Mercury's Prahalis And More Represent Team With Special Numbers

The Phoenix Mercury have had players like Samantha Prahalis and Bridget Pettis, and they all wore special numbers.

Aug 16, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Storm forward Tina Thompson (7) shoots a jump shot over the top of Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) during the 1st half at KeyArena. Seattle defeated Phoenix 72-58. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Bridget Pettis was one of the Phoenix Mercury's early players, and when she played for them, she wore No. 32. She is the only player to wear that number, and she is one of the franchise's legends who have had their jersey retired.

Outside of Pettis, there are other players who wore unique numbers, but they were not retired. Iziane Castro Marques is an example, and she wore No. 18 in her time with the Mercury. She played with them in 2003, and after that, she played for the Atlanta Dream.

There are a few players who fit in that category, and the ones that will explored this time around wore numbers over 40.

Aug 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; A detailed view of the Nike shoes worn by New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu in the first half against the LA Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first player who will be discussed is Lindsay Taylor, and she played for the Mercury in 2004. She attended UC Santa Barbara, and in her four years, she averaged 14.0 points, seven rebounds and 1.9 blocks. Her third season was her best, and she averaged 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

Taylor gets traded

Taylor was drafted by the Houston Comets, but she was traded to the Mercury shortly after. She played five games with the Mercury, and in one of those games, she had three points, two assists, two rebounds, a steal and a block against the Sacramento Monarchs.

Another player with a unique number is Kristen Rasmussen. Rasmussen played for Phoenix in 2006. She started her career with the Utah Starzz, and before that, she attended Michigan State.

Okemos' head coach Kristen Rasmussen calls out to players during the first quarter on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, at Okemos High School. 180208 Okemos El 059a / Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Rasmussen was a strong rebounder, and in her season with the Mercury, she averaged 6.1 rebounds. She also averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 assists. Her best game during that period was a 13-point game against the San Antonio Silver Stars. Her career high was 19 points, and she did it when she was with the Miami Sol.

Aug 25, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; General view of basketball shoes worn by New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) during the second half against the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Susanna Bonfiglio wore No. 53, and she played with the Mercury in 2002. She played 22 games with them, and she started in six. She averaged 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds during that time. Her best game was against the Cleveland Rockers, and she had 12 points in her team's win.

Alaina Coates wore a unique number, as she wore No. 81. She played two games with the Mercury in 2023. She had her career high elsewhere, as she had 11 points with the Washington Mystics. Then, there is one final player who wore a unique number, as Samantha Prahalis wore No. 99 in her time with the Mercury. She had a career-high 22 points in her rookie season.

Prahalis and the others all have a place in franchise history, and eventually, more players will join them.

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