How Many Mercury Players Have Had Their Jersey Retired?

The Phoenix Mercury have had so many talented players on their roster, and some of them were honored in a big way.

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 sports, there are certain things that athletes dream of. They want to win a championship. They want to win awards such as Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Athletes want to do something legendary, and when they call it a career, they continue to receive accolades. Instead of the MVP, they may get inducted into the Hall of Fame. Instead of a championship, they receive a statue. Or, instead of becoming an All-Star, they have their jersey retired.

The Phoenix Mercury are one of the original teams in the WNBA. They have quite the legacy, and they have accomplished great things since the 1997 season. They won multiple championships, and some of their biggest names have contributed to that.

For the ones that came before the Mercury's championships, they set the tone and paved the way for the players that came after them. With so much history, it is only right that the Mercury retired the jerseys of some of their key players.

Phoenix has retired the jerseys of Michele Timms, Penny Taylor, Jennifer Gillom, and Bridget Pettis. The Mercury also retired Cheryl Miller's jersey, but she did not play for them. She was their head coach and general manager from 1997 to 2000.

Each of these players accomplished great things in their time with the Mercury. Gillom and Timms were the first Mercury players to play in the WNBA All-Star game.

Taylor was a member of the Mercury's championship teams. She played a role in all three win. She was also a three-time All-Star. Pettis is known as the first player to score in a game for Phoenix.

These four players will have some company soon, as Diana Taurasi is set to have her jersey retired in 2026. She has a lengthy list of accomplishments, including her MVP win in 2009. Taurasi is the first and only player to win the award up to this point.

Taurasi is also the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, as she retired with a total of 10,646 points. The closest player to his Tina Charles, who recently passed 8,000 points. The list goes on when it comes to Taurasi's accomplishments, and it is no surprise that her jersey is going in the rafters.

Phoenix has had several impactful players, and as time goes on, there will be more names alongside Taurasi, Taylor, and the other greats.

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