, Diana Taurasi had 15 points and Sug Sutton had 10.

The Mercury won their next Commissioner's Cup game, as they beat the Minnesota Lynx 90-81. Phoenix played well in that game, as they had five players in double figures. Taurasi was their leading scorer with 23 points, and she also had 10 assists. Griner had 19 points and eight rebounds.

Aug 3, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) celebrates her 10,000th career point during the second half of the game against the Atlanta Dream at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Sutton had a nice game, as she finished with 14 points. Then, Jefferson and Sophie Cunningham both had 13 points. The Mercury were 1-1 in Commissioner's Cup games, but it went downhill from there.

Things go downhill for the Mercury

After that win, they lost to the Sparks once again. Los Angeles beat them 99-93. Then, they lost games against the Dallas Wings, the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces. They met these three teams again later on, and they lost all three games. They also saw the Lynx for another game, and they got their revenge. Minnesota beat them 75-64.

That year's Commissioner's Cup was rough for the Mercury, and so was their season overall. They finished the season with a record of 9-31. It was a challenging year for the Mercury, but things began to turn around the following year.

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