Why Phoenix's Scoring Helped Them Make The Playoffs

The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2022 season with a record of 15-21. It was not their best season, but they managed to make the best of it.

Jun 29, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A painted section of the court reading BG 42 in support of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (not pictured) during the first half of the game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2022 season with a record of 15-21. They made the playoffs, as teams like the Minnesota Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks had worse seasons than they did.

The Mercury faced the Las Vegas Aces in the playoffs, and Las Vegas got the sweep. That was just the beginning for the Aces, as victories over the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun led to their first championship.

Jun 29, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; BG42 signage is shown on the court at Footprint Center in support of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (not pictured) prior to the game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Phoenix's 2022 season was difficult, as the team dealt with obstacles such as Brittney Griner's absence. The Mercury also added an All-Star center in Tina Charles, and after playing 16 games with the team, she wanted a change of scenery. Charles and the Mercury agreed to a buyout, and she signed with the Storm.

Charles came to the team in hopes of winning a championship. The Mercury reached the WNBA Finals the year before, but they lost to the Chicago Sky. A healthy, complete Mercury team could have made the Finals once again, but setbacks happened.

Apr 21, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Tina Charles shares a laugh with her teammates at Verizon 5G Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Cheryl Evans/The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK / The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite those obstacles, the Mercury had some nice performances during the season. They played well offensively, and the most points they scored in a game happened against the Lynx.

Mercury put up a fight in difficult season

The Mercury were on the road against the Lynx, and Minnesota beat them 118-107. Phoenix had two big performances in that game, as Sophie Cunningham had 36 points and Skylar Diggins had 32. Cunningham also had seven rebounds, five steals, two assists and a block. Diggins had 10 assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Diana Taurasi had a nice game as well, as she had 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal.

Jun 29, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kia Nurse (0) shoots over Indiana Fever guard Destanni Henderson (33) and forward Emily Engstler (21) during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Mercury had two games where they scored 99 points. The first was a win over the Washington Mystics. Phoenix had five players who scored in double figures in that game, and Diggins was the leader with 27.

Later on, the Mercury picked up a 99-78 win over the Indiana Fever. This was another balanced game, as Phoenix had seven players who scored at least 10 points.

Diggins led the way once again, as she had 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds, four steals and a block. The Mercury had some big games that season, and while they regressed even more the following year, their performances in 2022 were something to be proud of.

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