How Two Mercury Guards Established Themselves At Rutgers

The Phoenix Mercury have had some great scorers, and two of them have something in common.

Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) celebrates after a three point basket against the Seattle Storm during the first quarter at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Sunday, June 16, 2024. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Phoenix Mercury have had some exceptional scorers over the years, and all of them have played a role in the team's success. Diana Taurasi may be the first that comes to mind, as she had massive games like her 47-point performance against the Houston Comets. She is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, as she had 10,646 points in her career.

Aug 23, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; USA players Cappie Pondexter (top) and Diana Taurasi (bottom) celebrate after defeating Australia in the womens basketball gold medal basketball game at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. USA defeated Australia 92-65 to win the gold medal. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Phoenix also had Cappie Pondexter, and they drafted her in 2006. She had some big games, and her scoring helped the Mercury win their first championship. At the end of that run, she became the first Mercury player to win Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Today, the Mercury have another talented scorer, as they acquired Kahleah Copper before the 2024 season. In her first season with the team, Copper averaged a career-high 21.1 points. She also had a career-high 38 points against the Atlanta Dream. This year, she averaged 15.6 points during the regular season, and she averaged 17.8 points during the playoffs.

Sep 23, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) celebrates making a three point shot against the Minnesota Lynx in the first half during game two of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Copper has something in common with Pondexter, as they not only won Finals MVPs, they also attended Rutgers.

Both of them did their share of scoring during that time, now, both of them are on some of the program's all-time lists. When it comes to points, both of them are in the top five, however, neither of them are the leader.

Sue Wicks is Rutgers' all-time leading scorer, and she scored 2,655 points. Tyler Scaife, who was drafted by the Mercury in 2018, is second on the list. She scored 2,233 points.

Sep 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) attempts a shot in front of Washington Mystics guard Jade Melbourne (5) during the first quarter at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Copper and Pondexter shine during college years

Pondexter is third in that category, and she had a total of 2,211 points during her college years. Then, Copper is behind her, as she scored 1,872 points.

Copper started her college journey as a reserve. She played 30 games, and she started in five of them. She averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. After that, her role changed, and her stats increased. In her final year at Rutgers, she averaged 17.7 points, eight rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals.

Pondexter got going right away, and she averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals in her first season. Then, she continued to make an impact, and she made her way to Phoenix.

Both Copper and Pondexter made an impact during their college years, and they are a part of Rutgers' history.

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