Mercury's 2005 Draft Adds To Their History

The Phoenix Mercury have drafted many players over the years, and 2005 was a year they had a draft pick in every round.

Aug 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A detailed view of the official WNBA basketballs on the floor before the start of the game between the New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had highs and lows throughout the years. Luckily, the years where they did have their share of struggles, they quickly recovered. They found players like Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter, DeWanna Bonner and Brittney Griner, and all of them helped the team win championships.

Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) reacts after making a jumper shot against the New York Liberty late in the fourth quarter during Game Three of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs first round at PHX Arena on Sept. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Phoenix drafted all four of the players mentioned, and while some are gone (either through retirement or being with a new team), they are still big names tied to the franchise's history.

Drafting is a challenging process, and as always, some drafts work out better than others. The Mercury found a star in Pondexter back in 2006, but some years are lucky than others. Or, perhaps the team is in a space where the player they drafted is not the right fit at that time. Regardless, the Mercury have a deep draft history, and this time, their 2005 draft will be discussed.

Trust the process

The Mercury had three picks that year, and they had one each round. With their first pick of that year's draft, they drafted Sandora Irvin. Irvin played for TCU, and her best season in those years was in 2005. She averaged 19.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 2.5 steals and 2.1 assists.

Irvin was a force in college, and she was CUSA Player of the Year that season. The Mercury selected her, and in her first year, she averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. She played in seven games with Phoenix in 2006, and they traded her to the San Antonio Silver Stars after that. She also played for the Chicago Sky during her career as well.

May 27, 2010; Rosemont, IL, USA; Chicago Sky forward Sandora Irvin (24) drives for the basket in the second half of a game against the Seattle Storm at Allstate Arena. The Sky defeated the Storm 84-75. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images / Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images

After Irvin, the Mercury selected Angelina Williams. Williams played for Illinois, and in her final year, she averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks. She appeared in 16 games with Phoenix and she averaged 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds. After that, she played for the Detroit Shock and won a championship with them.

With their third pick, they drafted Jamie Carey. Despite being drafted by them, she went on to play with the Connecticut Sun for her entire career.

Nov 13, 2007; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jamie Carey of the USA national team (4) during a 88-64 victory over Southern California in an exhibition game at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Mercury draft picks all have their own journeys, and even if things do not work out in Phoenix, some still found a home elsewhere and contributed to their success.

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