Mercury's Jennifer Gillom Shined as First Star

Jennifer Gillom had some good years with the Phoenix Mercury, and in that time, she played a big role in their playoff success.

July 24, 2010; Uncasville, CT, USA; Los Angeles Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom talks with guard Andrea Riley (10) during a break as they take on the Connecticut Sun during the first half at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Jennifer Gillom was the Phoenix Mercury's first star. They received her and Michele Timms in the beginning, then, they continued to build their roster before the start of the season.

In her first season, Gillom averaged 15.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. The following year, she had her best season, as she averaged 20.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.4 assists.

The Mercury had some successful seasons with Gillom as their star, as she helped them reach the playoffs three times in their first four years. After those playoff seasons, she spent two more years with the team before going to the Los Angeles Sparks.

When it comes to the regular season, Gillom's career high was against the Cleveland Rockers. That happened in her second season. As far as her best game in the playoffs, it happened in the same year.

Aug 9, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom (left) congratulates former player Lisa Leslie (right) after her No. 9 jersey was retired at halftime of the WNBA game against the Indian Fever at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Gillom had 27 points against a familiar foe in Cleveland. She also had 10 rebounds, a steal and a block. The Mercury had two other players who scored in double figures, as Bridget Pettis had 15 points and Michelle Brogan had 11 points. Pettis also had three steals, two rebounds and an assist. Brogan had five assists and four rebounds.

Gillom has great game, Mercury fall to Rockers

Cleveland won that game, as they beat Phoenix 67-66. The Rockers tied the series, but the Mercury ended up winning the series. They beat Cleveland 71-60 in the final game of that series, and Pettis was the leading scorer in that outing.

After beating the Rockers, the Mercury advanced to the WNBA Finals, where they lost to the Houston Comets. Houston won that series 2-1.

Gillom did well in that playoff run, as she averaged 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks. Her performance in the playoffs was different from the previous year, as she had nine points, seven rebounds, two steals and an assist in Phoenix's loss to the New York Liberty.

July 27, 2012; London, United Kingdom; USA women's assistant coach Jennifer Gillom with First lady Michelle Obama and players Tina Charles , Sylvia Fowles , Angel McCoughtry , Asjah Jones, far right, following a informal breakfast in honor of the Olympians at the SportsDock training facility on the campus of the University of East London. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

The playoff format was a bit different in that first year. It was shorter than future postseasons, and it was single elimination. So, Gillom did not have a chance to bounce back from a relatively quiet game against the Liberty. Due to that, she had a chance to redeem herself in the 1998 playoffs, which was the start of series rather than single-elimination games.

𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐦 | #𝟐𝟐 ✖️ 2x All-WNBA Team ✖️ WNBA All-Star ✖️ Olympic Gold Medalist ✖️ Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee ✖️ Creator of the infamous “Mighty Mercury” chant 🎟 bit.ly/3WvPzbu

Posted by Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, May 7, 2024

The Mercury had a star in Gillom, and she did great things in regular seasons and playoff runs. She had a big game against the Rockers, and despite losing, it showed Gillom and the Mercury could not be taken ligh

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