Why The Mercury Struggled In 2002

The Phoenix Mercury struggled in 2002, and it led to one of the franchise's worst seasons.

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The Phoenix Mercury made the playoffs in 2000, as they finished the season with a record of 20-12. They played well, but they lost to the Los Angeles Sparks in the first round of the postseason.

The Mercury missed the playoffs the following year, and things continued to go downhill. Phoenix finished the 2001 season with a record of 13-19, and in 2002, the team had a record of 11-21.

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Phoenix's 2002 season began with a loss, as the Houston Comets picked up a 61-56 win.

Gordana Grubin had an impressive game, as she finished with 17 points, three rebounds and three steals. Jennifer Gillom had 12 points, two assists, two rebounds and two blocks. Then, Lisa Harrison scored in double figures, as she had 10 points. She also had seven rebounds, a steal and a block.

Mercury get their first win with a balanced effort

The Mercury picked up their first win shortly after, as they beat the Utah Starzz. They beat them 71-66, and that was the start of a win streak. The Mercury played well in that game, and they had four players who scored in double figures.

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Tracy Reid was the leading scorer in that game, and she had 16 points. She also had a rebound and a steal. Then, Phoenix had three players who scored 12 points.

After that victory, the Mercury picked up wins over the Washington Mystics, the Charlotte Sting and the Detroit Shock. They started the season on a decent note, but losing streaks impacted their season. They went on a six-game losing at one point, and after snapping that one, they went on another big losing streak.

Phoenix snapped the first streak with a win over the Houston Comets, and their next losing streak started with a loss to the Starzz. The losses kept coming, and they snapped that streak with a win over the Minnesota Lynx.

That was a difficult period for the Mercury, and they missed the playoffs yet again. They had a winning percentage of 34.4 percent, and remains one of their lowest. In fact, the Mercury have only had three seasons where they had a lower percentage.

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Phoenix was having a hard time, and it would be a few years before the franchise found a new star. However, things started to turn around when she arrived.

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