How The Mercury Received Recognition During A Difficult Season

The Phoenix Mercury struggled in 2002, but they were still a part of an award race.

Oct 13, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A general view of game action between the Phoenix Mercury and the Chicago Sky during the first half of game two of the 2021 WNBA Finals at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The 2002 season was a bad year for the Phoenix Mercury, as they finished the season with a record of 11-21.

Jan 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Former WNBA player Cynthia Cooper talks before the game between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Cynthia Cooper, who became the team's head coach after Cheryl Miller, started the 2002 season, but she resigned after the first 10 games. Linda Sharp took over, and she coached for the rest of the season.

Phoenix started the season with a loss, as the Houston Comets beat the Mercury 61-56. The Mercury bounced back from that, as they won their next four games. They beat the Utah Starzz, the Washington Mystics, the Charlotte Sting and the Detroit Shock before they lost to the Seattle Storm.

The Mercury went on a six-game losing streak later on, and after snapping that streak, they went on another. Phoenix had trouble getting into a rhythm, and the franchise missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.

It was a bad year, and despite that, they had a player in an award race. The Mercury were not involved in the Most Valuable Player (MVP), and that year's winner played for the Comets. Sheryl Swoopes won the award, and she received 29 first-place votes. She finished the race with 482 points, and Lisa Leslie, who finished second, had 380.

Jul 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; A Wilson official WNBA Evo NXT basketball approaches the net and rim at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tamika Catchings won Rookie of the Year, and she had a comfortable lead. She earned 48 points, while Sue Bird received eight, Swin Cash had three and Nikki Teasley had one. Bird and Cash played for UConn, and after winning a championship earlier that year, they started their WNBA journeys.

On top of winning MVP, Swoopes also won Defensive Player of the Year. She finished ahead of Catchings, who would win the award five times later in her career.

Coco Miller won Most Improved Player, and she earned 14 points. Tamika Whitmore, who finished second, had 12. This race had Mercury ties, as Tangela Smith, Penny Taylor, Kamila Vodichkova, Tamicha Jackson and Kelly Miller received votes. All of these players suited up for the Mercury later on. This was a good race, and players like Smith and Taylor helped the Mercury make history.

Mercury star wins special award

The Sportsmanship Award went to a Mercury player, as Jennifer Gillom received 16 points. She beat players like Jennifer Azzi, Bird and Cash and the All-Star forward became the franchise's first player to win the award.

Aug 9, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom during the game against the Indiana Fever at the Staples Center. The Fever defeated the Sparks 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Mercury did not have their best year, but in the end, one of their stars were recognized.

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