Phoenix's Top Players Move The Ball, Team Wins It All

The Phoenix Mercury won a championship in 2007, and while their scoring played a role, another area gave them a better chance.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) walks around with the WNBA Championship Trophy during the 2014 Phoenix Mercury championship team reunion on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2007 season is one of the Phoenix Mercury's most memorable, as it led to history. The Mercury not only made the playoffs for the first time since 2000, but they also went on a deep playoff run.

Phoenix beat the Seattle Storm in the first round, and after defeating the San Antonio Silver Stars, the Mercury faced the Detroit Shock in the WNBA Finals. The Shock were the defending champions, and they were going for a repeat. However, the Mercury stopped them, as they beat the Shock 3-2.

May 20, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: The Championship trophy from 2011 is brought back to Target Center before a game between Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Mercury's top players helped them get the win, and in Cappie Pondexter's case, she was the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). She became the first Mercury player to receive that honor.

Pondexter and the team had an excellent season, and while she and Diana Taurasi were known for their scoring, both guards got their teammates involved.

May 22, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter (23) passes the ball to a teammate during the first quarter of a WNBA game against the Minnesota Lynx at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When it came to assists, both of them were in the top three. Kelly Miller was the leader that season, and she had 156. She had her best performance against the Washington Mystics, as she dished out nine assists. The Mercury lost a close game, but the 2004 Most Improved Player's passing was one of the things that stood out the most.

Taurasi shares the wealth, moves the ball

Taurasi was second in that category, and she had 137. She had nine assists against the Minnesota Lynx, and the Mercury picked up their 10th win in the process. She also did some scoring, as she was one of five players who scored in double figures.

Pondexter was right behind her, and she had 123 assists. The high-scoring guard's best playmaking game was against the Lynx, and she had nine. That was a different game from Taurasi's high.

Penny Taylor was fourth in assists, and she was two shy of getting 100. She moved the ball, and she dished out eight assists in her team's win over the Silver Stars.

Then, after Taylor, Tangela Smith and Belinda Snell both had 44 assists. Smith had four against the Los Angeles Sparks, and Snell had five against the Houston Comets.

The Phoenix Mercury win their first WNBA championship, defeating the Detroit Shock, 3-2 in the WNBA Finals on Sept. 16, 2007. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It takes a team to win a championship, and with the team's top players sharing the ball, the Mercury added their name to the WNBA's history books.

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