Why Mercury's Gillom Was Bound To Be A Star

The Phoenix Mercury had a successful year in 1997, and their star, Jennifer Gillom, played a role in their success.

Jun 13, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom during the game against the Minnesota Lynx at the Staples Center. The Sparks defeated the Lynx 88-84. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury's history dates back to 1997. They were one of the WNBA's original teams, and they experienced success early on. They finished their first season with a record of 16-12.

Phoenix reached the playoffs that season, but they lost to the New York Liberty, as they beat them 59-41.

The Mercury built a solid roster, and it all began with Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms. They received the two future All-Stars through allocation, and they brought in players like Bridget Pettis, Nancy Lieberman and Toni Foster after that.

Gillom was the Mercury's first star, and she played with them from 1997 to 2002. She got off to a nice start in her career, as she had her first 20-point game in the fourth game of her WNBA career.

July 24, 2010; Uncasville, CT, USA; Los Angeles Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun during the first half at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Sparks defeated the Sun 89-80. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

In her first game, Gillom had four points, five rebounds and two assists. The Mercury faced the Charlotte Sting in that game, and they beat Charlotte 76-59.

After that, the Mercury faced the Houston Comets, and they lost that game. The Comets beat them 72-55, and Gillom had seven points and four rebounds. In the next game, Phoenix faced the Cleveland Rockers, and they improved to 2-1 with a 68-63 win over Cleveland.

Gillom and Pettis led the team in scoring in that game, as they both had 14. The Mercury star also had three rebounds and an assist.

Sep 24, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; A Wilson official WNBA basketball on the court during game one of the 2023 WNBA Semifinals between the Dallas Wings and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Phoenix lost their next game, as the Liberty beat them 65-57. Despite the loss, Gillom had a strong performance, as she finished the game with a double-double. She had 23 points and 10 rebounds against the team the Mercury would meet in the playoffs.

Then, the Mercury faced the Utah Starzz, and they beat them 77-55. In that game, Gillom had 21 points, six rebounds and an assist.

Gillom gets off to good start

In Gillom's first five games, she averaged 13.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. Her first two games were a bit quiet, but by her third game, she started to heat up. She went on to average 15.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in her first year.

July 27, 2012; London, United Kingdom; USA women's assistant coach Jennifer Gillom pose with First lady Michelle Obama and player Tina Charles following her address to the members of the USA Olympic team during 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

Gillom was a star for Phoenix, and she had some great years with the team. Her success even led to her making the league's first All-Star Game. Gillom is a Mercury legend, and she paved the way for future stars.

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