Mercury’s 2008 Setback Sparked a Major Comeback

The Phoenix Mercury won it all for the first time in 2007, then, they missed the playoffs the following year.

Oct 1, 2009; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) against the Indiana Fever in the first quarter at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury won their first championship in 2007. They missed the playoffs from 2001 to 2006. In Paul Westhead's second season with the team, they made history, as they beat the Detroit Shock in the WNBA Finals.

Mercury win first championship

Phoenix beat them 3-2, after losing the first game of the series. They picked up wins in Game 2, Game 4 and the fifth one to win it all. The Mercury had a good year, as they finished the regular season with a record of 23-11.

The Phoenix Mercury's Diana Taurasi (3) celebrates with her teammates after defeating the Indiana Fever to win the WNBA Finals at US Airways Center on Oct. 9, 2009. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After their win, Westhead left, and the Mercury needed a replacement. Corey Gaines, who was an assistant coach during Westhead's time, took over and would lead the Mercury to their second championship. However, that came a year after he took over as their head coach.

In the 2008 season, the Mercury finished the season with a record of 16-18. They missed the playoffs, and they were at the bottom of the Western Conference. They were tied with the Minnesota Lynx that year, and both of them were the only two teams that were under .500 in the conference.

While the Mercury were at the bottom of the West, they were not the worst team in the league. They were teams in the Eastern Conference who were below them, as the Chicago Sky had a record of 12-22, the Washington Mystics were 10-24 and the Atlanta Dream were 4-30. So, while the Mercury missed the playoffs, it was still a decent season.

Phoenix started the 2008 season 0-4, which was disappointing for a team that won a championship the previous year. They lost to the Los Angeles Sparks, the San Antonio Stars, the Seattle Storm and the Lynx in that time.

August 28, 2010; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi against the San Antonio Silver Stars during the second half at the AT&T Center. Phoenix beat San Antonio 92-73. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-Imagn Images / Brendan Maloney-Imagn Images

The Mercury won their first game of the year when they picked up a victory over the Mystics. They beat them 98-93 in a game where Diana Taurasi had 29 points. Phoenix tried to get back on track, and later on, they won four games in a row to improve to 8-7. Then, it was a mix of wins and losses from there.

August 28, 2010; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) warms up prior to the start of the second quarter against the San Antonio Silver Stars at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-Imagn Images / Brendan Maloney-Imagn Images

Their last game of the season was against the Indiana Fever, and Indiana beat them 103-89. That was it for the Mercury, and they had to wait another season before they were back in the playoffs. However, that was a special year. The 2008 season was an adjustment for the Mercury, but they managed to get back on track and added to their history afterwards.

Please follow us on X to read more about Phoenix's 2008 season when you click right here!

feed