Mercury's Most Improved Player Shines In Playoffs

Leilani Mitchell was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, and after having different stints with them, she had a strong playoff game.

Jun 8, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Leilani Mitchell drives the ball past Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Munoz-The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK / Brian Munoz-USA TODAY NETWORK

Leilani Mitchell is someone who will always have ties to the Phoenix Mercury. Phoenix drafted her back in 2008, but they traded her to the New York Liberty before the start of the season.

Mitchell played with the Liberty from 2008 to 2013, and in 2015, she signed with the Mercury. That year, she averaged 6.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds. She also played 34 games and was a starter in 26 of them.

Jun 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen (13) passes in the third quarter against the Phoenix Mercury guard Leilani Mitchell (5) at Target Center. The Minnesota Lynx beat the Phoenix Mercury 71-56. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Mitchell comes back to the Mercury

The following year, Mitchell played for the Washington Mystics. She returned to Phoenix for a few years before making her way to Washington once again.

In her years with Phoenix, Mitchell made the playoffs. She had some nice performances at that time, and her best with the Mercury happened in 2017.

Mercury's Leilani Mitchell (5) defends Liberty's Brittany Boyd (15) as she shoots during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. on Aug. 19, 2018. 865709002 / Patrick Breen/The Republic

In a game against the Los Angeles Sparks, Mitchell had 19 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal. She was the team's leading scorer and Brittney Griner was the only player outside of Mitchell to score in double figures. The Mercury lost that game, as the Sparks beat them 79-66.

That was the first game of the series, and the Sparks went on to win the next two to sweep them. Before that, the Mercury beat the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun in single-elimination games. Los Angeles went on to the WNBA Finals, where they lost to the Minnesota Lynx.

During the Mercury's playoff run, Mitchell averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals.

While the first game against the Sparks was her best playoff game with the Mercury, her best overall came a few years later. She had a 25-point game when she was with the Mystics. She also had four assists and two rebounds. The Mystics lost that game, as the Mercury beat them 85-84.

June 3, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; New York Liberty guard Leilani Mitchell (5) looks to pass while being defended by Indiana Fever guard Briann January (20) during the first half at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

For the Mercury, their leading scorer was Skylar Diggins. She had 24 points, while Diana Taurasi was close behind with 23 points. There were two other players who scored in double figures, as Shey Peddy and Kia Vaughn had 12 points each.

Mitchell had some good moments with the Mercury, and she even won Most Improved Player for the second time in her career with them. She won her first won with New York, but she had an even better year in her 2019 season with Phoenix.

Mitchell was no stranger to the playoffs in her career, and in that time, she contributed to the Mercury.

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