Throwback: Brittney Griner Dominates At Baylor, Phoenix Wins Lottery

The Phoenix Mercury had their worst season in 2012, and in the 2013 WNBA Draft, they selected a center out of Baylor.

Feb 18, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; The Baylor Lady Bears retire jersey #42 Brittney Griner during a ceremony before a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had excellent seasons, but they also had some low moments.

The Mercury have had seasons where they were well below .500, and their worst season was in 2012. Phoenix finished that season with a record of 7-27. The 2023 team came close to this record, but they finished 9-31.

Phoenix's 2012 season was difficult, but it led to one of their greatest additions.

The Mercury won the draft lottery in what was the first time the event was televised. Then, come draft time, they selected a center out of Baylor. Brittney Griner was the first pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft, as she came off a successful senior year.

Griner averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 blocks and 2.4 assists. Baylor finished the season with a record of 34-2. They lost to Stanford earlier in the season, then they lost to Louisville in the Sweet 16. The year before that, Baylor won a championship.

The Lady Bears finished the 2011-12 season with a perfect record. They went 40-0, and they dominated the NCAA Tournament. They started the tournament with a big win over UC-Santa Barbara, as they beat them 81-40.

Baylor continued their dominance, they beat Florida, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Stanford. They beat each of these teams by 12 or more. Baylor faced Notre Dame in the championship game, and beat them 80-61.

In the year they won the championship, Griner averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.2 blocks.

It was a good year for her, as she had a total of 206 blocks. She nearly broke a record she set in her freshman year, as her 223 blocks that season became an NCAA record. Griner also had a big game that year, as she finished with 45 points. In her senior year, she had a 50-point game.

Griner was making a name for herself, and the Mercury took notice. They drafted the center, and she became a game-changer. She averaged 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and three blocks in her rookie season, which led to various accolades.

Griner became an All-Star that year, she led the league in blocks, and she was a member of the WNBA All-Rookie Team. After her rookie season, the Mercury had their spectacular season, and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

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