Mercury's Prahalis Facilitates During College Years

Samantha Prahalis joined the Phoenix Mercury in 2012, and before that, she had some huge performances for Ohio State.

Aug 16, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) during the 1st half against the Seattle Storm at KeyArena. Seattle defeated Phoenix 72-58. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Samantha Prahalis was one of the Phoenix Mercury's draft picks in 2012, and she had a solid rookie season. She averaged 11.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals, and she made the All-Rookie Team.

The Mercury finished that season with a record of 7-27, and they received the first pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft. They brought in a game-changing star who helped them win a championship in her second season.

Sep. 21, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) puts up a shot against the Minnesota Lynx guard Candice Wiggins (11) in the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Despite Phoenix's struggles, Prahalis' play was one of the positives of that season. She had a strong performance against the Los Angeles Sparks, as she had 22 points, five assists, five rebounds, four steals and a block.

Prahalis had an all-around game, and that performance was reminiscent of some of her games at Ohio State.

Aug 16, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (99) shoots a jump shot while being guarded by Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird (10) during the 1st half at KeyArena. Seattle defeated Phoenix 72-58. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

When it comes to scoring, her best game was a 42-point game against Minnesota. She also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals. She is one of four players who scored 40 in their time with the Buckeyes, as Katie Smith did it in 1994, Kelsey Mitchell did it four times, and recently, Jaloni Cambridge did it against Illinois. Prahalis did it in 2012.

Prahalis gets double-double in Ohio State's win

Prahalis can put up big numbers scoring-wise, and she was also a facilitator. She got her teammates involved, and when it comes to assists, her best game was against Oklahoma. In an Ohio State win, Prahalis had 15 assists. She played well overall, as she also had 15 points and four steals

Ohio State won in a balanced effort, and Prahalis' assists played a role in that. The Buckeyes had five players who scored in double figures, and Jantel Lavender was the leading scorer. She had 32 points, and she also had four rebounds and two blocks.

Brittany Johnson had 18 points, Tayler Hill had 16 points and Sarah Schulze had 12.

February 23, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Samantha Prahalis (21) takes the foul shot that will set an all-time Ohio State single-game scoring record with 42 points during a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Value City Arena. Ohio State won the game 81-56. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-Imagn Images / Greg Bartram-Imagn Images

Phoenix's rookie had some big facilitating games while she was with Ohio State, and her next-best performances were against California and Northwestern. She had 14 assists in both of those games. Prahalis had more than 20 games where she had 10 or more assists. She was doing what she could to help her team win, and she showed flashes of that in her time with the Mercury.

Prahalis was great in her college years, and in what was a difficult year for Phoenix, she showcased her talents.

Please follow us on X to read more about past Mercury players like Samantha Prahalis when you click right here!

feed