Mercury's Dupree Establishes Herself In College

Candice Dupree was one of the Phoenix Mercury's best players, and before she started her WNBA journey, she was making noise at Temple.

Jun. 15, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Candice Dupree (4) reacts on the court after a play against the Minnesota Lynx during the second half at US Airways Center. The Lynx defeated the Mercury 78-60. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Candice Dupree was drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2006, and after a few years with them, she joined the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury acquired her in a trade, and they gave up Cappie Pondexter.

Dupree became one of the Mercury's key players, and she helped them win a championship in 2014. She averaged 14.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists that year, and she played 34 games. She started in all of those games, and two years after she missed time due to injury, she picked up where she left off. Dupree was one of the most-durable players in the league before the injury, and she managed to bounce back and play at a high level.

Jun 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Asjha Jones (15) fouls Phoenix Mercury forward Candice Dupree (4) in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Mercury forward had a successful WNBA career, and her college years were a glimpse of what she would do later on.

Dupree attended Temple, and she averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.7 steals and 1.5 assists. She had an excellent senior year, as she averaged 17.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals.

Sep 9, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Candice Dupree (4) plays defense against Chicago Sky guard Elena Delle Donne (11) during game two of the WNBA Finals at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Phoenix's All-Star played well in her first season, and she started that season with an impressive game. She had a double-double, and she was exceptional on the boards. She had 17 rebounds and she scored 15 points. Dupree also had six blocks and a steal in Temple's 78-71 win over Pennsylvania.

In her second game, Dupree had 12 points, five steals, four rebounds, an assist and a block. Temple won another game, as Dupree and her teammates beat Santa Clara 65-54.

The skilled forward continued to play well, as she had 18 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Temple improved to 3-0, as the team beat Seton Hall 61-57.

Temple lost its first game, as Kansas State picked up a 72-65 win in a game where Dupree had seven points.

Dupree shines in her freshman year

Dupree had a nice freshman season, and she had her best game of the season shortly after that loss. She had 23 points, seven rebounds, an assist and a block. Temple lost that game as well, as Boston College won 69-62.

Oct 13, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs player development assistant Candice Dupree warms up players before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Phoenix's future forward was off to a good start, and she continued to shine in her remaining college years. Then, she began her WNBA journey, and as the saying goes, the rest was history.

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