How A Mercury Rookie Impacted The Defensive End

The Phoenix Mercury have had great rookies, and one of their best was a stellar defensive player.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) and Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) smile while bringing the ball up the court after a Taurasi block on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had some great rookies over the years. Some of them added accolades to their resume, as Diana Taurasi won Rookie of the Year. DeWanna Bonner won Sixth Woman of the Year as well as a championship in her first year. Brittney Griner made the All-Rookie team in 2013.

Having a great rookie year helps a player set the tone for their career, and usually, a player goes on to accomplish bigger and better things.

Recently, the rookie records of players like Cappie Pondexter and Monique Akoa Makani were discussed, as Pondexter's scoring helped her make history. She averaged 19.5 points, which is the fourth-highest average in history. The only players ahead of her are Cythina Cooper, Seimone Augustus and A'ja Wilson.

Jul 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) dribbles the ball up the court in the third quarter against the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images / Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Akoa Makani was a great free-throw shooter this season, and she is on a list for her impressive shooting. She shot 92.7 percent from the charity stripe, and she is among players like Elena Delle Donne, Sandy Brondello and others.

Mercury big makes history

In some cases, there are rookies who made an impact on the defensive end. There are players who excel in areas such as steals and blocks, and in the Mercury's case, they had an exceptional defender who became the first Phoenix player to win Defensive Player of the Year.

May 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Sparks guard Dearica Hamby (5) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In her rookie season, Griner, who is a Mercury great, had 81 blocks in her rookie season. This makes her second in total blocks in a player's rookie season. The only player who had more blocks in her first year was Margo Dydek, who had 114 blocks. Dydek was a rookie in 1998, and she played for the Utah Starzz.

Griner's performance on the defensive end let to her being the league leader in blocks that year, and she continued to lead for a few more years. The 2020 season was the first time she did not lead,but in 2021, she reclaimed her spot.

Sep 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) blocks a shot by LA Sparks guard Kia Nurse (10) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While Griner was the only Mercury player on the list, there were a few players who started their careers elsewhere and came to Phoenix later. Tina Charles had 57 blocks in her rookie season, and at that time, she was playing for the Connecticut Sun.

Tangela Smith had 46 blocks, and she was playing for the Sacramento Monarchs. Nicole Ohlde had 45, and she was playing for the Minnesota Lynx.

Griner became one of the Mercury's top players, and while she changed teams, her impact will be remembered.

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