Mercury's Snell Helps Australia During Olympic Run

Belinda Snell won a championship with the Phoenix Mercury in 2007, and after that, she represented her country in the Olympics.

Aug 23, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; USA center Lisa Leslie (bottom) dives for a loose ball against Australia forward Belinda Snell (top) during the womens basketball gold medal basketball game at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had several ties to the Olympic Games. In 2008, Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi played for Team USA, and they played well during that time. They did their part, and the team won gold.

Team USA faced Australia in the final game, and the Mercury guards and their teammates beat Australia by 27.

Aug 13, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; Australia forward Penny Taylor (7) brings the ball up the court as she is defended by Korea forward Yeonha Beon (10) during the second half of a preliminary round game at the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Australia beat Korea 90-62. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

Penny Taylor was in action, and she had six points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal for her team. The Mercury forward played well during Australia's run, and she averaged 11.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals.

Australia had three other players who averaged at least 10 points, and Belinda Snell was one of them. Snell averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals.

Snell helps Mercury win a championship

The Australian player was a familiar face, as she played for the Mercury for three seasons. She joined the team in 2005, and in her first season, she averaged 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds. Then, she played two more seasons, which means she was a part of the 2007 championship-winning team.

After those years with the Mercury, she did not play in 2008 due to the Olympics. However, she returned in 2009, and she played for the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Aug 23, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; USA guard Cappie Pondexter (4) Shoots over Australia forward Belinda Snell (12) during the women's basketball gold medal basketball game at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

During the Olympics, Snell had some solid performances. In her team's win over Belarus, she had seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Then, in the victory over Brazil, Snell had eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Australia continued to win, and in a game against South Korea, the former Mercury player had nine points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal. Snell's team did not stop there, as Australia improved to 4-0 after beating Latvia. The 2007 champion had five points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal.

The team's winning streak continued, as Snell and company picked up wins over Russia, the Czech Republic and China. Phoenix's reserve had 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals against Russia. Then, she had 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block against the Czech Republic. Snell also had 16 points against China.

July 28, 2012; London, United Kingdom; Australia guard Kristi Harrower (10), center Elizabeth Cambage (14), forward Lauren Jackson (15), and guard Belinda Snell (12) huddle during the first half against Great Britain at Basketball Arena. Australia defeated Great Britain 74-58. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Snell was the second-leading scorer in Australia's loss to the U.S. She had 15 points, four rebounds and a steal in that game. She played well, but Team USA took care of business and picked up a big win.

The Mercury's reserve had an impressive showing that year, and despite the loss, she and Australia had an incredible run.

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